Because the church is kinda fascist. I'm not trying to be mean but most religions project their ideals and force their opinions on their followers.

obviously because they are the most pleasurable things and hence the easiest to enjoy while ignoring the bible. To take away all that is pleasurable makes one have to find pleasure in what is left...the bible. Of course to condemn the most pleasurable things in life means that people will surely not be able to avoid doing them and break the rules and do them..this results in guilt which of course can only be alleviated by ....going to church. This keeps a constant cycle of guilt/repentence going to ensure longevity for the church by ensuring there is always sins to need forgiving. OF course for those who do manage to avoid these sins they get the satisfaction of feeling morally superior and hence closer to god, they get to martyr themselves by denying that which is natural and ultimately punishing themselves for his glory. seems a bit masochistic to me

So that you do not loose your focus on what is there in that holy book!

The so called 'pleasurable' things God wanted us to avoid are the things that will hurt us. Adultery, lying, hating others, murder, stealing, are all things that will hurt us. Who hasn't felt the pain from most of these? By keeping God first, we keep ourselves first.

Like what? Adultery? Murdering one's neighbour? They all had sex, drank wine, partied, committed incest etc. So what are you refering to?

The Bible does not forbid things that are pleasurable. It forbids things that are destructive. People don't want to hear this because they don't want to admit that their bad behavior IS destructive. Take the prohibitions against drunkenness for example. Drunkenness leads to addiction. This leads to excessive use of alcohol, which will ultimately lead to liver damage and a very miserable death. This does not even include the consequences of the irresponsible behavior that can be brought on by the impairment of one's judgement that often occurs while one is drunk. So, drunkenness is forbidden not because it is pleasurable, but because it leads to misery. If you look at the other things that are forbidden, most of them have negative consequences as well. Promiscuity invariable leads to the spread of very dangerous diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Theft, murder, etc., have very detrimental effects on society as a whole. Pride leads to class distinctions and bigotry. The list goes on. So, these various things are not forbidden because God does not want us to enjoy life. They are forbidden because God DOES want us to enjoy life and He knows that the things that He has forbidden will ultimately lead to a less enjoyable life.

What you think is pleasurable may kill you. For example, how about getting HIV while doing adultery (Condoms are not 100% safe)? how would you feel if your wife/husband was cheating on you? What about getting a drug overdose? All these things eventually destroy you and your society.

god had it off with joseph's wife... promoting adultery

Such as what? Adultery? Theft? Murder? Bearing false witness (lying)? Rape? I don't think most people find these things pleasurable. Perhaps you are referring to some of the Old Testament dietary restrictions. Those were to avoid disease and are no longer relevant. Otherwise, the question sounds rather hollow unless you want to elaborate.

Here's a little story to help explain why some things are forbidden in the bible: A young kid is just learning to dribble a basketball. The kid bounces the ball all around the yard, but the ground is uneven ans some spots are hard while other spots are soft. It is very difficult for the kid to dribble in the yard. He/she looks out and sees that the street is nice and smooth and hard; just perfect for dribbling a basketball. The kid goes into the middle of the street and starts playing with the ball. He/she is thinking that they have finally found the very best place to play. Then the kids dad comes out orders the kid out of the street. He brings the child into the house and gives a stern lecture about playing in the street. In the child's mind, the father is being unreasonable. The father obviously doesn't want the kid to have fun and it's certain that the father knows nothing about dribbling. But the child doesn't realize that the father forbids playing in the street out of love for the child. The father knows that playing in the street can lead to death. When the child is mature enough he/she will realize that the father was right, but for now the father seems controlling and unreasonable.

The Bible does not forbid things that are pleasurable, it just sets healthy parameters for them. God created sex. He wants us to have sex. He wants us to enjoy sex. What he doesn't want is for us to use sex selfishly, to harm ourselves or others with it. We are not to make our whole lives about sex. God is supposed to come first. We are not to have sex outside of marriage, as it damages relationships, communities, and brings unwanted and unloved children into the world. We are not to be selfish, including sexually. But if you follow those rules, if you have sex within a loving marriage, if you use it to bind you tightly to a loving partner, if you use it to give selflessly to your partner, if you use it to bring beloved children into the world, you will have the most pleasurable sex you'll ever have. The Bible does not forbid drinking. Jesus drank wine. There was no refrigeration in Palestine in the first century. When you pressed grapes, they fermented. What is forbidden is using wine selfishly, to get drunk, to escape problems instead of trusting God, to give license to debauched behavior, to harm others. But what in the world is pleasurable about using alcohol to harm yourself and others? The pleasure is in using it properly, to have a little wine and song with dinner. I can't think of a single pleasurable thing that is forbidden in the Bible. The only things that are forbidden is using those pleasures in a selfish and evil way.

I think you have a distorted viewpoint on what is pleasurable. Is drunkeness good? Is adultery good? Is stealing and lying good? Please explain what good thing you feel God is witholding from humans.

Same principle as why the things that taste the best are the least healthy for you.

Cause, it's a ploy for humans to supress and control other humans into doing what they want to do, as well they gave a harsh alternative. Eternal damnation.

I think it is because the road to heaven is supposed difficult and most definitely not pleasurable, otherwise you would be going straight to hell,or JAIL without collecting $200 and without passing GO.

I don't know. Thats why I live my life perfectly well without it and guilt-free!

God is afraid of losing his followers to life and all it has to offer

I think if you read this bit of information you will find it is more man that forbids those things that are pleasurable and not the Bible and God. Blame the right people... http://www.libchrist.com/bible/howsexsin.html http://www.libchrist.com/bible/fornication.html http://www.xfamily.org/index.php/The_Devil_Hates_Sex

I haven't found that from my reading of it. There are many pleasures people can enjoy that are not forbidden. There are some things we are warned about, but that is because of the serious consequences that can occur from their overuse or wrong use. But I'm sure that a God that is labeled a Happy God, would want his creation to enjoy a good, happy, safe life. The bible does say that he will give us the requests of our heart...as long as they are good for us.

the bible encourages love, kindness, charity, close family ties, friendship, finding joy in the midst of difficulty, moral strength, valuing others above yourself... i take great pleasure in these things and many more. peace

I would like to know what people have to say about masturbation. It's pleasurable and doesn't appear to hurt anyone, yet considered sinful, even when pornographic material isn't involved and in the absence of "addiction". Why?

Does it? I wasn't aware that it did. I know it forbids murder, theft, adultery and so on, but wasn't aware it forbid pleasures. What pleasures?

the bible is just a handbook to find Jehovah and to find out what he wants us to do with our lives. The book leads us to Jesus, and The Holy Spirit and to the victory we can have in Jesus. we can find equal pleasure in righteous activies that are blessed and have solid healthful benefits. Its just a matter of deciding which lifestyle you want to live. pleasure is in your brain. not in the activity.

Societal control.

Societal control.

First a few key points: Adam and Eve sinned, and you're responsible. Not just by some technicality, but you're morally responsible - it's your fault! In fact so hideous is your inherited crime that absolutely nothing can redeem you, except for the ritual sacrifice of (part of) God himself. Wow! You've been a bad boy! When good stuff happens to you, you must attribute it to God. If you did good yourself, you did good only because God works through you. But if something bad happens, this must be attributed to the sins of men. If you do bad, that's you sinning, not God. Do you see a pattern emerging here? Being a Christian is about learning not to respect yourself, not to love yourself. A big part of that is denying yourself pleasure. You simply must not feel good. Why? Well, to be a Christian you have to be able behold the Orwellian nightmare that is the Christian world-view and think to yourself, "I don't deserve any better". You have to feel good about the fact that God watches you everywhere you go, even in your dreams while you sleep, he reads your mind 24/7 and if you don't have the right thoughts in your head, or the right feelings in your heart, he will have you tortured (forever). Of course unlike a worldly totalitarian state, in this case there is no hope of change, ever. You can't even hope to die honourably fighting for a better world. In fact you can't even die. God owns you in every way you could imagine, and he will own you forever. No part of you is private and beyond his reach. Anyway, that's why pleasurable things are forbidden to Christians. Because to be a Christian, you must hate yourself, otherwise how could you love God?

The many things carnal humans have grown up with and find pleasurable are judged by Yahweh to be sins. Humans , without Christ in their life, tend to indulge and overindulge in destructive and sinful behavior because that is all that they have ever known their whole lives lives. They simply don't know any better or any different. Because of this, many people shy away from Christianity. They simply don't want to give up what pleasures them most, their sinful behavior, even if it is destructive. I have found the following quote to hold very true in this situation. "The problem with Christianity is not that it has been tried and found wanting, but that it has been found difficult, and left untried." ----G.K. Chesterton

What about sadists?