[aruanan]

Intercourse wasn't even mentioned. Paul rarely spoke that boldly about sexual issues. He literally said "Women exhanged natural uses for unnatural ones".

Don't go all Janet Reno on us by looking at a couple words in isolation. I was referring to "intercourse" in the translation in the text above. The use of the word in that translation, though, is consistent with the text as seen in the NIV translation below and "uses" is, indeed, referring to sexual relations, sexual intercourse, boinking, screwing, the horizontal mambo, the beast with two backs, getting down and dirty, going down, riding the skinboat to tuna town, whatever the phrase used to denote the activities included in this class of acts (see v. 24 which gives the context for the specifics of verse 26 and 27--note the "therefore" and "because of this").

And "rarely" is irrelevant. The operative words are "clearly" and "appropriately". When something is stated clearly and in the right context, it need not be stated more often than that. The few places Paul speaks specifically to sexual sin, it's evident that the context warrants it (his overview of G-d's relationship to the world or sexual immorality in the Corinthian church, to mention two instances).

24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.
25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen.
26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

[AppyPappy]

Here's the literal (and yes I have the Greek for all of it):

Rom 1:24 Wherefore1352 God2316 also2532 gave them up3860, 846 to1519 uncleanness167 through1722 the3588 lusts1939 of their own848 hearts,2588 to dishonor818 their own848 bodies4983 between1722 themselves:1438
Rom 1:25 Who3748 changed3337 the3588 truth225 of God2316 into1722 a lie,5579 and2532 worshiped4573 and2532 served3000 the3588 creature2937 more than3844 the3588 Creator,2936 who3739 is2076 blessed2128 forever.1519, 165 Amen.281
Rom 1:26 For this cause1223, 5124 God2316 gave them up3860, 846 unto1519 vile819 affections:3806 for1063 even5037, (3739) their848 women2338 did change3337 the3588 natural5446 use5540 into1519 that3588 which is against3844 nature:5449
Rom 1:27 And5037 likewise3668 also2532 the3588 men,730 leaving863 the3588 natural5446 use5540 of the3588 woman,2338 burned1572 in1722 their848 lust3715 one toward another;240, 1519 men730 with1722 men730 working2716 that which is unseemly,808 and2532 receiving618 in1722 themselves1438 that recompense489 of their848 error4106 which3739 was meet.1163

Sorry about the numbers, they signify the original Greek.

[AppyPappy]

Ooops....Paul was trying to avoid being "crude" while also leaving the door open against sexual sin lest people decide to parse his words into accepting some types of sexual sin. That's why he used words like "unnatural". There is only ONE natural way to have sex.