Can Religion and BDSM interests co-exist?

[Alex Bragi]

Anal sex/sodomy is a prime example and an issue I struggle with regularly. My interpretation doesn't allow for it, in any form, but my carnal nature loves, enjoys and in some ways thrives on it. So the choice is mine... do I live in "sin" for my pleasure or not? Those issues... you have to decide for yourself how to handle, your interpretation of the religious text as to if it is a sin and then if it is are you are willing to live in "sin" for your primal enjoyment? Somethings can't be reconciled and bottom line are what they are. It then becomes your choice to determine how they are going to fit (or not) into your life style.

The the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a part of the Old Testament--a history of Jewish people and therefor not Gospel. Also I think most Christians see the Bible more as guide to a good life since it was written for the people of the time, and times change. Annie, if you were to follow it to the letter, you'd have a restricted diet; you wouldn't be allowed to cut your hair, and every month you'd have to go away until you were 'clean' again!

Interestingly, some researcher now believe that those two cities were most certainly destroyed, but it was a naturally occurring phenomenon in the area--gases building up in the rock formations until they exploded. So, were they really so sinful after all? Or, were they just a bunch of people having a good time in the wrong place?

... It's like the debates over abortion and cloning and such as there's nothing said about it much I suppose, and it's a new idea that an old book has to adapt to.

However, as Gear says, I really think that it's between you and God; though I can't think of any reason why the two can't live together

Yes, totally!

[TomOfSweden]

The the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is a part of the Old Testament--a history of Jewish people and therefor not Gospel. Also I think most Christians see the Bible more as guide to a good life since it was written for the people of the time, and times change. Annie, if you were to follow it to the letter, you'd have a restricted diet; you wouldn't be allowed to cut your hair, and every month you'd have to go away until you were 'clean' again!

According to the "2001 religious survey" by Barry Kosmin, (the biggest survey on US religious faith ever done) this is the faith of most US Christians. But there's the great Steven Weinberg quote "If we use our own moral judgement on which parts of the Bible to follow, aren't we just using our own moral judgement? What do we need the Bible for?" So I'm going to argue that the most people who call themselves Christian aren't really Christian. They've got a wide variety of various faiths we haven't given names to. But they like to share the title Christian, because it gives them the, (false) sense of having something in common.

edit: my point is that if you're not following the Bible literally you can combine Christianity with any activity no matter how bizarre. If you are following the Bible literally you immediately run into the problem of that it isn't compatible with modern moral values. So you'd be arrested if you tried.

Interestingly, some researcher now believe that those two cities were most certainly destroyed, but it was a naturally occurring phenomenon in the area--gases building up in the rock formations until they exploded. So, were they really so sinful after all? Or, were they just a bunch of people having a good time in the wrong place?

This is quite central to Christian beliefs. It's the belief that God works in secret by sneaking around doing good, and trying to fool people into that he doesn't exist...to test our faith. Doing some act miraculous act that would break the laws of nature and prove his existence, would be way to easy. That would convert every human soul in a second. God wouldn't want that would he? It would make everything so boring and predictable. But hey, wait a minute, he's omnipotent.... hm.... yeah.... why is he so unwilling to convert people?

[Thorne]

Interestingly, some researcher now believe that those two cities were most certainly destroyed, but it was a naturally occurring phenomenon in the area--gases building up in the rock formations until they exploded. So, were they really so sinful after all? Or, were they just a bunch of people having a good time in the wrong place?

It's more likely that they were just normal people going about their normal business who were struck by catastrophe. Just like the victims of Katrina or the Indian Ocean tsunami, they didn't do anything to precipitate the disaster, just happened to be living in the wrong place. The stories of their sinful ways were probably made up later as morality lessons. And the story of Lot's wife was an attempt to explain the weird salt formations around the Dead Sea.