Friday 6 March 2009

Sexual ethics

I’m just overhearing a discussion on Leighton  Smith’s radio show that encompasses teenage vaccines, teenage sex, and the importance of being a virgin at marriage.

Most of the callers, not to mention the host, seem to have the lemon-sucking idea that abstinence is some sort of moral virtue; that sex outside marriage is wrong: that non-married persons must avoid promiscuous sex because the act of sex is bad – an idea derived largely from bogus religious morality, and promoted by Puritans everywhere.

Uuugh!

I’d like to contrast that with Objectivist morality, which suggests that one shouldn’t be promiscuous because sex is so good.

I’d like to point you to a good discussion of Ayn Rand’s view of monogamy.  And I’d like to point you to a good Objectivist fisking of the idea of virginity.  So I will:

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Funny, the dialogue I heard was from parents who care about their children.

Pete, you shouldn't rush to prejudge and sneer at parents who have concerns over the sexual choices their children may or may not make.

To do that you sound more authoritarian than libertarian.

Anonymous said...

Peter, as a Christian I actually agree that sex is very good, not bad. What was the first commandment God gave man? "Go forth and multiply"! God tells us to have lots of sex! Sounds good to me!

The reason sex should be saved for one man and one woman (practically, for marriage, as marriage is when two people vow to stick with each other), is precisely because it is so good.

The whole "try before you buy" idea doesn't work with sex - couples that sleep together before marriage are statistically more likely to divorce. Saving sex for marriage gives a greater appreciation of sex, and a greater commitment to each other.

Christianity does teach that sex outside marriage is a sin - accept that or don't, that's a matter of faith. But the reason for that is precisely because sex is very good, NOT because it is dirty. It is to ensure we have great sex, because God made it for us and He wants us to enjoy it!

Sex is like fire. Just as fire is great in the fireplace but causes problems in the middle of the lounge, sex is great in marriage but causes problems outside it.