Sexual "Sins" and the Abuse of Religion

Every one of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) condemn various "sexual sins."

TODAY, followers tend to arbitrarily condemn some of those "Biblical sins," and NOT others. Islam, Orthodox Judaism and Islam all condemn homosexuality (Islam actually criminalizes it) and female adultery (again, Islam punishes adulteresses with death by stoning).

Of course, all those old books ALSO condemned masturbation and sex for any purpose other than procreation...BUT today's fundamentalists tend to overlook that.

Traditional Islam criminalizes homosexuality and female adultery, Orthodox Judaism condemns those and fundamentalist Christians also condemn those two "sins," without pushing for equal condemnation of promiscuity, self-stimulation and sex for any purpose but procreation.

WHY?

Well, most likely because the ancients were in full on "Survival Mode," today...not so much. In fact, many worry about the reverse, over-population.

So, why are homosexuality and female adultery condemned and other "sexual sins" mostly ignored? Probably because most religious leaders are men...and men don't much like female adultery, nor homosexuality.

I've always wondered how the punishing of such "sins" is justified, given that, even while adultery and homosexuality may be repulsive to some, WHERE'S the actual CRIME?!

Indeed, in many Third World, predominantly Muslim countries, adulteresses and homosexuals take their lives in their hands, but even in the U.S. there are many who continue to insist that homosexuality and transgenderism are..."choices."

Seriously?!

How many people does anyone reading this know, who've suddenly decided to "try out" homosexuality...just for kicks, or to annoy their strict family?

I can't think of ANY myself and I find the entire concept to be pretty much ridiculous and yet Dr. Ben Carson (neurosurgeon) floated that in his Presidential campaign and now a Johns Hopkins Psychiatrist, Paul McHugh has jumped into the fray declaring "transgenderism to be a mental disorder." (http://www.cnsnews.com/…/johns-hopkins-psychiatrist-transge…).

Here's where Dr. McHugh is right, sex reassignment surgery DOES NOT actually change a male into a female, or vice versa. Despite any such surgical procedure, the subject STILL maintains their original genetics, either XX (female), or XY (male).

That said, there do seem to exist a number of people who legitimately seem to believe they were born into the "wrong bodies."

WHY would anyone CHOOSE to face the ostracism and scorn that generally accompanies such a decision?

The choice idea, doesn't make any sense, nor does the mental illness aspect.

There has long been indications that homosexuality increases when humans face overpopulation. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/is-homosexuality-populati_b…)

Is that true?

That's hard to say, but there does seem to be some evidence for that. STILL, regardless of how objectionable anyone may find SOME of these ancient "sexual sins," WHERE is the actual crime?

Whom is harmed by the actions of consenting adults?

How is adultery anything other than an egregious breach of trust between two people and of no greater societal, let alone criminal import?

Religion can be a positive force in the lives of those who strive to find a more spiritual path, and to look to "treat others, as they themselves would like to be treated," BUT it can also be abused by those who'd turn into a team sport ("US" against "them") and use to attempt to control the behaviors of others.

Therein seems to lie the problem.