Zagg said:
Could be. I don't know. But whatever they do, their official policy is strict monogamy and copulation for reproduction only.
ol stinky said:
Zagg said:
You don't think, for example, that the pope would think that the sort of fornication that is encouraged on this site is sinful and that we're all in need of speedy repentance?
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I have heard (no proof) the Vatican has the largest collection of porn in the world...SOMEBODY is looking at it..if only for "research" (probably using one hand to turn the pages and the other to ...well..you know..)
There are many things in the Bible and that Jesus said that the Catholic Church and other Christian religions choose to ignore.
I don't want to turn this into a huge religious discussion, but I once heard an Evangelical preacher give the most amazing exposition of Christianity on an Easter Sunday some years ago.
After spending nearly four hours filling a half dozen blackboards with points in the New Testament where the divinity of Jesus could be reasonably questioned and using Hebrew, Greek, Latin and English translations of the Bible to help explain why he, personally, chose to accept the interpretation that favored Jesus' divinity at each of these points, the minister put down his chalk, stepped up to the podium and said the following to his audience:
"None of this matters. It all comes down to this, ladies and gentlemen: either you believe that the man walked out of the tomb or you don't. If you don't...or if you have any question in your mind about whether he did, you are not a Christian--and that's OK. It's OK because, as Jesus told Thomas--"Doubting Thomas", his own disciple--Jesus said it was OK to doubt whether he walked out of that tomb. And, we as Christians have to accept that. But, if you do believe that Jesus walked out of that tomb on his own, then, Jesus is divine. His words are the word of God and take precedence over those of anyone else--those of his disciples, popes, priests, ministers, even mine. If you truly believe that Jesus walked out of that tomb and is divine, then you are a Christian. And, as a Christian, you have an obligation to act in accordance with the words that Jesus spoke and to do what Jesus said to do...first! Before you listen to what anyone else says, you have an obligation to do what Jesus said to do, because he was divine...the son of God...even if that means accepting that it's alright for others not to believe that he walked out of that tomb or have their doubts about whether he did."
Obviously, I was so struck by his presentation and especially by this statement that he made at the end (he wrapped it up by talking a bit more about his own acceptance and the burden that following Jesus' words placed on him, personally) that I have not only never forgotten it, but have remembered his closing word-for-word.
Since I am covered (and I'm sure many others here are as well) by the first part of this (Jesus' acceptance of those who may doubt that the man walked out of the tomb), what the Catholic Church or other Christians may think of my actions or those of my wife are immaterial to us.
However, if the Catholic Church or other Christians have any problem with what we here do, think or may even just fantasize about, let me remind them of what the man who they accept as their Lord and Saviour--the Son of God--had to say to the crowd that was about to stone a woman who had broken Mosaic Law by having sex with someone other than her husband: "Let he who is blameless (or "without Sin", depending on the translation) cast the first stone!"
Since he did not pick up, let alone cast that first stone in that instance, if you are truly a Christian, how can you?
