"regulating and controlling the sexual urges of every adult on the planet" - well someone had to.

In some cases, religion appears to have been as much about educating and enforcing hygiene as anything. The following is just opinion based on old memory, rather than recent research:

- Don't eat certain foods that are notorious for giving you food poisoning.
(e.g. shellfish probably doesn't keep well in middle-eastern heat, particularly if refigeration isn't going to be invented for 2000 years or so).

- Don't eat certain foods that are notorious for carrying parasites that can also affect humans.
(e.g. pork, particularly if veterinary medicines, refrigeration, and reliable cooking, are 2000 years off).

- Getting circumcised.
Can't speak from personal experience, but I understand that it can be done for comfort/hygiene reasons in hot climates.

- No sex before marriage.
As a species, we've always had problems with overpopulation; the only unique thing nowadays is the absolute numbers. Some mediterranean civilisations promoted homosexuality. Others may have sought a more conventional way to slow the birthrate; by postponing people fucking until they're considered 'allowed' to by the establishment.

This doesn't account for all aspects of religion, but it seems odd that a lot of the oldest policies can be interpreted with a biological basis. Whether there's any need for certain rules these days is up for debate - people now know what bacteria are, and there are now reliable ways to be having fun without having kids. Any thoughts people?

(edited for layout)
( The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Wed 25 Mar 2009, 17:49, 2 replies)

The main practical reason behind circumcision
is that out in the desert, sand gets everywhere - including under your foreskin. No foreskin = no sandy agony.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Wed 25 Mar 2009, 20:00, closed)

ah, thankyou.
That'll be the 'comfort' bit then. I suppose you don't need to be encouraged to avoid *that*.

Still, the other points stand.
( The Incredible Sulk Finally remembered his password on, Wed 25 Mar 2009, 20:15, closed)

(blink)
No no no no no, very much no.

Controlling the birth rate is far, far from the desire of such religious rules. It's only in this slightly more enlightneed time now we've suddenly realised that "man" and "nature" are not two seperate entities that overpopulation is seen as a bad thing.
Check back in the past and you'll find every tribe working as hard as possible to outbreed its neighbour and thus beat the kacky out of them by superior numbers when the inevitable war over limited resources kicked off.
If you'd like a modern day example, ask the Pope.

As for the debate, the rules about who is allowed to sleep with whom and whether you need a church sanctioned license to do so.
Not a shred of biology there just the usual woe betide you if the priest hasn't been paid his ninepence...


The other bits, I agree entriely, the Old Testament does contain a pretty handy manual for desert living. Unfortuantely instead of setting out the reasons for the prohibitions they are left entirely unexplained as the creatures are simply named as "unclean" and then the reader is distracted by made up horror stories of what happens when you don't do exactly as your local shaman tells you.
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Thu 26 Mar 2009, 13:03, closed)