Juvenal always bears rereading, but Professor Peterson should stick to Philology and leave epidemiology to the pros.
The rate of genetic change in any disease organism and the amount of variability of it's genetic material give a very accurate date for the breakout of the disease among humanity.
HIV is considerably less than a century old in humans.
The disease is much more likely Gonorrhea since Syphilis did not appear until the 15th Century
As someone else suggested on FR, Civil Unions for gays could be initiated through "Gayrriage Ceremonies."
To be consistent, the Massachusetts Court should decide a man can call himself a "woman" or "female" on his driver's license.
Is this a crveo thread?
Everyone knows that today's moral decay is the result of Episcopalians. ;)
Here's another one!
Aside from the books in the New Testament, the Didache (Greek for "teaching") is the earliest known Christian writing. It is believed to have been written and compiled during the years AD 50-110.
The Didache
Part 1: The Two Ways
The Way of Life
1. There are two Ways: a Way of Life and a Way of Death, and the difference between these two Ways is great.
The Way of Life is this: "Thou shalt love first the Lord thy Creator, and secondly thy neighbour as thyself; and thou shalt do nothing to any man that thou wouldst not wish to be done to thyself."
What you may learn from these words is to bless them that curse you, to pray for your enemies, and to fast for your persecutors. For where is the merit in loving only those who return your love? Even the heathens do as much as that. But if you love those who hate you, you will have nobody to be your enemy.
Beware of the carnal appetites of the body. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other one to him as well, and perfection will be yours. Should anyone compel you to go a mile, go another one with him. If someone takes away your coat, let him have your shirt too. If someone seizes anything belonging to you, do not ask for it back again (you could not get it, anyway). Give to everyone that asks, without looking for any repayment, for it is the Father's pleasure that we should share His gracious bounty with all men. A giver who gives freely, as the commandment directs, is blessed; no fault can be found with him. But woe to the taker; for though he cannot be blamed for taking if he was in need, yet if he was not, an account will be required of him as to why he took it, and for what purpose, and he will be taken into custody and examined about this action, and he will not get out until he has paid the last penny. The old saying is in point here: "Let your alms grow damp with sweat in your hand, until you know who it is you are giving them to.
2. The second commandment in the Teaching means: Commit no murder, adultery, sodomy, fornication, or theft. Practise no magic, sorcery, abortion, or infanticide. See that you do not covet anything your neighbour possesses, and never be guilty of perjury, false witness, slander, or malice. Do not equivocate in thought or speech, for a double tongue is a deadly snare; the words you speak should not be false or empty phrases, but fraught with purposeful action. You are not to be avaricious or extortionate, and you must resist any temptation to hypocrisy, spitefulness, or superiority. You are to have no malicious designs on a neighbour. You are to cherish no feelings of hatred for anybody; some you are to reprove, some to pray for, and some again to love more than your own life.
3. Keep away from every bad man, my son, and from all his kind. Never give way to anger, for anger leads to homicide. Likewise refrain from fanaticism, quarrelling, and hot-temperedness, for these too can breed homicide.
Beware of lust, my son, for lust leads to fornication. Likewise refrain from unclean talk and the roving eye, for these too can breed adultery.
Do not be always looking for omens, my son, for this leads to idolatry. Likewise have nothing to do with witchcraft, astrology, or magic; do not even consent to be a witness of such practices, for they too can all breed idolatry.
Tell no lies, my son, for lying leads to theft. Likewise do not be over-anxious to be rich or to be admired, for these too can breed thievishness.
Do not be a grumbler, my son, for this leads to blasphemy. Likewise do not be too opinionated, and do not harbour thoughts of wickedness, for these too can breed blasphemy.
Learn to be meek, for the meek are to inherit the earth. School yourself to forbearance, compassion, guilelessness, calmness, and goodness; and never forget to respect the teaching you have had.
Do not parade your own merits, or allow yourself to behave presumptuously, and do not make a point of associating with persons of eminence, but choose the companionship of honest and humble folk.
Accept as good whatever experience comes your way, in the knowledge that nothing can happen without God.
4. By day and by night, my son, remember him who speaks the word of God to you. Give him the honour you would give the Lord; for wherever the Lord's attributes are the subject of discourse, there the Lord is present. Frequent the company of the saints daily, so as to be edified by their conversation. Never encourage dissensions, but try to make peace between those who are at variance. Judge with justice, reprove without fear or favour, and never be in two minds about your decisions.
Do not be like those who reach out to take, but draw back when the time comes for giving. If the labour of your hands has been productive, your giving will be a ransom for sins. Give without hesitating and without grumbling, and you will see Whose generosity will requite you. Never turn away the needy; share all your possessions with your brother, and do not claim that anything is your own. If you and he are joint participators in things immortal, how much more so in things that are mortal?
You are not to withhold your hand from your son or daughter, but to bring them up in the fear of God from their childhood.
Never speak sharply when giving orders to male or female domestics whose trust is in the same God as yours; otherwise they may cease to fear Him who is over you both. He has not come to call men according to their rank, but those for whom He has prepared the Spirit. And you, servants, obey your masters with respectfulness and fear, as the representatives of God. Hate all impiety and everything that does not please the Lord. See that you do not neglect the commandments of the Lord, but keep them just as you received them, without any additions or subtractions of your own.
In church, make confession of your faults, and do not come to your prayers with a bad conscience.
That is the Way of Life.
The Way of Death
5. The Way of Death is this. To begin with, it is evil, and in every way fraught with damnation. In it are murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, witchcraft, sorceries, robberies, perjuries, hypocrisies, duplicities, deceit, pride, malice, self-will, avarice, foul language, jealousy, insolence, arrogance, and boastfulness. Here are those who persecute good men, hold truth in abhorrence, and love falsehood; who do not know of the rewards of righteousness, nor adhere to what is good, nor to just judgement; who lie awake planning wickedness rather than well-doing. Gentleness and patience are beyond their conception; they care for nothing good or useful, and are bent only on their own advantage, without pity for the poor or feeling for the distressed. Knowledge of their Creator is not in them; they make away with their infants and deface God's image; they turn away the needy and oppress the afflicted; they aid and abet the rich but arbitrarily condemn the poor; they are utterly and altogether sunk in iniquity. Flee, my children, from all this!Conclusion
6. Take care that nobody tempts you away from the path of this Teaching, for such a man's tuition can have nothing to do with God. If you can shoulder the Lord's yoke in its entirety, then you will be perfect; but if that is too much for you, do as much as you can.As regards diet, keep the rules so far as you are able; only be careful to refuse anything that has been offered to an idol, for that is the worship of dead gods.
Pre-Purim Spoof:
A Passionate Plea to the Citizens and Legislators of the Great State of MassachusettsForwarded to the world by Steven Plaut
The great state of Massachusetts has decided to approve the official acknowledgement of gay marriage, and henceforth there will be no difference in the state between marriage of two members of the same gender and two members of opposite genders. Having taken this first step in the direction of enlightenment and toleration, we think the Massachusetts Legislature did not go far enough. There are other oppressed minorities in America in need of recognition and sympathy, including other groups stigmatized by bigots as practicing abnormal sexual habits.
The time has come for the people and leaders of Massacusetts to recognize these other non-traditional families and relationships. It would be sending the right signal to Vermont, Hawaii and other progressive states and groups of people.
We represent the members of the last sexually-repressed sexual minority in America, the necrophiliacs. We are mad and we are tired of being victimized and discriminated against. Necrophilia activist groups have been spouting up all over, and signal the emergence of the last great oppressed sexual minority from the closet. And the time has come for the marriage reform movement to welcome us into your hearts and scout troops.
"Why should not we be free to marry whom we choose?" asks our spokesperson Roger Mortis, who heads a necrophilia encounter group in Tombstone, Arizona. "Remember there was a sorry time in America when cross-racial marriage was illegal? After all, who are we hurting? And besides, who says people have to live in old-fashioned Ozzie and Harriet traditional family structures, with their rigid role models? Who says a person's lover must be ALIVE?"
We necrophiliacs are demanding that our freedom to choose our ownpartners be recognized in law. In particular, we object to that part of the marriage vow that states, Until death do us part. What kind of bigotry is THAT?
Our leading militant activist group, PROP UP, has been lobbying for necrophiliac marriage to be recognized in all states. In particular, we necrophiliacs demand to have our rights recognized in all that is involved in pensions, insurance, and employee benefits. "How come Social Security only grants benefits to insure SURVIVORS?
What kind of arbitrary discrimination is that?", asks Mortis. "And you should have seen the problems I had when I tried to take my partner with me on a plane to Club Med. I was told I had to leave behind my girlfriend Christine - I actually call her Corpus Christie - and so I told the snooty ticket agent, 'Over My Dead Body.'"
We necrophiliacs claim we are victims of long-time prejudice and misinformation. We are often called nasty names and regarded as mentally unstable. But who is to say what is normal? The fight against necrophobia has been adopted by all politically correct movements and progressive individuals.
Since necrophilia activism has emerged on the American scene, many of us are coming out of the closet, or - as we prefer - out of the morgue.
Including some Hollywood celebrities. Meanwhile, necrophilia activists have been approaching various religious communities with the request that their rights be recognized. Already radical Unitarians agree to officiate at necrophiliac marriage ceremonies. The Episcopalians will debate later this month whether necrophiliacs, or those romantically involved with the Life-Challenged - as many prefer to beknown, can serve as Church ministers. We also expect the PC branch of the Reform Synagogue movement to join in and to officiate at marriageceremonies for the unliving, as well as some more radical Jewish groups.
When asked how such a position could be advocated in light of traditional Jewish opposition to such abominations, Rabbi Michael Moonbeam, author of the scholarly Tikkun Guide to Great LSD Trips in the Bible (it explains the REAL meaning of that Biblical story about how Moses DROPPED two tablets), has observed, "Since when does being a good Rabbi have anything to do with Judaism?"
Meanwhile, assorted services and institutions are cropping up to serve this long-neglected community. Some lawyers are now offering a package deal in which they do probate for clients and get a marriage license at the sametime. Assorted Las Vegas chapels have cropped up to perform necrophiliacweddings. At one we visited, background muzak for the guests played theold Beach Boys hit, the Monster Mash "It was the mash, it was the monster mash, it was the mash, it was a graveyard smash." Another chapel specialized in conducting the ceremony in a hearse, with theme song taken from the old Mister Ed show: "A hearse is a hearse, of corpse of corpse, and you can get hitched in a hearse, of corpse."
Other cultural impacts of necrophiliacs are being felt, along with a revival of 1960's rock and roll music, specially adopted for those with romantic ties to the Non-Living. "Each night I ask the stars up above, why must I be a cadaver in love," or "Yummy yummy yummy I'm in love with a mummy," and an entirely new meaning for the song "Roll over Beethoven and give Tchaikovsky the news."
Necrophiliacs have become welcome guests on all the popular TV chatshows. We have also taken on the medical and psychological communities."Who are they to prejudge us?" says Mortis indignantly. Necrophiliacactivists have adopted a different use of the term "straight" and use it to describe those who have relations with the living. So for a necrophiliac,a regular homosexual is called "straight gay" and a heterosexual is"straight straight." We have also been lobbying the medical researchcommunity to change its priorities. "After all," says Mortis, "they are spending hundreds of billions on finding a cure for AIDS, but hardly a dime for finding a cure for rigor mortis." The most outrageousinsult to our pride was from Hillary Clinton and the reps at the International Women's Conference in Beijing a few years back, where they proclaimed the official existence of five genders. Necrophiliacs claim they are the sixth gender and they are tired of being overlooked.
For now, insists Mortis, I will just live a quiet life with my partner, and in order to keep a bit of her presence with me wherever I go, I intend to keep a stiff upper lip.
We therefore demand that the State of Masschusetts end its intolerable bias and bigotry and recognize necro-marriages at ONCE.
Thank you.
Posted on behalf of the Organization G.H.O.U.L.S., = Generosity and Heartfelt Openmindedness for Un-Living Sex