Paul: But if that's what you mean, you're asking for a number of miracles, and if your plan to make it happen is to start by working to restrict sex to marriage and pray for those miracles to happen, then here in the real world, it would most definitely not "be great". In fact you're a lot more likely to get more commodization (is that a word? Making it into a commodity?) of sex and of women, "honor killings" (and now forced "honor suicides"), children sold/taken as brides, etc.
Jim: In find that conclusion ludicrous Paul: Sure, you can legislate against some of that, but the overall commodization of sex is an inevitable product of attempts to restrict sex to the marriage contract (and yes, the Pope has that exactly backwards in his pronouncement of a few months ago. He is simply wrong). Jim: My pastor once opined that Christians trying to legislate morality is not effective, which is why the bible often did not try to get Christians to overturn institutions such as slavery in any political or forceful manner. Instead, you try to love people and convince them of a better choice. Yes, I realize that sounds pretty dorky Paul: If you think you have a more concrete plan to make those miracles occur then I'm sure that the rest of us would love to hear it. Keep in mind that the divorce rate is high among the fundamentalist religious groups most devoted to this model for sex and marriage Jim: Evidence, please? I'm only aware of some research that purports the divorce rate among religious conservatives is no different than liberals or non-adherents (and it's pretty flawed) --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
