Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!samsung!rex!ukma!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: mib@geech.ai.mit.edu (Michael I Bushnell) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Imposing Christian morality on nonbelievers Message-ID: Date: 14 Feb 91 12:01:11 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Free Software Foundation, Cambridge, MA Lines: 31 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article math1h3@jetson.uh.edu writes: This is a good question. It seems particularly relevant to the discussion Re: ACLU (cases) in t.r.m., on whether a man can refuse to rent housing to an unmarried couple who apparently intend to use it for fornication. One minor question. How do you "use" a house for fornication. I can understand using a house to live in, or to entertain guests, or to escape rain, or such, but it seems completely unimportant to having sex. The real question you are asking is not "will you rent a house if it will be used for fornication" but "will you rent a house to people who fornicate." There is a world of difference between these two. I think some christians think morality first, Christ second. We might think of someone, 'Well at least they are good people' meaning that they are kind, loving, good parents, faithful in marriage, or celibately single, etc. We might feel relieved when a couple that has been living together decides to get married. But the fact is that without faith in Christ, they must be cast into the eternal lake of fire on the day of judgement. How can we keep silent about that? indeed, if you would not rent to an unmarried couple, would you rent to a jewish family? Historically, many have said no. Those who might refuse the first need to consider the logical extension of their ideas: that *anyone* who does seen as contrary to the Gospel needs to be repressed. Since we all may differ about just what the Gospel is, we need to avoid that repression. Paul said as much in the letter to the Galatians, and we'd be wise to start listening. -mib