sleeping with one s aunt 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 husky stmarys ca att clyde watmath water dalcs armstrng
