From: Scott Roberts (jse885@earthlink.net)
Date: Sun Nov 07 2004 - 17:12:15 GMT
Arlo,
[Scott prev]> > As Dorothy Sayers (detective novelist and Christian
thinker) put it: there
> > are seven deadly sins. Why all this emphasis on just one of them?
>
[Arlo]> Oh, I'm just jiding the self-professed christian moralists. This
whole thing was
> about the claim that the election was over "morals" (as Platt put it, a
victory
> of social morality over biological morality). Since these "morals", as
Platt
> and the christian right profess them, are the age-old biblical admonitions
> against homosexuality and sex, I find it so interesting they ignore the
other
> moralities of the religion they claim to hold high (or use to rally rural
> support for their war agenda).
[Scott:] That was her point as well: why all the concern about Lust, when
Pride, Envy, Sloth, Greed, Anger, and Gluttony are just as bad.
>
[Arlo:]> Of course, no wonder, as it would get icky for them to have to
deal with the
> entire christian moral code (wealth and unclean, menstruating women).
[Scott:] Wealth, yes, but kosher stuff, no. The latter was part of the
Jewish moral code, which St. Paul argued, and it has been generally
accepted, is not binding among Christians. Unfortunately, Paul explicitly
railed against homosexuality, so modern conservative Christians can point
to that for their gay-bashing. But (see above) there are plenty of other
areas where you are correctly critical.
[Arlo]... although there is evidence that Jesus' teachings
> derived from the Mithraic traditions, which was Persian (if I recall),
> certainly evidencing some support of cross-cultural learning, eh?
[Scott:] Not really. Christianity borrowed some mythological aspects of
Mithraism (such as making December 25th Jesus' birthday), but that was
after the New Testament was written. Of course there will be overlap on
moral questions, as there is over all religions, but since Mithraism was
mainly popular among Roman soldiers, I don't think this case can be made.
There is nothing in Mithraism like "turn the other cheek" or "judge not,
lest you be judged".
- Scott
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