Entropic_Gnosis

What with the current tempest in the teacup about homosexual marraige et al I have been wondering, why does so much of "morality" deal with sex? I would seem to me that teaching empathy and common decency would be far better than the "bad human for thinking about/having/not having/not with the right person sex!" Is it simply the human fascination with sex that makes it so central to many moral codes or is there more to it?

*edit* The title should be: Why does so much of morality henge upon sex? I cannot spell, type, or apparently read. As you were

Groovy Cosmic Monkey

Very good question. I've often wondered that myself. Why, when there is war, famine, terrorism, hatred, hypocrisy, greed, etc., do churches seem to be more concerned about consensual sex between two people who are in love?

scigirl

Excellent questions, guys!

Afraid I don't know the answer. From an evolutionary perspective, I can understand taboos/social rules about sex being a big issue. But from a standpoint of a "moral authority" trying to cure the world's ills? Don't get it. Same with diseases - everyone uses STDs to rail against the evils of homosexuality. But aren't cholera and rotavirus and malaria evils of poverty and over-population?

scigirl

Diadectes

Mrs Avergae Protestant Churchgoer speaks:

"Well, I'm not perfect by any means. Occasionally I am hypocritical, prejudiced, and uncaring. Sometimes I steal things from the workplace. I have been known to bitch about my friends behind their backs and occasionally harbour dark thoughts about them. I am impotent when it comes to stopping wars and famines and other disastrous events the effects of which might possibly have been prevented if we were all a bit more pro-active. I like my material possessions very much and only rarely feel guilty about having so much when so many people in the world have so little....BUT....

I do not have oral sex, or erotic fantasies, or sell my body, or indulge in same-sex relationships, or anything disgusting like that!!!

We all know those things are vile and morally repugnant, so at least I can rest assured that I am a better person than the people who do those things! Phew, I can relax after all."

Think that might be partial answer to the question.

pmurray

When a woman has a child, it is certain that the child is hers, but by no means certain that the child is the woman's husband's. Men tend resent their life's work being inherited by children that are no relation to themselves, so patrilinear societies tend to have strong sexual taboos, right to the point of keeping girls completely igrorant of sex.

In matrilinear societies, where a man's posessions are inherited by his sister's sons (his nephews), sex is much less an issue.

scigirl

So THAT'S why she's all pissed off - no oral sex, no erotic fantasies? Must suck to be a fundie. Or rather, it doesn't suck. Or, yeah I 'm going to shut up now.

scigirl

never been there

Killing, stealing, gossiping etc. are obviously immoral (I prefer to say unethical). When it comes to sexual behaviour, however, there is no clear basis apart from the golden rule or contractarian ethics. So if you want to control other peoples' (mainly women's) sexual behaviour, you have to pretend that your rules rank along with killing, stealing, gossiping, etc.

Since there is no rational basis for this, repetition ad nauseam is resorted to. Hence the appearance that morality is all about sex, with not having fun in other ways (booze, drugs, art) filling in the gaps.

everlastingtongue

I’ve always thought, at least in modern times, that it all comes down to power and control.

I would guess that we all, at some point, have desires that could be deemed inappropriate: a married person lusts after someone other than his/her spouse, an adult can find themselves attracted to a 17-year old, a “straight” person can have an occasional gay attraction or fantasy, a lot of people fantasize about three or moresomes, etc.

In the real world, we are judged by how we act, not how we think. If your actions hurt someone, or break a law or a promise, there will be repercussions.

But, if you can convince a person that otherwise normal desires are sinful – even if they have the restraint not to act on them – you control them. They will live in a constant state of guilt – always running to their religious institution for absolution. This constant cycle of guilt and absolution can also serve to keep them in line – if they are spending every waking moment trying to save their souls, all the less time remains for them to question their religious beliefs.

Darth Dane

My bid would be that sex feels so good and is so much fun.

Back in the days, men were dominating, and so when having sex, as is done today, the woman in their multi-orgasm spasm calls out "oh my God", men knowing they werent God was appaled with this behaviour. And so sex was not to be fun, but only for re-production purposes.

Men don't say this as much as women do afaik! (correct me if I am wrong)


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DD - Love & Laughter

DMB

I would opt for the evolutionary perspective. Reproduction is the single most important thing we do -- passing on our genes safely to another generation.