Common Prostitution Is Not A Biblical Conflict
By Dave in Phoenix
There is no biblical basis for the anti-sexual
traditions taught by tradition bound Christian Churches. We have a huge
section "The Bible, Christianity & Sexual Issues" at http://www.libchrist.com/bible/contents.html which goes into great
depth on all the issues.
The only prostitutes condemned in the Bible are those who were priests
and priestesses to other gods. Israel’s neighbors practiced a fertility
religion in which prostitution was part of the worship. This led
naturally to describing worship of other gods as prostitution (Ex.
34:15-16; Judg. 8:27, 33; Hos. 4:13). This concept is central for
Hosea’s preaching based on his experience with his unfaithful wife Gomer.
Ezekiel also used this concept (Ezek. 16; 23) and extended it to include
political treaties with foreign enemies (Ezek. 16:26, 28; 23:5).
Israel’s neighbors practiced a fertility religion in
which prostitution was part of the worship. This led naturally to
describing worship of other gods as prostitution (Ex. 34:15-16; Judg.
8:27, 33; Hos. 4:13). This concept is central for Hosea’s preaching
based on his experience with his unfaithful wife Gomer. Ezekiel also
used this concept (Ezek. 16; 23) and extended it to include political
treaties with foreign enemies (Ezek. 16:26, 28; 23:5).
Leviticus 18 is specifically designed to distinguish the Jews from the
pagans who worshipped the multiple gods of fertility cults. It also is
included with other Mosaic laws such as required killing kids who curse
their parents, the death penalty for picking up sticks or doing other
work on the Sabbath, and under the law, slave-beating was a protected
legal right!
Leviticus 19 starts out specially about Idolatry being forbidden
Leviticus 19: 26-28 forbids eating meat, cutting your beard and have
tattoos.
Than verse 29 not making daughter a harlot - again referring to idolatry
of worshiping the gods of Molech via sex.
Regarding prostitution:
"Common" Prostitution Is Not A Biblical Conflict
Just like with other sexually repressive teachings of traditional
Christianity much of what you think you know about biblical issues is
based on traditional teachings that have no biblical basis. Just as
tradition has twisted the original texts to try and argue that singles
sexuality is wrong, or that swinging is adultery, they have also
hijacked the real meaning of biblical prostitution and how it applies
today.
Cultic Prostitution
Biblically cultic prostitution is clearly wrong. Cultic prostitution
uses sex as idolatrous worship of the pagan goddess, such as the
fertility Gods which the TEMPLE prostitutes had "johns" worshipping by
having sex in the Corinthian temples which was what Paul so strongly
preached against. Yes these prostitutes were worshipping the pagan
goddesses in the Jewish Temples! Clearly we can understand why this was
so upsetting! It as a clear violation of the First Commandment which
requires no other gods before the one true God. In New Testament times,
Venus and Aphrodite were the main gods of the Corinthian pagans. The
temple of Venus was one of the most magnificent buildings in the city
and the temple employed over 1000 prostitutes, which were paid for with
public funds. Their purpose was to serve men in worship of the fertility
gods so their feeds and cattle would be fertile. In Old Testament times,
the Canaanites worshipped Baal was the Canaanite god of fertility and
Astarte, love goddess of the Phoenicians. It was wrong for the children
of Israel to go "a-whoring after other gods" which were these cultic
prostitutes.
From "Halley's Bible Handbook" 1 Cor. 6: 9-20; "Venus
was the principal Deity of Corinth. Her temple was one of the most
magnificent buildings in the city. In it a thousand Priestesses, Public
Prostitutes, were kept, at public expense, there always ready for
Immoral Indulgence, as worship to their Goddess." The Christians
continued to go to the temple for sexual indulgences with the
priestesses of Venus. This was all Paul was talking about and he says
nothing about loving sexual pleasure-sharing with non-goddesses'!
Greek travel-writer, Strabo (ca. 64 Bc-AD 21), regarding ancient Corinth
writes: "And the temple of Aphrodite [in Corinth] was so rich that it
owned more than a thousand temple-slaves, courtesans (hetairai ), whom
both women and men had dedicated to the goddess. And therefore it was
also on account of these women that the city was crowded with people and
grew rich" (8.6.20; LCL trans.).
Non Goddess Prostitutes in the Bible
There are only a few non-cultic prostitutes mentioned in the bible.
Since men could have as many wives and concubines (for breeding or just
sexual enjoyment) as they could afford it may have been only the poorer
men who would need prostitutes for sexual variety. They couldn't afford
the "upkeep" of wives or concubines so they went to prostitutes for
sexual pleasure and release.
Prostitution in Hebrew society was morally censored at times for
legitimate reasons such as the knowing who would own the resulting
children, with no effective birth control, but it was not illegal or a
sin. Only Israelite priests were prohibited from marrying a prostitute.
Listed as wrongs for which God will judge is trading "a boy for a
harlot" (Joel 3:3). But being a prostitute (harlot or zonah in Hebrew)
herself, if single, is guilty of no biblical crime unless she is a
priest's daughter, in which case says Lev 21:9 she "profaneth her
father" and "shall be burnt with fire."
Prostitution was common in biblical times. In Proverbs men are warned
against squandering their money foolishly on prostitutes. But it was a
money issue not morality. There was no law against prostitution for
non-Hebrew women. Today prostitution flourishes in Israel and some of
the world's most popular brothels are in Tel Aviv. For Hebrew women it
was very important to have a husband to have children with to maintain
the Hebrew people. It was never considered adultery for a man, married
or single, to have sex with a prostitute, as long as she was single (not
owned by another man). It was only wrong if it was for the purpose of
pagan goddess worship.
Judah saw nothing wrong in hiring a prostitute for the night.
Rahab "the harlot" was praised in Hebrews 11:31 and Jos 6:17 as an
example of faith. Rahab was praised because she helped Israelite spies
whom she hid and helped escape but the mention of her as "the harlot"
wasn't a negative reference .
In Hosea 1:3, God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomez. In
Hosea 4:15, God said he would not punish the daughters of Israel when
they turned to prostitution.
In Hosea 1:3, God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomez. In
Hosea 4:15, God said he would not punish the daughters of Israel when
they turned to prostitution. (Someone Commented: These passages are
allegories to Gods relationships with Israel, which at the time wasn't
exactly good. The Hosea 4:15 reference I believe is saying that though
Israel in general is acting as a harlot, Judah (one tribe of Israel) is
not. EG, all of the tribes except Judah are acting as harlots. I think
some of this could possibly support the notion that there was clearly a
double standard - one for men, and another for women. And it certainly
seems to be stating that it's not OK for women to cheat.) And men could
always cheat as long as the "other women" was not married (owned by
husband).
Other prostitutes mentioned in the Old Testament were
the harlot of Gaza, whom Samson visited, and two squabbling prostitutes
who asked Solomon to settle a dispute. It is simply reported the fact
that they were prostitutes, no big deal, nothing is ever said in
condemnation of their profession.
In fact the Hebrew judge Solomon may have done more
whoring than judging (Judg 16:1-4), and Jacobs son Judah, mistaking his
own veiled daughter-in-law for a harlot, hired her as a prostitute (Gen
38: 13-18). The leader Gilead fathered Jephthah by a prostitute which
resulted in Jephthah's half-brothers, when dividing up the inheritance,
left Jephthah out (Judg 11: 1-2). Proverbs obviously views the foreign prostitute
unsympathetically (oppressor, not victim) who with superior wealth and
astuteness manages to seduce simple Israelite boys and husbands. In this
trajectory we may also read Paul's treatment in 1 Cor. 6:9-20, where
Christian men (especially husbands, whose wives may have taken vows of
sexual abstinence to pray, 7:5) are warned against uniting with
prostitutes. As perhaps in Proverbs, the prostitutes apparently are
viewed as manifesting the demonic forces of pagan religion (cf.
10:18-22). Christians are exhorted to "flee" both the prostitutes and
their idolatrous religion (6:18; 10:14). How Jesus would have managed to
become a "friend" of prostitutes by continually "fleeing" from them,
traditional sex-negative Augustinian commentators never tell us.
Since wealthy men didn't need prostitutes (they had plenty of wives and
concubines) prostitution was certainly not a high Noble calling. But
there clearly was nothing immoral or wrong from a biblical prospective
with non-goddess prostitution. Today many men have little opportunity
for sexual fulfillment so prostitutes are the only viable option. Sexual
frustration results in men that become aggressive and are far more
likely to sexually harass, abuse or rape women than men who are sexually
happy and fulfilled.
Legal Prostitution in the Bible reflects the cultures double standard
that while a wife must be faithful, a Hebrew man can have sex with an
unmarried prostitute, or any other single woman, and not be committing
adultery. But if the woman is a wife -owned by her husband under the
patriarchal system of the Hebrews - then both she and her sexual
partners are adulterers, a crime for which the penalty is death (Lev
20:10; Deut. 22:22).
In New Testament times, there also was nothing said
about prostitution being wrong and in fact Jesus makes the point that
harlots who believed John the Baptist will enter the kingdom of God
before the chief priests and elders who rejected John's message (Matt.
21:31-32).
Today prostitution is not pagan idolatry nor the concubines of biblical
times - women as breeders and for sexual pleasure. And nowhere in the
Bible is a word said about that being wrong!! Today many women enjoy
providing intimacy and sexual pleasure to men based on their choice
without being owned as concubines for men and of course always using
safe sex to avoid "breeding" and so its a very healthy interaction both
physically and emotionally.
Prostitution in Israel Today A June 15, 2000 review sent to me:
The best action in Israel is in Tel Aviv. There are tons of "health
clubs" which provide full sex for a price going from 120 to 250 shekels
for half an hour (full service) (4.2 Shekels= 1 USD). The best two I
have been to are located close to each other, and are in the area of
Hamasger street. These are a little more expensive, but the quality is
amazing. The first one is called Promise bar (on Hamasger street) and
the other one is in Shozino street (3 minutes walking from the first
one) and is called Shozino bar. In these places, there is an entry fee
of 50 shekels, including a drink. Then you can sit at the bar, and
choose the girl you want. The price is 200 shekels for half an hour, and
it includes full service, bbbj without and sometime even more. The girls
are all russian or from ukraine. ALL of them I found friendly, and most
of them like what they are doing. You can also stay for a longer time,
the price increases and is 400 shekels for one full hour (this would
include more than 1 act, of course)
As I said, there are plenty of "health clubs" but these two are the best
I found (after a lot of research!!!). Enjoy it.
Adultery Is Not what you've been told it is
The issues of adultery are quite clear. For 2000 years since Moses gave
the no adultery commandment, adultery was understood to only apply to
married women, and never to a married man. A married man could have as
many wives and concubines (single women as breeders) as he wished and
this was never considered wrong. Only when the puritanically minded
starting taking over Christianity and twisting the original texts did
the sexually repressive teachings begin. The lie is that Christian
sexuality is allowable only in marriage and only with one partner.
Besides being very much against the nature of human kind it just has no
biblical basis. More and more theologians are exposing the lies that
preach repressive sexuality. More and more Christians are finding more
Christlike love in loving more than just their husband or partner. And
many are fleeing Christianity for other eastern religions that so
wonderfully integrate sexuality with spirituality. Biblical Christianity
could do the same, except for the lies of Church traditions that have
tried to control people by repressing their natural wholesome sexual
desires.
Other Resources:
Countryman, L. William (1988). Dirt, Greed, and Sex Sexual Ethics in the
New Testament and their Implications for Today. Philadelphia: Fortress.
Ortlund Jr., Raymond C. (1996). Whoredom: God's Unfaithful Wife in
Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.
Toorn, Karel Van Der (1989). "Female Prostitution in Payment of Vows in
Ancient Israel." JBL 108/2:193-205.
Sexwork even allowed in very strict religions such as Islam in Iran.
Prostitution is a very serious crime in Islamic countries. You can be
killed or lose body parts if convicted. BUT For Muslims you marry by
reciting certain words. Marriage can be for any length from 1 minute to
99 years. I have heard of sexworkers with a Muslim client who recites
the marriage vows with the time limit, so he feels no guilt since he is
married to the sexworker for the time they are having sex. For many
Muslims this makes the "arrangement" perfectly legal and is acceptable
by the society since you are married! And of course you can be married
to many women at the same time. Muhammad is said to have had between 9
and 14 wives, the exact number is not clear.
TEMPORARY MARRIAGE IN ISLAM - It is called "sigheh"
and may be arranged for one minute up to 99 years in an official
registry. Periods of temp marriage may be renewed or cancelled when time
is up. Mohammed, it is said, recommended it to his soldiers and friends.
The practice in contemporary Iran is, however, a religious loophole to
allow dating and premarital sex without harsh repressive measures. It is
also controversial and condemned by many people, since brides must be
virgins. President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is said to have urged
the practice in 1990. And it is apparently a common practice of clerics
in the Islamic Republic. The open discussion of temp marriage is causing
all kinds of social upheaval there. Source: NY Times 10/4/2000
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