The Idea of Rape.
Now this is an interesting topic, not really related to religion though; rape. Or is it?
One can start by mentioning that one of the earliest stories in the Bible involves several kinds of rape. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah opens with God and the two Arch-Angels, Michael and Gabriel, going off to warn Abraham that they intend to destroy the two cities because the cry against God is so great. The reason for this warning is because Abraham's nephew Lot and his family live in the cities; and God is totally cool with Abraham, thus the warning.
Fast-forward a bit and we get to the part of the story that involves gang-rape. Lot, trying to be a good host to the two Arch-Angels offers the prurient crowd his two virgin daughters in place of the two angels for the gang to rape; and he does and so they do.
After this God destroys the cities and Lot and his family flee. After his wife is turned into a pillar of salt, for having lack of faith and fortitude, Lot is left with just his two daughters. The daughters wake, traumatized as they would be, they reason that they are the only ones left on the planet and need to be fruitful and multiply. Thus they set about getting their own father drunk and rape him.
So gang-rape and incestuous-rape are in the Bible and right at the beginning. So the question of, is rape related to religion seems to be supported; and one can look at legal systems in Muslim countries to see that it is still used and supported by those that profess belief in The One True God. It is a non-sequitor to me really.
I write about the idea of Rape being about Power and not Sex. If rape is about power and not sex this makes anyone that abuses their power to their own ends without considering the fact that the person they are abusing is a Human being with their own feelings, thoughts and beliefs; is a Rapist.
So rape is an ugly word and an ugly act; but rape seems to be the way many humans function when dealing with others. We can cite police abusing their power over peoples lives for either self-gain or actual self-gratification. We can cite politicians allowing such things simply to secure their power, wealth and status. We can cite an almost endless list of atrocities that can be considered rape, whether or not they involve sex.
A rapist is simply a person that is so angry at themselves and what their life should have been that the only way they can make themselves feel better about their terrible lives of failure, that they do not try to improve themselves or others, but rather prefer to destroy others. One may say why do not they try and destroy themselves; as most self-loathing people do? This is because they hate so much and are such cowards that to destroy you is better than destroying themselves.
Most people would rather drag you down and tear you apart by dragging you into their terrible lives then simply leaving you alone and trying to either make themselves worse or even better. This commentary on people is narcissistic in the same sense that satellites are narcissistic; there are more satellites looking down on the Earth than there are looking out into space. Self-absorbed much?
And rapists are; they only care about how they feel and have no concern for the feelings of their victims.
Rape it is about power ... and God loves power.
LLaP
