(Ron) Sex, lust, and the Catholic Church
Achilles Sophia achillesz@usa.net
Tue, 8 Sep 1998 11:28:49 -0400 (00905286529, 15284928150732@cfagroup.com)
>>BRIDEAN
>>Actually, the Bible contradicts that because breaching your duty to
>>your dead brother was NOT a death penalty offense (Deut 25:5-10).
>>Since God gave Onan the death penalty, it must have been some
>>other offense. Unless you are going to argue that God killed him
>>capriciously (not the first time something like that would happen).
>>
>>
>ACHILLES
>From my modern point of view it would seem that his crime was actually
>rape.
>Remember, rape is obtaining sex through force *or fraud* - Onan was having
>sex with her for the professed purpose of impregnating her but then taking
>action to keep that from happening. But that's probably not it either, I am
>not sure that the hebrews would have considered this rape, or even really
>had a concept of rape... the only verses I can find that seem to apply are
>specific to the status of the victim and widows are not among those
>mentioned - and even in the cases given the idea of rape as we know it
>doesn't seem to be present, more of violating a mans property rights to the
>given woman.
>
>Maybe this was just an example of someone finding a loophole in the law and
>that in itself ticked Y-whatever off?
>
>
>BRIDEAN
>I can see making an argument for rape, but the usual argument given for
>what "sin" Onan commited is that he intentionally wasted his seed
>(as opposed to unintentional as in nocturnal emisions). Thus it is a
>verse which Catholics and certain protestants give against birth control.
>
ACHILLES
*nod* I have heard that interpretation, but it's so transparently false I
was under the impression no one had taken it seriously in years... *shrug*
"Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors, and miss. "
- RAH