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From: rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Dinsdale Piranha)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: fornication and Christianity
Message-ID: <488@pyuxd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Feb-85 12:37:36 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxd.488
Posted: Thu Feb  7 12:37:36 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Feb-85 05:43:01 EST
References: <428@pyuxd.UUCP> <1116@houxm.UUCP> <573@mako.UUCP>
Organization: The Gang - Other Other Operations Division
Lines: 53
Keywords: permissible   beneficial   constructive   serving the Lord

> How does swimming and weightlifting glorify God?  How is God glorified
> by my eating this piece of pizza?  Swimming and weightlifting, (done
> in moderation) can be very beneficial.  Eating is quite necessary
> for *survival*, much less living or glorifing God.  Does relaxing
> glorify God?  Maybe, but I don't see how.  Is relaxing beneficial?
> Yes.  Who is being served here, the individual, or God?  I think
> the individual is. [SEIFERT]

This is the point I was trying to make in my earlier article.  Thanks, Snoopy.

> Can fornication be beneficial?  yes.  Can it be harmful?  yes.  Who
> does it serve?  I think it mostly serves the individuals.  Engaging 
> in fornication for the wrong reasons *can* serve the devil, but abstaining
> for the wrong reasons can also.  I suspect it depends on the individual,
> abstainance being right for some people, and fornication being right
> for others.  Paul also said he thought it was better to remain
> single, but I see an awful lot of devout Christians getting married.

This is the biggest single problem I see with dogmatic rule-oriented religion.
A very good point is made here:  some things are right for some people, and
not right for others.  Other things may be right for those other people, but
not necessarily for (still) others.  A whole lot of things were right (and
wrong) for Paul.  Does the fact that his book sold millions of copies make
them right for everyone?  Why is poor Jeff Sargent trying to squeeze certain
things into his life that may be hopelessly inappropriate for him, just because
it says so in a book?

Uniform monolithic rules for everyone not only stagnate the human race by
making everyone the same (or close to it), but they also deteriorate the
quality of each individual life.  Desiring a world in which everyone obeys
such rules of behavior (beyond simple non-interference laws) is the same as
desiring to see the world force-fit into your mold, and desiring to lay down
what others can and cannot do.

> I have a *real* problem with people who tell you to do/not-do something
> for the wrong reasons.  When I did the confirmation bit, they said
> that you shouldn't drink alcohol.  Ok, fine, but why not?  Because,
> you see, you are supposed to use the grain to make bread for the poor.
> What a crock.  Now there *are* reasons to not drink alcohol, but that's
> got to be the *worst*.  The Bible doesn't say to not drink, it says
> to not get *drunk*.  In fact, 1 Timothy 5:23 says, "Stop drinking
> water only, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your
> frequent illnesses" (NIV)

I guess they thought wine had medicinal properties of sorts. (?) But the
point is to discover rational reasons for doing or not doing things, as they
apply to your needs as an individual.  Well said.

This is actually getting interesting.  I would hope that there are Christians
who would ask and answer some of these questions, instead of being "disgusted".
-- 
Anything's possible, but only a few things actually happen.
					Rich Rosen    pyuxd!rlr