And then the general notion of violence, again there can be incidents which become so frustrating to one of the mates that he or she simply loses it, and then there is continuing violence, which eats at relationship and self esteem.

Best not to generalize the issues. Not quite a black and white issue.

We had this lesson last Sunday. I understood that this is coupled with saying that we are more righteous than the leader, ie criticizing leaders while claiming ourselves to be righteous which is more than just objecting to a policy, practice or behavior. Or saying they are bad and us knowing who to replace them with. Plus taking the first steps to apostasy doesn’t mean that we will become apostates. Everyone will have some bad days.

I haven’t read all comments but I did see some comments claiming that adultery is not as bad as emotional abuse. Maybe Jesus’ society didn’t recognize this as a sin back then. But still the damage adultery produces, both to the sinner and the innocent victims like children, is much more than the damage resulting from any kind of violence except for murder, and emotional abuse is a form of violence. Even though our society has accepted sexual relations outside marriage and sometimes encourages it for dating couples it is still canonized as a gross sin. The proof for this is in the time it takes to simply repent from both sins: adultery can take years, incest takes decades usually, but ending emotional abuse and repenting is usually obtained after counseling/teaching what it is and what the person is doing,ie once they understand what is wrong; adulterers usually have a hard time just understanding that their actions were sinful because the claim to be in love or their marriage already ended etc.

And as far as what’s right for a perma-blogger to do, go get your own blog and do whatever you feel like.

You’re still arguing beside the point. There are forms of emotional abuse and physical abuse that involve no sexual sins that are far worse than any sexual sin.

Or so you say. That may well be the case. A rape victim might tell you that the sin committed against them included all of the above and sexual sin.

Besides, your taxonomy of sin severity fails for other reasons. Masturbation is a sexual sin, but it isn’t as bad as (say) theft.

I thought I said that.

All you’re doing is demonstrating a kind of weird preoccupation with sex.

Interesting thought.

I think yours is an argument of preference- an opinion, and nothing more.
I respect that. In matters of sin and offense, everyone is entitled to an opinion, as there are very few thin red lines.

Besides, your taxonomy of sin severity fails for other reasons. Masturbation is a sexual sin, but it isn’t as bad as (say) theft.

All you’re doing is demonstrating a kind of weird preoccupation with sex.