Comment

Comment by Sentient Biped on February 20, 2012 at 9:16pm

I always thought the bible pretty explicitly sanctioned slavery and said nothing or almost nothing against it.  As you affirm, the bible set forth regulations regarding slavery, and slaves were admonished to obey their masters. evilbible.com  quotes from southern slavery supporters regarding biblical views on slavery and supposed support of racism.  commentary with more on biblical interpretation and slavery.  Austin Cline states that  the Civil War as a much a defense of Christianity as it was a defense of slavery: the elimination of slavery meant the elimination of an institution grounded in Christian doctrine.  I still have so much to learn.

Comment by Donald R Barbera on February 20, 2012 at 9:14am

The Civil War had much to do with evangelical religious attitudes in the US especially seeing much was based upon white supremacy in The South's particular interpretation of the Bible that although not particularly sanctioning slavery, did not place an outright ban on it and, in fact, provided a playbook for the treatment of slaves and women. With the loss of the war, patriarchial belief fell into disrepute, but the thought that the South was wronged has never ended and contributes to national discord and division.

Comment by Donald R Barbera on February 20, 2012 at 9:09am

Agreed. Life was short and often brutal. It does seem that the Bible leaned toward monogamy in singular statements, but I don't recall any outright ban on polygamy. I think during other research I stumbled on the Anabaptists and I think they practiced polygamy, or were allowed to do so. Without consulting any source, that's the best I can do, but I don't recall it being outlawed.

Comment by Sentient Biped on February 19, 2012 at 1:04pm

Also maybe to provide home and food for unmarried women, widows, and their children.  I suspect there wasn't much a woman could do to provide for herself then.  Life was tough, and short - war, pestilence, disease, accidents, killed many in their youth, leaving widows widowers and orphans.  Become a nun, maybe or the world's oldest profession.  Or beg in the streets.  Anyway, as I understand it - which might be totally wrong - the old testament doesn't push for monogamy anyway - even honoring polgamists - but in the New Testament the language did seem to head that direction without explicitly stating multiple wives is unchristian or unJewish.

Comment by Donald R Barbera on February 19, 2012 at 12:33pm

Interestingly, in older parts of the world polygamy was allowed and sanctioned by the church. War was a large reason for this seeming slip up by the church, but even holy people recognized the danger of not having citizens to defend the realm. So, it was allowed for a man to have more than one wife. Of course, this was not for fun, enjoyment or anything that had to do with smiling, it was for procreational purposes only!

Comment by Sentient Biped on February 18, 2012 at 11:49am

Minute by Minute, excellent commentary as always!  Imagine - Make birth control unavailable.  Make abortion unavailable.  Make health care coverage inaccessible.  Make financial assistance unavailable.  So, we get unplanned, unwanted babies, who can't get medical care, and whose mothers are out of work without money to support them.  I suppose that will keep them all married to men who have good jobs?  We may need to legalize polygamy, since there aren't all that many men with good jobs these days, either.

Comment by Donald R Barbera on February 17, 2012 at 10:25pm

I once thought this settled, but now I understand the tunnel-vision of the Religious Right and its warped desire to control others sexuality. If not illegal, I've given much thought to what people do in the bedroom and, personally, I don't want to know because people do strange things. Besides, I shouldn't know what happens in the bedroom. It's private! There coitus positions that I don't like, but nobody cares except the Evangelical Right. They should more careful picking up stones to throw.

Comment by matthew greenberg on February 17, 2012 at 3:04pm

http://www.change.org/petitions/oklahoma-lawmakers-i-urge-the-ok-ho...

 

i've posted this on it's own thread, but it's here for people interested in this discussion as well. 

Comment by Reason Being on February 17, 2012 at 2:27pm

Another tragedy of this whole debacle is the fact that it has forced people to pay attention to the views of the Christian Right, if for no other reason than to prevent them from becoming a reality, when we have so many bigger problems to deal with.  I have written a ton on the birth control issue, and that is frustrating in and of itself. I shouldn't have to do that!  Yet here we are in the 21st century, with one of the two major Parties trying desperately to move into the 14th.  ugh.  Just ugh.

Comment by Donald R Barbera on February 17, 2012 at 1:03pm

Loren certainly hit the nail as it were on the head! LOL therein lies the crux of the problem--patriarchy. I guess I've never understood it, even though I've seen it more than I care to think about. I am reminded of something Bill Cosby said in one of his routines in refer to "housewives," when he said, some like "I've seen the job, and I don't want it." I imagine self-aware women are a threat to some men.

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