Islamic Sexuality A Survey Of Evil

Originally posted by nine lives ↑

"no doubt there are some good aspects of most religions but in general most religions were established as a means for controlling the masses."

I think you are nearly right sirdean except rather being established as a means for controlling the masses that's what they eventually degenerate to. According to biblical accounts Christ had a lot of time for the filthy sinners but he was constantly at war with the religious establishment of the day. He knew that the Scribes and Pharisees just didn't get it....and so the population thought "wow, this is refreshing" and they embraced the teachings of Christ and ran with it.....

But it didn't take long before the new Christian movement degenerated into the very thing that Christ fought against. The church became as stale and as controlling as the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees had been. I guess it is the same for all religions, Islam included. It's human nature.

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That is quite true ninelives, Jesus was very anti religion,

which resulted in the lack of endearment toward him by the established authorities of the day. Jesus was especially loathed by the High Priests of Judaism at the time Annas and his son in law Caiaphas who was the presiding High Priest at Jesus eventual trial, they had their differences especially when Jesus claimed to be divine in origin when quoting a verse from Daniel Chapter 7, as the Son of Man. They tore their clothes in rage and condemned him for death, this is the penalty for blasphemy: taking onto oneself what is only attributed to God.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caiaphas_ossuary

By their extreme reaction it is clear the Pharisees and the High Priest understood what Jesus was saying and they accused him of blasphemy, but even today people deny the divinity of Christ they are in agreement with the Pharisees. Happened then and is still happening today.

Matthew 26:57-68New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus before Caiaphas

57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58 But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the [a]officers to see the outcome.
59 Now the chief priests and the whole [b]Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the [c]temple of God and to rebuild it [d]in three days.’” 62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I [e]adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are [f]the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, [g]hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his [h]robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others [i]slapped Him, 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, You [j]Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

The Ossuary was a box that Jews would place the bones of their dead relatives in after the body had decomposed for their permanent storage. The Ossuary of the High Priest Caiaphas is widely believed to have been discovered in 1990 here is the very ornate bone box of Caiaphas who charged blasphemy against Jesus.

http://formerthings.com/caiaphas.htm

History
Caiaphas was the high priest of the Jews under Tiberius. The Procurator Valerius Gratas appointed him to the dignity. He was son-in-law of Annas and was the Jewish high priest who ruled over the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court, from 18 - 36 AD. This made him second in power only to the Roman governor.

The Caiaphas Ossuary
In December of 1990, an exciting discovery rocked the world of archaeology! In the Peace Forset section of Jerusalem, a first century Ossuary, or "bone box," was discovered. Inscribed on the ossuary were the words "Yehosef bar Kayafa," translated as "Joseph, son of Caiaphas." Excavator Zvi Greenhut of the Israeli Antiquities Authority recovered the artifact, which is now on display at the Isael Museum in Jerusalem.

Matthew, Luke and John each identify Caiaphas as the high priest that presided over the arrest and trial of Jesus. The historian Josephus also identifies “Joseph Caiaphas” as the Jewish high priest from 18 to 36 AD (Jewish Antiquities 18:35). Josephus also refers to him as “Joseph who was called Caiaphas of the high priesthood” (Jewish Antiquities 18:95).
Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate
Caiaphas had no power to inflict the punishment of death, and therefore Jesus was sent to Pilate, the Roman governor, that he might duly pronounce the sentence against Jesus. At a later period Caiaphas's hostility to the gospel is still manifest even after the resurrection - ( Acts 4:6).