Wednesday, February 05, 2014

Helping You Make Crucial Decisions About Your Behavior


There are all sorts of odd things floating around out there on the Internet. About 97.4% are cat videos and pictures; of the rest, some are fascinating, some are useful, and many are just stupid*. This one is fascinating and useful, particularly for the ostentatiously religious (click to enlarge) ...


This chart was developed by James Brundage, a scholar of the Crusades, who scoured large numbers of penitentials - handbooks carried by priests in the Middle Ages that provided guidance for the penance to be applied to various types of confessed sins, especially those of a sexual nature**. The penitentials put strict limits on what was considered to be acceptable behavior for the pious. Brundage consolidated the complex rules about sex into this useful flowchart for the godly.

The flowchart was originally published in Brundage's book Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe, which is now a standard text in Medieval history.

So ...

If you're concerned about the acceptability of your sexual behavior, or if you're a politician or a celebrity interested in knowing how many limits you are transgressing***, this chart's for you. Enjoy.

Have a good day. For more information on things sexual, read the wonderfully funny and entertaining short book Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex, by Mary Roach.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Into this category fall most of the politically-oriented articles that feature grossly cherry-picked statistics and ad hominem attacks designed to make your political opponents look like the personal trainer for the Antichrist.

** Of which there were very many, most religions being very interested in regulating what goes on in your bedroom, back seat, hot tub, etc.

*** Not that you ever give it a second thought.

8 comments:

Grand Crapaud said...

What are lewd kisses?

eViL pOp TaRt said...

Well, dancing very closely is still okay.

I'll try that book by Mary Roach. I found her earlier book "Stiff" to be very interesting.

Elvis Wearing a Bra on His Head said...

Dancing very closely when lieing down is also okay. It's called "humping."

Mike said...

If you start at the wrong end of the chart you get - go ahead, yes.

Bilbo said...

Grand Crapaud - I think they're Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped.

Angel - There's a lot to be said for close-up dancing. And you will love the book if you liked "Stiff." Also try Mary Roach's "Packing for Mars," which is very good.

Elvis - This is a family blog ... be careful.

Mike - I should have known you'd figure out the short-cut.

Duckbutt said...

What is Whitson week? Besides another excuse for no sex.

Kristen Drittsekkdatter said...

Is hot tub sex wrong also? What's going to happen to the birth rate in some states?

Big Sky Heidi said...

Maybe some bright law student or minister could use this chart in searching for loopholes.