Friday, March 25, 2011

The Last Judgment

     While living in Europe for seven years, I had the opportunity to visit the Vatican in Rome.  I toured the beautiful buildings and saw a lot of magnificent art -- some made by the greatest artists the world has known.  On the front wall of the Sistine Chapel is a mural painted by Michelangelo called "The Last Judgment".  It depicts what Michelangelo felt was going to be the fate of mankind after death, as he comes before Christ and is judged -- then sent to hell or heaven.  In typical fashion, at Michelangelo'd death, the church leaders wanted the genitalia of the men covered, so they hired Daniele of Volterra, a student of Michelangelo to censor the paintings.  [presumably, we can't observe our own nakedness without having evil thoughts]  And so the paintings stayed between 1541 and 1993, when the paintings were restored.

     I have decided that many church leaders of most churches are very uptight about human sexuality --  and particularly as it might relate to their own inheritance of the blessings of heaven after death.  The 'Original Sin' of Adam was either disobedience or sexual in nature.  Either way, the teachings of the churches and scriptures claim that all mankind will be lost without the saving grace of a Savior.

     Many church leaders - celibate or not -- are VERY conflicted about any kind of human sexuality.  This is as true of my own prior church leaders in the LDS faith as it is in other Christian religions.

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