Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: fuzzy@elaine0.stanford.edu (Daniel Zappala) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Biblical Sexual Morality Message-ID: Date: 12 Mar 91 09:36:59 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Stanford University - AIR Lines: 37 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article ALLEN@mscf.med.upenn.edu writes: > > Much of Biblical sexual morality is based on the mistaken belief >that each sperm contained an infant. The woman was thought only to be >a place for the sperm to grow. The woman did not make any other >contribution to the fetus. This can be seen in such phrases as >"spilling his seed" and "semen" (from Latin "seed") in refering to men >and "barren" or "fertile" when refering to women. Much of the debate >over sexual issues is a relic of this mistaken belief. > This interpretation assumes the laws on sexual morality come from men, and not from God. My personal viewpoint is to instead acknowledge through faith that what is found in the Bible is God's word, and to understand what is in the Bible from that assumption. Since God fully knows the human reproductive system, he must have had his reasons for declaring masturbation and homosexuality as sins. I'm willing to take his word for it, but if one must rationalize, I can come up good enough arguments to satisfy my own probing mind. For example, if one views the sexual act as a union of woman and man on the level of a unifying of spirits, as well as bodies, then it is quite possible for me to see masturbation as a pale shadow of the full sexual act, and hence unpleasing to God. Note, I make no claim for this as a Biblical concept. I myself can settle for God's will without needing a complete reason. As far as specific phrases and wordings which might suggest an inadequate understanding, it depends on your view of how the Bible came to be. My own view of prophets sees them as people through whom God can reveal his will to his people. They are succeptible to cultural perturbations insofar as this will not obscure God's word. They are imperfect mouthpieces. Daniel fuzzy@leland.stanford.edu