I was raised contrary to many children raised within religion in that my parents would discuss sex openly. We would discuss how good sex felt, in fact, a comparison that stands out from the discussion was to a much better feeling of releasing a sneeze.
We would talk about contraception. We would talk about vaginas and penises. We would talk about physical attraction, including no preconceived notion that we would be attracted to the opposite sex.
They weren’t gross or damaging to us. They wouldn’t discuss their particular sex life, and perform acts in front of us, other than kissing, which let’s face it folks, isn’t a vulgar sex act.
Because of this normalization of sex in my thoughts, I also don’t get grossed out at the thought of parents having sex.
We were also taught that masturbation was great. It was necessary. It provided a healthy ‘out’ for our urges.
Along with all of that, we were also taught that the best prevention of disease or pregnancy was abstinence. Now, this is important though… it was simply taught as the best not the only.
All that said, I did not wait until I was married. My first intercourse experience was at 17 years of age. Sure enough, it felt really good. I guess you could say it was a hell of a thing.
So, to the meat and potatoes of this post, sorry for the long intro…
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. – Jude 1:7
If you desire to wait for marriage before having intercourse, that’s fine. When you decide to judge others for premarital sex, that’s when it’s an issue.
Let me ask all the married religious people a question. Was it really worth the wait? Or perhaps it was painful, uncomfortable, and messy (as first time sex is for many)?
Let me ask the religious people that have been married more than once another question. Was sex with the second partner worse? Better? Same? Honestly, I would likely guess it was better, but I’m sure that’s up for debate and not the point of this dissertation. I’d bet that just because you’d had sex before, it wasn’t worse.
My point is that the sex drive is necessary for the survival of a species and, with small percentage of exception (asexuals), we all experience it. It’s really interesting that it sets in at its most powerful level during puberty. A time when most of the religious would push the hardest to prevent an individual from having sex. Don’t take my point as I support underage sex, I really don’t. I have 2 children, both below the age of consent, and in the full throws of puberty, and we teach similarly to my parents. Abstinence is best, but condoms and other protections if the urge is too great.
Why, if we are created by a deity, would we have such a powerful drive to create new life before we were married? I know some will say “mysterious ways”, and others will say “we are being tested”. I just don’t buy those answers. Perhaps, just perhaps, we evolved to procreate at the most likely to be successful point in our short lives. It fits. Evolution has no real care for ’emotional maturity’.
Perhaps it’s time for people to view sex with a healthier attitude. The bible certainly doesn’t provide a healthy attitude, as seen in the quote above, or the following:
For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. – Ephesians 5:5
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. – Matthew 5:27-28
And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. – Exodus 22:16-17
These seem pretty dire. No heaven, mental adultery, buying your way out of premarital sex? This is an unhealthy look at sex. This creates paranoia. Teaching these things to children is abuse.
Let’s get past this. Let’s start a healthy dialog about sex. Let’s help prevent disease and teen pregnancy. Hammering your children with abstinence only sexual education has demonstrably the opposite result.