At least when the Emperor Justinian, a sky-god man…
“At least when the Emperor Justinian, a sky-god man, decided to outlaw sodomy, he had to come up with a good practical reason, which he did. It is well known, Justinian declared, that buggery is a principal cause of earthquakes, and so must be prohibited. But our sky-godders, always eager to hate, still quote Leviticus, as if that looney text had anything useful to say about anything except, perhaps, the inadvisability of eating shellfish in the Jerusalem area.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Justinian used a bizarre natural disaster claim to justify banning sodomy, showing how authorities invent pseudo‑scientific reasons to enforce moral laws.
In simple terms: Leaders sometimes create false reasons to restrict behavior.
Key Takeaway
Question the stated reasons behind moral legislation.
Themes
authority
morality
science
religion
Mood
skeptical
critical
inquisitive
Type
historical
political
satirical
When to use this quote
- historical lawmaking
- modern policy debates
- religious censorship
- public health rhetoric
Key Concepts
legalism
mythmaking
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do societies cling to mythic explanations?
- How can we demand evidence‑based policy?
A Different Perspective
Such justifications often ignore real causes and can be disproven.