It's gotta be the heat...

[crazyfeline]

Ok, I've ranted before on the crop of guys I have to pick from. Mostly, I've ranted about getting hit on by older men. But now... now, I want to rant in general. Or rather, a different problem

Comments

[ning]

But the whole deal with celibacy is that the person is devoting their entire life and being to the service of god, trading their earthly ties for points with the maker. Catholic nuns are referred as brides of christ/god too, and in any case celibacy was a much more useful tool for controlling family trees. Bastards and illegitimate offspring, their mothers, and younger sons were all sent into service with the church which took them out of the inheritance game and insured more stability for a culture based on primogeniture. The moral censor against sex outside of marriage is surely an economic tool to protect private property by aiding transfer of resources intact from one generation to the next.

[crazyfeline]

Well, yeah, that's what it evolved into, especially when Christianity migrated to the Western World (well, humans in general tend to mangle the good intentions of deities, whatever religion/faith you point to...), but I'm really referring to Paul's original idea, and the spirit of what he was trying to say. I'm not talking about enforced celibacy or abstinence prior to marriage or any religious orders where no sex is allowed - I'm strictly talking about the biblical Paul's belief that the ability to be celibate is a gift from God. The kind where it's a personal choice, and the spiritual devotion one has to one's relationship with God is far more rewarding than any physical bliss. Few people achieve that

[ning]

I think research has shown that sex has many physical and mental benefits, but the drama attached with getting sex - significant others, affairs, children, finances - is what gets people in the end. And Paul, before he converted, was a strict conservative Jew, and I don't think that religion looked on recreational sex in a positive light. celibacy as a way to get closer to god isn't a new idea either, the Greeks and Romans had virgin priestesses.