From: armstrng@cs.dal.ca (Stan Armstrong)
Subject: Sleeping with one's aunt
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Lines: 37

The last time we discussed homosexuality, I asked whether anyone could
identify any other act besides homosexual intercourse that the Bible
prohibited, but which might in some circumstances bring no apparent
harm to anyone. Put another way, the question is whether homosexual
intercourse is the only act that Christians are supposed to believe
is immoral solely on the basis that God says it is, with no insight
being offered as to *why* it is immoral. No one could answer my
question in either form from the Bible. (I did get an interesting
response based on Roman Catholic theology).

However, I think now that I can at least answer my first question.
Link Hudson pointed me to it in his recent comments about sleeping
with one's aunt. Incest is held to be immoral in every society,
that is, there are some degrees of relationship where marriage
(and thus, intercouse) is prohibited. The Bible is no exception.
The trouble is that it may be difficult to see *why* a particular
relationship qualifies as incestuous. Societies differ as to
how they define incest. Genetic reasons are sometimes offered, but
all the Biblical cases cannot be dealt with that way. Why can't
a man sleep with his step mother--assuming that his father is
dead and that he has "married" her? How does this case differ
from the *duty* to marry one's brother's childless wife.

Are these two cases parallel? Does the Bible prohibit some incestuous
marriages and homosexual marriages for the same reason, perhaps
that God knows they are not good for us and yet we are incapable
of understanding why.

P.S. Please don't bother writing me to tell me that I am a homophobe,
as some did last time. My mind is not made up on these questions.
You don't know whether I am homophobic or not. You don't
know me. To call me or anyone else a homophobe without knowing the
person may be as much an expression of bigotry as some homophobic
remarks.
-- 
Stan Armstrong. Religious Studies Dept, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, N.S.
Armstrong@husky1.stmarys.ca | att!clyde!watmath!water!dalcs!armstrng