I grew up in the Mormon church and my experience has led me to the theory that the whole "sex id bad" thing is kept in place mostly because men get such a thrill out of being "naughty" and doing the forbidden.

However, the getting one's rocks off by being "bad" or "naughty" isn't limited to just the Mormon church.

I sometimes wonder if some people aren't so adamantly religious just so they will get an extra sexual thrill when they participate in the forbidden.

@snytiger6 Religion in my opinion is a system by which to control people by doctrine. Controlling sexuality seems present in most of the Abrahemic ones. Emotional maturity might also be a factor as defying doctrine or custom is rewarding during youth. Adrenaline & the feel good hormones add to the excitement of getting away with something.

Agree with your statement. But there is actually no good reason to believe that M.M. was a sex worker. That idea did not take shape until the middle ages, and was probably created by church leaders as part of a campaign to belittle the contribution made by women in the early church, making M.M. a forgiven sinner rather than an early witness, and even equating her with the woman taken in adultery. Which is another story invented at about the same time, being probably the last major addition to the bible not found in any early versions.

@Fernapple well, the phrase "sex worker" certainly wasn't current, but I'd bet everything I own that the profession, under whatever name, was thriving. Sadly, how else was a single woman to survive?

@AnneWimsey True. But I am not saying that there was no evidence she was not a sex worker, only that the evidence that she was, as with all else we think we know about her, is almost certainly fake. The bible itself actually tells us litttle or nothing about her, and the legends about her later life, are just legends. As to how she supported herself we simply don't know, she could have been living with her family, we don't even know that she was single, she could have been married, some people even think that she was the wife of Jesus, the fact is, we don't really know if she even existed.

The common assumption that she was a sex worker, is just a proof of how deeply the churches unsupported, and often late, assumptions, are bedded into our culture. Like the widely held beliefs that there were only four gospels, or that the Magi were kings, none of it supported, even by the highly doubtful biblical accounts.

@Fernapple just feel a need here to say, in No way am I ASSuming any of the people in the Babble existed, but as archetypes they are quite useful!

@AnneWimsey Very true, and I was working on the idea, that you were using her as an archetype. But thought I would add my boring two pence worth for the benefit of others who may be reading, and interests sake if you are having a dull day.

My best man was a gay Mormon who played straight over half his adult life, because of his family. Religion causes hypocrisy in good people.

@Paul4747 Yeah, I knew a gay Mormon man who played straight because of his family. He sometimes went straight from church to the bath houses (gay sex clubs).