nunes@utcsrgv.UUCP (Joe Nunes) (09/27/84)
< Jesus said (Luke 16:17) < < "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away < than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail." (NAS translation) < < < The Law he was referring to is the Old Testament, which is very explicit < concerning sexual behavior among unmarried people. Try looking in Deuteronomy. < < < Dave Rabinowitz < hplabs!hp-pcd!daver You are quite right, the Law is very explicit concerning sexual behaviour among unmarried people. It consists of the following pronouncements: .. Exodus 22 .. .. 16: And if a man entice a maid that .. is not bethrothed, and lie with her, .. he shall surely endow her to be his wife. .. .. 17: If her father utterly refuse to give her .. unto him, he shall pay money according .. to the dowry of virgins. As you can plainly see, sex between a man (married or otherwise) and an unmarried woman is allowed. The loss of virginity must be compensated for, but depending on the shekel exchange rate it doesn't seem to be a very heavy punishment. .. Deuteronomy 22 .. .. 28: If a man find a damsel that is a .. virgin, which is not bethrothed, and .. lay hold on her, and lie with her, and .. they be found. .. .. 29: Then the man that lay with her shall give .. unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of .. silver, and she shall be his wife; because .. he hath humbled her, he may not put her .. away all his days. The above pronouncement seems to be for the raping of unmarried women. The phrases "lay hold on her", and "because he hath humbled her" indicate this. Furthermore, this pronouncement immediately follows laws for dealing with rapists of married women. Once again not very harsh punishment: marry the woman, pay her father, don't divorce her. To paraphrase: the Old Testament allows for sex (including rape) between a man and an unmarried woman, as long as the woman's father is compensated for the loss of virginity, and an attempt is made to marry to the woman.