I found this document in my personal folder and can't remember why I wrote it. Must have been a comment I left on some poor bugger's blog months ago and forgot all about - but I think it deserves a fresh airing!
I define "sin" as "ignorance" (avidya in Sanskrit) or "missing the point" or "being way off the mark." Some may regard ignorance as bliss, but knowledge is a great deal more powerful, and wisdom far more enlightening and liberating.
You are putting all your metaphorical eggs in one basket with your unquestioning belief in the "divine authority" of the Torah, Quran, or Bible. Doesn't require much thinking to realize that ALL scriptures begin with an oracle... prophet ... visionary... medium... or channel... who receives a message from his or her "Higher Self," often presenting itself as "God" or "an Emissary of God."
The received message is at first transmitted orally to the oracle/prophet's closest followers - and only much later is it written down. Illiteracy is widespread even today, what more centuries ago. The privileged few who could read and write enjoyed enormous influence and power over others, and were revered as Ustaz/Priests/Brahmins.
We are told that Power corrupts... and therefore we may assume that any spiritual teaching passed down to us as "God's Word" will certainly have been "flavored" by the Scribe(s) responsible for recording in writing what originally was spoken by a Master or Guru. Please bear this in mind, whenever you are tempted to refer to any Holy Book as your "authority" on any subject.
The only reason I can think of for the Book Religions' frowning upon anal sex and homosexuality is that such practices, if allowed to flourish, would eventually diminish the population/ummah/congregation (therefore drastically reducing the amount collectible as religious taxes or tithes, not to mention lowering the quantum of cannon fodder with which to wage perpetual war against ideological enemies).
Anal sex is occasionally fun, as is oral sex. If you have NEVER tried either and insist you never will, I sympathize with your extraordinary lack of curiosity and imagination.
I define "sin" as "ignorance" (avidya in Sanskrit) or "missing the point" or "being way off the mark." Some may regard ignorance as bliss, but knowledge is a great deal more powerful, and wisdom far more enlightening and liberating.
You are putting all your metaphorical eggs in one basket with your unquestioning belief in the "divine authority" of the Torah, Quran, or Bible. Doesn't require much thinking to realize that ALL scriptures begin with an oracle... prophet ... visionary... medium... or channel... who receives a message from his or her "Higher Self," often presenting itself as "God" or "an Emissary of God."
The received message is at first transmitted orally to the oracle/prophet's closest followers - and only much later is it written down. Illiteracy is widespread even today, what more centuries ago. The privileged few who could read and write enjoyed enormous influence and power over others, and were revered as Ustaz/Priests/Brahmins.
We are told that Power corrupts... and therefore we may assume that any spiritual teaching passed down to us as "God's Word" will certainly have been "flavored" by the Scribe(s) responsible for recording in writing what originally was spoken by a Master or Guru. Please bear this in mind, whenever you are tempted to refer to any Holy Book as your "authority" on any subject.
The only reason I can think of for the Book Religions' frowning upon anal sex and homosexuality is that such practices, if allowed to flourish, would eventually diminish the population/ummah/congregation (therefore drastically reducing the amount collectible as religious taxes or tithes, not to mention lowering the quantum of cannon fodder with which to wage perpetual war against ideological enemies).
Anal sex is occasionally fun, as is oral sex. If you have NEVER tried either and insist you never will, I sympathize with your extraordinary lack of curiosity and imagination.
[First posted 24 September 2007]
