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Abstinence based vs sex education
Importance of sexual education to teens
Sex education for children and adolescents
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“Among the many topics explored by the philosophy of sexuality are procreation, contraception, celibacy, marriage, adultery, casual sex, flirting, prostitution, homosexuality, masturbation, seduction, rape, sexual harassment, sadomasochism, pornography, bestiality, and pedophilia. What do all these things have in common? All are related in various ways to the vast domain of human sexuality.” (Soble, Alan. "Philosophy of Sexuality." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2017.) Lust by Simon Blackburn is one of seven novels that comprise the Oxford Library series about the seven deadly sins. Blackburn tells his own opinions about the topic and opinions of other philosophers and religious figures throughout history. Because …show more content…
“Religion is frequently viewed as a potent gatekeeper of sexual attitudes and behaviors. Historians and anthropologists have noted evidence from as far back as pre-fifth century BC that religion tends to separate human sexuality by emphasizing a dualistic split between body and spirit.” (Murray, Kelly M., Joseph W. Ciarrocchi, and Nichole A. Murray-Swank. "SPIRITUALITY, RELIGIOSITY, SHAME AND GUILT AS PREDICTORS OF SEXUAL ATTITUDES AND EXPERIENCES." Journal of Psychology and Theology 2007, Vol. 35, No. 3, 222-234, n.d. Web. 1 May 2017.) This study is a display of the long history surrounding sexual shame and guilt, guided by religion. In the novel Blackburn writes about religion and how it affects sexuality, he specifically talks about Christianity and how it has impacted western standards of what is considered acceptable when discussing sex and relationships. “Thomas Aquinas routinely characterizes marital intercourse in terms that include filth, stain, foulness, disease and corruption.” (Blackburn, Simon. Lust: The Seven Deadly Sins. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004. Print.) Thomas Aquinas was an Italian Dominican friar, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church. He was also an influential philosopher and theologist whose opinion was valued not only as a religious figure but also intellectual being. …show more content…
“The share of adolescent females receiving formal instruction about how to say no to sex but receiving no instruction about birth control methods increased from 22% to 26% between 2006–2010 and 2011–2013.” (American Teens’ Sources of Sexual Health Education. Atlanta, Ga. (1600 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta 30333): ATSDR, 1990. Web. 1 May 2017. .) It is great that there has been an increase in sexual education at all but abstinence only education has been proven ineffective and only promotes the idea that having sex outside of marriage makes you immoral. “Certain types of manipulation and deception seem required prior to engaging in sex with another person, or are so common as to appear part of the nature of the sexual experience.” (Soble, Alan. "Philosophy of Sexuality." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2017.) Without education toxic behavior has developed over time, it is hard to distinguish what is right from wrong if you have been taught to be ashamed or guilty regardless. This novel is not only convenient for casual reading but it is also a light-hearted introduction to understanding lust, emotions related to sex, and ways people have been conditioned to feel the way they
The short story “Lust” by Susan Minot details the life of a high school girl who has succumbed to the pressure of her surroundings. The pressure of sex by her peers and all of the boys she came across led to the multiple sexual encounters that make up this story. This realistic view on the teenagers of the early 1970’s shows the ups and downs of sexual movement of the 1960’s. In “Lust”, Susan Minot shows the reality of a teenage girl’s life throughout her high school years and the problems her actions give her as she gets older.
It has been almost thirty three years since the first federal funding was put to use in “. . . sex education programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage to the exclusion of all other approaches . . .” according to the article “Sex education” (2010) published by “Opposing Viewpoints in Context;” a website that specializes in covering social issues. Since then a muddy controversy has arisen over whether that is the best approach. On one hand is the traditional approach of abstinence (not having sex before marriage), and on the other is the idea that what is being done is not enough, and that there needs to be a more comprehensive approach. This entails not only warning against sex, but also teaching teens about how to have “Safe Sex” (“Sex Education,” 2010).
Today’s young Americans face strong peer pressure to be sexually active and engage themselves in risky behaviors (Merino 100-109). Anyone deciding to have sex must first think about all the risks involved. Kekla Magoon, author of Sex Education in Schools, says that “half of all teens aged 15 to 19 years old in the United States have had sex” (Magoon 64-65). It is currently not required by federal law for schools to teach Sex education and those few schools that do teach Sex education have the decision to determine how much information is allowed. Advocates from both sides of the Sex education debate agree that teens need positive influences in order to make practical decisions (Magoon 88-89). Opponents of Abstinence-only education believe it fails because it does not prepare teens for all the risks of sex (Magoon 64-65).
In The Introduction to the History of Sexuality, Foucault explains how during the 19th century with the raise of new societies, the discourse or knowledge about sex was not confronted with repulsion but it “put into operation an entire machinery for producing true discourses concerning sex” (Foucault 69). In fact, this spreading of discourse on sexuality itself gives a clear account of how sexuality has been controlled and confined because it was determined in a certain kind of knowledge that carries power within it. Foucault reflects on the general working hypothesis or “repressive hypothesis,” and how this has exercised power to suppress people’s sexuality. It has power on deciding what is normal or abnormal and ethical or unethical about sexuality. Through discourses of life and sexuality, power is exercised because humans learned how to behave in relation to sexuality, which method keep individuals controlled and regulated. This explains why people experience that sense of behaving inappropriate when we talk about sex in a different way than the whole society. Foucault points up how sexuality is not just treated in terms of morality, but it is a matter of knowledge and “truth.” However, these discourses, including sexual discourses are not true or false, but they are just understood to be the truth or falsehood to control society. As a result, sexuality begins to be explored in a scientific way, developing the “truth” science of sex (Foucault 69). For Foucault, he asserts that sexuality has developed as a form of science that keeps us all afraid of such phenomena, which people think to be true, thus this science helps society to discipline and control individuals’ behaviors.
The reason I am writing this paper is to share the information I attained about human sexuality by learning about sexuality in a college setting and by exploring my sexuality through personal experiences. I do not consider myself to have experienced much exposure to sexual behavior but I do have a cultural bias to what I consider a heavy amount of exposure because the North American culture is considered more promiscuous and sexually active than other cultures.
Klein, Marty. America's War on Sex: the Continuing Attack on Law, Lust, and Liberty. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger, 2012. Print.
“Sex and religion? Those two don’t really go hand in hand,” commented by a freshmen student from UF. Like this student, numerous people around the world believe this misconception to be true. Whether people argue for or against the importance of sex in religion, more than just what goes on the bedroom has been heating up lately. Many debates have sparked due to the negative connotation associated with sex when confronted about its position in religious cultures. A study done had proven a direct relationship between religiosity and sexual attitudes in college student, but to what extent are their spiritual values influential in their sexual beliefs and what are the reasons behind this (Beckwith, n.pg.). Either way, there is to some extent an influence on sexual behavior, whether it is by gender, ethnicity, or religion. After extensive research and several interviews, I’m determined to find the truth about sex and its importance in religious cultures, its effects on spirituality, and the roles it plays in religion.
In the article “An Anthropological Look at Human Sexuality” the authors, Patrick Gray and Linda Wolfe speak about how societies look at human sexuality. The core concept of anthology is the idea of culture, the systems of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors people acquire as a member of society. The authors give an in depth analysis on how human sexuality is looked at in all different situations.
While alleged sex addictions have existed for many years, they have only recently been accepted as valid excuses for sexual deviancy. Attitudes toward sex addiction in the past offer a stark contrast to how it is viewed today, as the constantly medicalizing society insists on putting everything under the technical microscope. Sex addiction is commonly associated with a person’s inability to control his sexual behavior, implying an abnormally high sex drive and obsession with sex which have negative effects on his personal life (MedicineNet 2007, 1). Rather than breaking down the science behind the disorder, a customary practice in today’s medicalized society, older attitudes towards sex addiction placed it under the same light as alcoholism, where a lack of control and unwillin...
When reading Lust, one can conclude that she started having sexual interactions early on in her life. I think she used this as an excuse to think it is okay to always be like that. She says in the story talking about Roger, “He was kicked out by sophomore year.” When you read the text around it, it suggests she had sexual interactions even before sophomore year. Then she said, “When we were little, the brothers next door tied up our ankles. They held the door of the goat house and would not let us out till we showed them our underpants.” I think other interactions so young like this has made her more expecting to her present behavior, also. This has lead up to her present because she still has that mind set. She still goes out and has sex with
With the rise of Christianity, sex became a taboo subject. The church even went as far as to dictate which sexual position was the least sinful. Christianity took away the magical significance of sexual interaction. However, long before the rise of Christianity, magical rituals involving sex were held to honor various Goddesses. In today’s world, the Great Rite has been perverted.
The Middle Ages were a time of expanding and experimenting sexually for the people. Religious figures who had taken vows of celibacy had children, sometimes with more than one woman. Even some popes of the time had illicit affairs. However, adultery was often condoned, especially in knights, because the Chivalry Code expected of them certain “actions”:
The famous bishop of Hippo, St. Augustine, is claimed as a cornerstone of Christian theology by both Catholics and Protestants. Many of his views are regarded by Christians as authoritative interpretations of the Bible because they have withstood heated debate throughout the centuries. Christians ought to ask, however, whether such allegiance is justifiable in all cases. Augustine's idea of sex after matrimony, for example, is very narrow, restricting actions and emotions married Christians today consider part of the beauty of intercourse. A logical assertion then, is that Augustine's view of sexuality, as delineated in many writings, is a response to his life of sensuality prior to salvation; therefore, his idea about the intent for sex within marriage stems more from his former sin than from Biblical perspective.
I will begin first with the idea that sexual behavior should not be granted its own moral code. Sexual ethics only makes sense if sexuality plays a unique role in human life. If procreation has significance precisely because it is a contribution to God's ongoing work of creation, sexuality is supremely important and must be governed by restrictive rules, which would therefore prohibit sexual acts that are not for procreative purposes. This justification of sexuality as a unique aspect of human life, however, is dependent on a theological claim that there exists a God who micro manages the sexual lives of individuals. Without the presence of such a God, there can exist no separate restrictive rules on the nature of sexual acts. Even if we grant that there is a God, most people will agree that sex is more often used as a way to intensify the bond between two people and therefor sex is the ultimate trust and intimacy that you can share with a person.
These questions arise from our own desires as Christians to reflect a biblically sound attitude towards sexuality and relationships. That same desire to act according to biblical scriptures is subject to opposition from today’s culture and views about sexual relationships, gender, and roles. A new definition of marriage, sexual orientation, and sexual practices is challenging our relationship with God and our view of human sexuality. Bishop John Spong defines sex and its impact on relationships: “Sex can be called at once the greatest gift to humanity and the greatest enigma of our lives. It is a gift in that is a singular joy for all beings and enigma in its destructive potential for people and their relationships.” (Spong, 1988)