Salon: Why rape is so intrinsic to religion

[Ryan Fitzomething]

Valerie Tarico: http://www.salon.com/2014/12/21/why_rape_is_so_intrinsic_to_religion_partner/

Powerful gods and demi-gods impregnating human women—it’s a common theme in the history of religion, and it’s more than a little rapey.

Zeus comes to Danae in the form of a golden shower, cutting “the knot of intact virginity” and leaving her pregnant with the Greek hero, Perseus. Jupiter forcibly overcomes Europa by transforming himself into a white bull and abducting her. He imprisons her on the Isle of Crete, over time fathering three children. Pan copulates with a shepherdess to produce Hermes.

The legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus are conceived when the Roman god Mars impregnates Rea Silvia, a vestal virgin.

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The impregnation process may be a “ravishing” or seduction or some kind of titillating but nonsexual procreative penetration. The story may come from an Eastern or Western religious tradition, pagan or Christian. But these encounters between beautiful young women and gods have one thing in common. None of them has freely given female consent as a part of the narrative. (Luke’s Mary assents after being not asked but told by a powerful supernatural being what is going to happen to her, “Behold the bond slave of the Lord: be it done to me . . .”)

The Bible has every perversion known to humanity, especially in the Old Testament.

[upaloopa]

1. How about the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary

I always that was in the same realm as those you posted.

[unrepentant progress]

2. Pretty sure rape predates religion

And humans.

But for what it's worth, rape is usually tied to slavery which is tied to the invention of ritualized debt. To the extent that religion enters into it, it's a retcon of existing power structures onto folklore.

[1step]

3. How can rape predate humans?

Yeah, there's violent sex among other animal species, but we don't arrest a male chimpanzee for having sex with a female who didn't want to.

As for religion? Well, unless you want a 10,000-word rant, I'll refrain from commenting right now.