# Things that used to be villified/outlawed by religions, now accepted **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2009, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344 "2009-08-22T22:15:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/21 "2009-08-23T08:01:12Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > Well, the obvious one is homosexuality. I don’t think any mainstream Christian denomination (I was about to leave out the word “Christian”, but I’m not sure what Buddhists, Hindus, Shinto, etc. thought of it in the past) accepted it 50 years ago, but it’s slowly getting accepted by some denominations. AFAIK, no old time mainstream religion is 100% accepting of Homosexuality. The Muslim faith is pretty violently against it, and it’s not accepted in Judaism either. > **[Homosexuality and religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_and_homosexuality)** > > The relationship between religion and homosexuality has varied greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and denominations, with regard to different forms of homosexuality and bisexuality. The present-day doctrines of the world's major religions and their denominations differ in their attitudes toward these sexual orientations. Adherence to anti-gay religious beliefs and communities is correlated with the prevalence of emotional distress and suicidality in sexual m... Buddhism is closest to acceptance, but even there its more of not making a stand either for or against. In fact, today, I’d say Christianity is among the most accepting in many denominations. Some even allow gay marriage and gay clergy. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/22 "2009-08-23T09:15:13Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > How so? Is support of slavery in the doctrine of any mainstream religion? Or are you referring to the passages of scripture supporting the just treatment of slaves as support for the practice? No mainstream religion supports owning cars; does that mean that they’re opposed to car ownership? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/23 "2009-08-23T17:01:17Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Oh, come on, Thudlow Boink, I’ve read all those references and many more on the Indiana bill (supposedly) about pi. Sorry, **Wendell** —on rereading my post, I can see how it looks like I was countering you or responding to your “Does anyone have any citation for such a thing?” but that wasn’t my intention at all. Rather, my intention was to provide additional information/context in support of your post, for the benefit of _anyone else_ reading the thread who might not have known what you were referring to, and to link to an at-least-slightly-related Straight Dope column. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/24 "2009-08-23T17:21:14Z")
My apologies for coming across so angry, Thudlow Boink. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/25 "2009-08-23T17:39:05Z")
An ancestor of my husband, [Hans Nielsen Hauge,](http://www.haugeinstitute.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5&Itemid=4&lang=en) was repeatedly arrested for lay preaching when that was illegal; only a minister recognized by the state could lead religious meetings at the turn of the 19th century in Denmark-Norway. He wasn’t the only lay preacher, but _what_ he preached made him especially unpopular among the Powers That Were, both religious and secular. And yet much of it sounds like the bedrock of modern Scandinavian society, enthusiastically supported by the same Lutheran church that wanted him locked up: religion is a personal matter, and the clergy and the state should interfere as little as possible; farmers and others should work together to improve everyone’s situation; everyone is equal before God and should be equal before the law; investment is better than amassing wealth… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/26 "2009-08-23T18:48:14Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > …[In fact, that’s how some biblical scholars have interpreted the puzzling story of… the Binding of Isaac (short summery: God says, “Sacrifice Isaac”, Abraham brings his son to the altar, God says, “Just kidding.”)… From “Highway 61 Revisited,” by Bob Dylan: \*Oh, God said to Abraham, “Kill me a son.” Abe says, “Man, you must be puttin’ me on!” God say, “No.” Abe say, “What?” God say, “You can do what you want Abe, but The next time you see me comin’ you better run.” Well, Abe says, “Where do you want this killin’ done?” God says, “Out on Highway 61.”… \* ---
**Author:** ![Lungfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d78d45/32.png) [@Lungfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lungfish)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/27 "2009-08-23T19:40:24Z")
The first potato arrived in England from Colombia in July 1586. Religious leaders denounced it, as no mention if it was made in the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/28 "2009-08-23T20:24:22Z")
Lungfish, do you have a citation for the potato being denounced by religious figures? I’ve done a little searching, and I can’t find any mention of it. ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/29 "2009-08-23T20:39:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > AFAIK, no old time mainstream religion is 100% accepting of Homosexuality. The Muslim faith is pretty violently against it, and it’s not accepted in Judaism either. > > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion\_and\_homosexuality](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_and_homosexuality) > > Buddhism is closest to acceptance, but even there its more of not making a stand either for or against. > > In fact, today, I’d say Christianity is among the most accepting in many denominations. Some even allow gay marriage and gay clergy. I think it’s a little silly to call Christianity one of the most LBGT-accepting religions (which, taken as a whole, it certainly is not) because some of the mainline Protestant denominations take a compassionate approach, while diminishing the much greater acceptance you would find in something like Hinduism, Buddhism or even Judaism (which you call non-accepting, I think, because of the beliefs of the Haredim). ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/30 "2009-08-23T20:47:48Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Lungfish, do you have a citation for the potato being denounced by religious figures? I’ve done a little searching, and I can’t find any mention of it. I haven’t heard of any contemporary denunciations but certainly some later religious groups opposed the potato and other things (sugar, tobacco) because they were not mentioned in the Bible. See [The History and Social Influence of the Potato](http://books.google.com/books?id=EV4YE_0RsywC&pg=RA1-PA116&lpg=RA1-PA116&dq=potato+not+in+bible&source=bl&ots=U2_tq_hPJa&sig=UIXeYc35P-ktnZ9_cHk_Jk_4i5g&hl=en&ei=2KmRSseXFOahjAfliayADg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false) on Google Books, where Highland Scots and the Old Believers in 17th century Russia are referred to. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/31 "2009-08-23T21:05:48Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > While they nitpicked about “quickening,” circumstances and methodology for centuries, the RCC didn’t actually condemn the practice until 1869, roughly one century before Roe v. Wade, or a minor blip on the screen of the Church’s long history. That’s not really true. The Catholic church has condemned abortion since pretty early in its history. There was, as you put it, nitpicking about “quickening”, but that was just a debate on when the fetus became alive and got a soul. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/32 "2009-08-23T21:33:22Z")
The OP is not really very well defined. There have been a lot of religons over history. Given any one item, the chances are reasonably good that someone somewhere has condemned that item on a religious basis. There’s also a reasonably good possibility that someone somewhere has condemned that item on some political basis, or some scientific basis, or for any of a vast number of other reasons. I’m not sure what that would prove, except that people have believed a lot of wierd, contradictory things over the entire history of mankind. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/33 "2009-08-23T22:18:53Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > I think it’s a little silly to call Christianity one of the most LBGT-accepting religions (which, taken as a whole, it certainly is not) because some of the mainline Protestant denominations take a compassionate approach, while diminishing the much greater acceptance you would find in something like Hinduism, Buddhism or even Judaism (which you call non-accepting, I think, because of the beliefs of the Haredim). I said “today, I’d say Christianity is among the most accepting _in many denominations_”. Note those last 3 words. Hinduism varies widely “Hinduism has taken various positions, ranging from positive to neutral or antagonistic.” Judaism= _"Orthodox Judaism views homosexuality as sinful. Many Orthodox Jews view homosexuality as a choice; some sources claim it to be a deliberate deviance. Conservative Judaism has engaged in an in-depth study of homosexuality since the 1990s with various rabbis presenting a wide array of responsa (papers with legal arguments) for communal consideration. The official position of the movement is to welcome homosexual Jews into their synagogues, and also campaign against any discrimination in civil law and public society, but also to uphold a ban on homosexual sex as a religious requirement._ \*The third of the Five Precepts of Buddhism states that one is to refrain from sexual misconduct; this precept has sometimes been interpreted to include homosexuality. The Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism interprets sexual misconduct to include lesbian and gay sex, and indeed any sex other than penis-vagina intercourse, including oral sex, anal sex, and masturbation or other sexual activity with the hand." \* ---
**Author:** ![Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/34 "2009-08-23T22:49:31Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I said “today, I’d say Christianity is among the most accepting _in many denominations_”. Note those last 3 words. > > Hinduism varies widely “Hinduism has taken various positions, ranging from positive to neutral or antagonistic.” Judaism= _"Orthodox Judaism views homosexuality as sinful. Many Orthodox Jews view homosexuality as a choice; some sources claim it to be a deliberate deviance. Conservative Judaism has engaged in an in-depth study of homosexuality since the 1990s with various rabbis presenting a wide array of responsa (papers with legal arguments) for communal consideration. The official position of the movement is to welcome homosexual Jews into their synagogues, and also campaign against any discrimination in civil law and public society, but also to uphold a ban on homosexual sex as a religious requirement._ > > \*The third of the Five Precepts of Buddhism states that one is to refrain from sexual misconduct; this precept has sometimes been interpreted to include homosexuality. The Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism interprets sexual misconduct to include lesbian and gay sex, and indeed any sex other than penis-vagina intercourse, including oral sex, anal sex, and masturbation or other sexual activity with the hand." > \* Well, your remarks on Hinduism are pretty thin, and the Dalai Lama represents only a small fraction of Buddhists worldwide. Similarly, divining the Jewish stance on homosexuality based only on Orthodox and Conservative Judaism is akin to divining the Christian stance by looking at Baptists and Presbyterians. Furthermore, if your position is that homosexuality is qualitatively as maligned in modern Judaism (outside perhaps the ultra-Orthodox Haredim) as it is in a good deal of modern Christianity, you are in factual error. There are some denominations that have made impressive strides, but Christians should not strain to pat themselves on the back just yet. Other religions are still heads and shoulders beyond Christianity in acceptance. Your apologetics are, regrettably, premature. Also, I get that this is a hijack, so I’ll let the above conclude my spiel on the matter in this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/35 "2009-08-23T23:15:38Z")
Historically, someone not going to Sunday church was punished. Falling asleep in church was also punishable. Here in Finland, having a shop open on a Sunday was illegal for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/36 "2009-08-24T02:11:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Miscegenation. Used to be a huge issue, now nobody cares. Oh I wouldn’t say that. Some old skool Baptists as well as KKK and Christian Idenity types yap on and on and on about miscengenation. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/37 "2009-08-24T06:06:14Z")
> [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](#): > > Well, your remarks on Hinduism are pretty thin, and the Dalai Lama represents only a small fraction of Buddhists worldwide. Similarly, divining the Jewish stance on homosexuality based only on Orthodox and Conservative Judaism is akin to divining the Christian stance by looking at Baptists and Presbyterians. Furthermore, if your position is that homosexuality … Not _my_ remarks. Not \*my \*position. Note the italics and the little “”" marks, which generally indicate a direct quote. I am not really even a Christian. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/38 "2009-08-24T14:04:20Z")
The old testament forbids all sorts of crazy things like mixing crops or wearing clothing made of different materials. > **[Bible Babble - The Laws of the Bible](http://biblebabble.curbjaw.com/laws.htm)** > > The many errors and contradictions in the Bible. Don’t let cattle graze with other kinds of Cattle (Leviticus 19:19) Don’t have a variety of crops on the same field. (Leviticus 19:19) Don’t wear clothes made of more than one fabric (Leviticus 19:19) Don’t cut your hair nor shave. (Leviticus 19:27) Any person who curseth his mother or father, must be killed. (Leviticus 20:9) Have you ever done that? If a man cheats on his wife, or vise versa, both the man and the woman must die. (Leviticus 20:10). I wonder if Dr. Laura would like that one to be enforced? If a man sleeps with his father’s wife… both him and his father’s wife is to be put to death. (Leviticus 20:11) If a man sleeps with his wife and her mother they are all to be burnt to death. (Leviticus 20:14) If a man or woman has sex with an animal, both human and animal must be killed. (Leviticus 20:15-16). I guess you should kill the animal since they were willing participants. Are they crazy? If a man has sex with a woman on her period, they are both to be “cut off from their people” (Leviticus 20:18) Psychics, wizards, and so on are to be stoned to death. (Leviticus 20:27) If a priest’s daughter is a whore, she is to be burnt at the stake. (Leviticus 21:9) People who have flat noses, or is blind or lame, cannot go to an altar of God (Leviticus 21:17-18) Anyone who curses or blasphemes God, should be stoned to death by the community. (Leviticus 24:14-16) Don’t let cattle graze with other kinds of Cattle (Leviticus 19:19) Anyone who dreams or prophesizes anything that is against God, or anyone who tries to turn you from God, is to be put to death. (Deuteronomy 13:5) If anyone, even your own family suggests worshipping another God, kill them. (Deuteronomy 13:6-10) If you find out a city worships a different god, destroy the city and kill all of it’s inhabitants… even the animals. (Deuteronomy 13:12-15) Kill anyone with a different religion. (Deuteronomy 17:2-7) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/39 "2009-08-24T17:36:10Z")
> [@HorseloverFat](#): > > The old testament forbids all sorts of crazy things like mixing crops or wearing clothing made of different materials. > > Don’t wear clothes made of more than one fabric (Leviticus 19:19) > > Don’t cut your hair nor shave. (Leviticus 19:27) > > ) Those two are still practiced by Orthodox Jews, although your wording is wrong. It’s just linen and wool which are the forbidden mixture \* , and the prohibitions about “Rounding the corners of your heads” and “mar the corners of thy beard” also does not have the same meaning as you claim. > **[Shaving in Judaism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaving_in_Judaism)** > > Judaism prohibits shaving with a razor on the basis of a rabbinic interpretation of Leviticus 19:27, which states, "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard." The Mishnah interprets this as a prohibition on using a razor on the beard. > This prohibition is further expanded upon in kabbalistic literature. > The Book of Leviticus mentions the "corners of the head" and prohibits the "marring" of the "corners of the beard," with particular emphasis... The various death penalties have been forgone for nigh 2000 years. (wiki) _“In any case, rabbinic tradition understand the Torah’s system of capital punishment not to be in effect in the absence of a Sanhedrin and Temple.”_ \*[http://en.allexperts.com/q/Orthodox-Judaism-952/Spirit-Law-1.htm](http://en.allexperts.com/q/Orthodox-Judaism-952/Spirit-Law-1.htm) “When the Torah prohibits a mixture of linen and wool, no one has any authority to say that any other fabric is included in this prohibition in any manner.” ---
**Author:** ![mcutchi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/fbc32d/32.png) [@mcutchi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcutchi)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344/40 "2009-08-24T18:16:56Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > How so? Is support of slavery in the doctrine of any mainstream religion? Or are you referring to the passages of scripture supporting the just treatment of slaves as support for the practice? No, Tumbledown is right, religion, i.e. the Books have not changed, but society has. The Qoran for instance has numerous rules on the just treatment of slaves, just like the Scriptures, but way more detailed. But it does not condemn slavery. We do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-used-to-be-villified-outlawed-by-religions-now-accepted/507344.md?page=3)