Transcription
Here is a question medieval canon law had to answer. If a house had only one bed and it was snowing outside, could a man share that bed with his mother-in-law?
The answer was no, absolutely not. Even if everyone kept their clothes on, even if it was freezing, the church was very clear about this. Better to sleep on the cold floor, better to freeze, better to invite suspicion than to share a bed with the wrong person. The rules did not bend for weather.
The church made these rules at councils in the 1200s. They were not suggestions. They were laws and the church expected people to follow them even when it made no sense. Most people followed the rules not because they wanted to, because the neighbors were watching and the priest kept a record and the record followed you forever.
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