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To: Antoninus

I know the verse, and in my opinion, I think you are misreading--I don't think the Jesuits did me a bad turn; that would be very difficult indeed.

I never said that Jesus says that porn is healthy and its not a sin, but he says do not judge--that is clear. The verse that you mention, on the Sermon on the Mount (I can't imagine the Jesuits not teaching the Sermon on the Mount in your 8 years....) is again, like I said before, the guidelines for a Christian to live by. Yes, a married person who lusts after another woman has committed adultery, but here Jesus just defines the rules of adultery--he doesn't say we should condemn the person; indeed, his teachings both on the Sermon on the Mount and in John 8:1-11; Jesus specifically does not condemn the adulterer.

Remember what I was saying: in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives a guide to Christians for their behavior. He says some things are bad--lusting in your heart after women, certainly--but he also recognizes that we are all humans, and we err and we sin. Because of that, a good Christian should not condemn or judge others for their failings, because we all have failings of our own.

Which brings us to pornography. Assuming for a moment that it is a sin, God gave us all free will, and whether or not to view pornography--and sin--is a moral choice for all of us to make; as such, Jesus tells us that we should not judge others for the moral choices that they make. If nothing else, the Gospels make that clear. Assuming, however, that viewing pornography is not a sin--because it just simply isn't sinful or Christianity is wrong--well then, no harm, no foul, and society has no legitimate interesting in banning a practice, which, in and of itself, is not socially harmful.

As for St. Paul, he is not Jesus.


536 posted on 05/20/2005 7:49:43 AM PDT by Publius Valerius
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To: Publius Valerius
Assuming for a moment that it is a sin,

No assumption necessary. It is a sin. In fact, I think St. Paul uses the Greek word "pornea" (immorality or lasciviousness) when describing the list of vices that will keep you out of heaven.

God gave us all free will, and whether or not to view pornography--and sin--is a moral choice for all of us to make; as such, Jesus tells us that we should not judge others for the moral choices that they make.

You make the mistake of conflating the discouragement of people from bad behavior with "judgment." That's not surprising as it's the exact line the Jesuits tried to peddle on me. I didn't buy it. You, apparently did buy it. If I were you, I'd return it--it's defective.

If nothing else, the Gospels make that clear. Assuming, however, that viewing pornography is not a sin--because it just simply isn't sinful or Christianity is wrong--

Only the most radical, mutations of Christianty have taught that lascivious behavior isn't sinful. Back to the drawing board, friend.

As for St. Paul, he is not Jesus.

Well, if you are still a Catholic--no mean feat if you went through Jesuit indoctrination/education--you know that canonically, St. Paul's writing is considered inspired by the Holy Spirit and on par with that of the Gospel writers.
568 posted on 05/20/2005 11:14:08 AM PDT by Antoninus (Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini, Hosanna in excelsis!)
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