Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site petrus.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!petrus!hammond From: hammond@petrus.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion.christian Subject: Re: MOTSS (more of the same stuff?) Message-ID: <266@petrus.UUCP> Date: Mon, 21-Jan-85 07:52:50 EST Article-I.D.: petrus.266 Posted: Mon Jan 21 07:52:50 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 06:23:30 EST References: <11711@gatech.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc Lines: 19 > > ... > > > > If it IS sinful, it was ranked along with slander, gossipping, and > > similar sins which aren't culturally marked as sins any more... Don't forget, all the New Testament writings were from the members of a minority (Christianity was NOT the major religion of the roman empire) sect. homosexuality, slander, gossipping, and such were probably not considered "sins" by the greek or roman culture of the time. The christian writers were calling for higher standards of conduct than the culturally acceptable level. This is to clear up the common misconception that people have that Christianity has ALWAYS been the dominant religion in the West. It had a very small (percentage wise) following during the period in which all the New Testament was written. In fact, I trace the decline of Christianity to the day when it became the "state religion." Rich Hammond (allegra | decvax) !bellcore!hammond