[tips] Re: Deities "R" Us - tangental

[Drnanjo]

In a message dated 7/18/2006 6:45:59 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Think for a moment how many unwanted pregnancies would be eliminated in a moment if everyone kept calm until the connubials...and then when you look at the problem of sexually transmitted diseases. So this assumes that all married couples want babies when ever they copulate? All pregancies in marriage are wanted?   Think of how many unwanted pregnancies, STDs and abortions would not take place if religious conservatives would stop blocking access to contraception, sex education and other services for teens and adults. But that would eliminate the dreaded punishments that should accompany these pleasures. As with their latest move to block young girls from receiving the vaccine for HPV - "virginity or death" - especially for females.   Most people have sex before they marry. The time has come to stop being so damn ludicrous about this. From a practical standpoint, it's deeply out of touch to pretend that people will wait. They will not and should not have to because SOME other people, whose business it is none of, demand it. Those two right there should trump. Nancy: Clearly, by the way, this has been one of the most unsuccessful aspects of the enforcement of such taboos. Jim: Well, we've had a hard time controlling substance abuse and other social ills but should then just give up? Since when does the rightness of an approach get judged ultimately by its success (however you measure that)? I actually think we should give up on that too. We allow people to abuse themselves with cigarettes and alcohol - ridiculuous. If a person wants to do all manner of drug, and does not get behind the wheel of a car, or tractor, or airplane, it's none of my business, none of the government's, etc. Nancy: These appear to be interpersonal matters that society has an interest in enforcing for reasons of maintaining control and order. Yet premarital and extramarital sex remain fairly common, for all the restrictions and threatened punishments - here and in the after-life. Jim: Well, doesn't religion generally promote doing and not doing for the greater good of all? With the possible exception of extramaritial sex, I don't see why anyone's decision to have sex or not has anything to do with the greater good of all. Except to satisfy the prudes who think that sex is bad - unless it is done in marriage and for procreation.   Maybe religion is right after all -- people are just inherently damned selfish and don't WANT to rise above themselves until they really have to (I'd rather not believe that, btw). --- Maybe so, and heck maybe I am just one selfish human being. I think sex is for fun and if that fun is between two consenting adults who take basic steps to be responsible (prevent disease, pregnancy etc) it isn't anyone else's business at all.   Nancy Melucci Long Beach City College Long Beach CA --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english