There exist rules regarding female virginity, but not male virginity, for this reason; if a female who is not a virgin when given to her husband bears a child, it may be unclear who is the father
Additionally, according to some of the stricter defintions of what makes a person Jewish, the quality of being Jewish is passed stricly through the female. Thus the children of a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish father are Jewish, but the children of a Jewish man and a non-Jewish woman are not. The shift of Chrisitianity to an individual rather than a group form of salvation created a tightening of sexual controls among peoples who wanted to keep some sort of national or racial definition.
(I am not saying this is a good thing. I am just saying that the evolution of sexual morality as practiced and enforced by society lies more in the interaction of the political enviornment with the gospels and teachings than within the actual teachings themselves)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-05-21 03:44 pm (UTC)Additionally, according to some of the stricter defintions of what makes a person Jewish, the quality of being Jewish is passed stricly through the female. Thus the children of a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish father are Jewish, but the children of a Jewish man and a non-Jewish woman are not. The shift of Chrisitianity to an individual rather than a group form of salvation created a tightening of sexual controls among peoples who wanted to keep some sort of national or racial definition.
(I am not saying this is a good thing. I am just saying that the evolution of sexual morality as practiced and enforced by society lies more in the interaction of the political enviornment with the gospels and teachings than within the actual teachings themselves)