Makes me almost weary with disgust. But it also forces me to think.
As someone who underwent her own "de-conversion" experience, I know that I can be very, very critical of Christianity and religion in general. However, I also want to be fair. Many people are drawn to Christianity because of its tenets of communal concern, a call to see life as more than a bodily experience and its theme of redemption.
There is certainly nothing wrong, (or unique to Christianity) about the concept of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I can also get onboard with, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
However, many people are drawn to Christianity in its institutional form because it provides the sort of structure that allows for authoritarianism. It's about power as expressed in the control of others. And one of the best ways to control others is by creeping into their minds and suppressing their most basic impulses, including interest in sex.
As has been observed over and over again, suppression of sexual feelings and expression leads to maladaptive deviance. So-called "permissiveness" doesn't mess people up sexually; sexual repression does. If Christian parents (and others) just started by telling little boys, "Yes, I know it feels good to touch your penis", (and just call it that for godsake), "But that's something that you only do in private."* And then followed through by actually giving their kids privacy and providing accurate information at appropriate ages, then there would be far fewer sexually based crimes committed in the world.
* And yes, I know little girls require guidance as well when it comes to public behavior vis a vis their genitals. Obviously, since male genitals are external, a boy child's interaction with those body parts are likely to be more common and more obvious.
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