"The church understands intuitively that if you can control what people do with their privates, you can control what they do with everything else. They also know that if you can script out what the family structure is supposed to look like, you can virtually rule the world.
Read more at [patheos.com];

Feels like old news to me, old as I am, but not to my 20 something religious daughter-in-law.

Thanks now following.

This is a great article, I wish I had read it 50 years ago.

Wow it looks like Christians control with untruths. Jews used to have arranged marriages to control who you married. And Hindus also were controlled by arranged marriages too. How many other religions control through untruths or arranged marriage?

Damn good reading... it brings me back to the beginning. Recommended position...lol.

The church can keep #14. I have no interest in pursuing long term relationships with virgins. I need to know that the woman I am with likes men and enjoys sex.

It would be unfortunate to be years in to a relationship and have your partner suddenly realize that they are gay. Especially if children are involved.

Wonderful article. Thanks for sharing.

Religion trying to enforce those rules was a very large part of the reason I left.

Seems like old news to me.

But then, I know there are people out there who totally believe all these items.

In fact - it was disclosed later, that one of my very Christian nephews, did not kiss his woman-now-wife, until the day they were married ! Such simple pleasures denied.

Great post! A lot of that is familiar to me, even though Catholicism is a bit less extreme than many of the conservative, fundamentalist denominations.