The Argument for Celibacy
How could someone explain America’s loosening view of sexual intercourse over recent decades? Have our moral standards changed so much that they now accept or even encourage frequent sex? Is it just a method of rebellion as people attempt to fight conservative societal views? Perhaps we just wish to fight those who instill inhibitive ideas on us, and our forms of freedom – in this case, that of our bodies.
Has American media’s desire for revenue and profit caused an increased sway towards what was previously deemed inappropriate? Thomas Jefferson even once said that “man is an imitative animal”.
Is America just experiencing a spontaneous hormone rush? Is it possible for a society to experience its own version of puberty? Or has America just always been horny and never shown it? After all, the 70-year-old chick from The Wedding Singer screwed the modern equivalent of 200 men before she got married, didn’t she?
One can speculate on these ideas, probably others as well, and not really get anywhere. They’ve all contributed to modern attitudes towards sex. But beneath all the sexual innuendos of American entertainment, the social standards of acceptance based on sexual practices, and all of the Saturday night hoopla over who’s going to get laid first and how many beers it will take, there is a subtle current of those who look in the other direction. Imagine this – some people are actually happy without getting any.
You can reread that last sentence if you have to. That’s why it’s there.
Not all people consider it a priority to do push-ups the hard way every weekend. In fact, some consider it a priority not to. These people are celibates, and they’re not ashamed to admit it. They’re proud...
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...any man-made laws, there is a strong value in preserving one’s virginity until marriage. But again, in our country, adhering to these principles is a matter of choice. Most choose not to, and find many forms of sex to be part of our culture, and completely acceptable to engage in. Some do not view it as such. While the celibate may not make his virginal state well-known, the values that influence its holding remain true and steadfast in his life, regardless of cultural and social change. Celibates are often ridiculed for not following societal views or conforming to popular culture. Anyone can argue as to whether or not these aspects of life are acceptable, but next time you think of a celibate in a ridiculing manner, ask yourself if you would have the courage and the integrity of one. Then try ridiculing. It could prove much harder than getting someone in the sack.
Pepper Schwartz opens Why is Everyone Afraid of Sex? with "In spite of the visibility of sex in the media and popular culture, despite a widespread acceptance of a variety of sexual practices, Americans still hold a deep-rooted fear of sex." (252) Schwartz then goes on to explain the surprising, but obvious truth. American society portrays a sexual attitude, but is actually hiding a fear of the activity. Schwartz does a great job of showing both sides of this argument. She mentions how sex seems to no longer be a completely taboo thing within the media and society today. Within television, magazines, articles, movies, etc, sexual themes are all over the place. Another factor is that premarital sex is becoming more and more acceptable these
In the very first paragraph of the article it is stated that there are some who regard celibacy as "an idealized, angelic state" while conversely, on the other end of the spectrum, others believe that "celibate hatred of sex is hatred of women", but neither is totally true. "Cultural prejudice" would make it difficult for celibates, particularly the younger ones, to stay abstinent when "the value of their striving" is denied by society. "They are made to feel like fools, or worse". Although, when the prejudice and obstacles are overcome, the "monastic values [eventually] supersede the values of the culture outside the ministry" (Norris). Adding the point of view of non-celibates (as to say the general public) makes Norris' original message that much more impactful because then the reader is offered both sides, making it a persuasive argument. Showing readers an exchange of opposite ideas and impressions about the subject of celibate living, instead of just her own, makes her entire argument and overall message a reasonable and logical
The 19th-Century was a period in which the expression of sexuality and sexual compulsion was firmly repressed. Charles E. Rosenberg explores the typical behaviors of the sexes, and how they related to the expression, or repression, of sexuality in “Sexuality, Class and Role in 19th-Century America.” Medical and biological literature tended to adopt very sex-negative attitudes, condemning sexual desires and activity. This literature was often ambivalent and self-contradicting. Initially, people viewed sex as a normal human behavior: they believed sexual excess was bad, but thought it was natural and necessary after puberty because horniness left unsatisfied and untreated could cause disease. However, in the 1830s, the previous sex-neutral attitude was quickly replaced by a harsher, more negative view of sexuality. “Quacks,” or charlatans, tried to instill people with a crippling fear of sex by warning them of
Family pressure during the great depression was unlike any the U.S. has ever seen. Everything about families changed in the 1930s. Couples during the depression delayed marriage, and at the same time the divorce rates dropped because people could not afford to pay for two households. Birthrates also dropped and for the first time in American history below the replacement level. Income was closed to none in all families; regular income had dropped by 35% just in the years Hoover was in office. Families had a lot of stress; some pulled together and made do with what they had others pushed away. People turned to who ever they had, family, friends, and after all else the government. Although there were rich people in the depression as well that the depression did not effect at all who were oblivious to the people suffering around them. By Franklin Roosevelt’s inauguration the unemployment rate was up to 25% only increasing till the 1940s. Within families the role played changed as well. Women and children were now working to put bread on the table. Fathers would despise sons for becoming the main source of income for a family. Unemployed men had a deep lack of self respect. That often led them to running away from there families forever. Because many men ran out or stopped caring the women’s role was enhanced and became working women. Black women found it easier to find work a servants, clerks, textiles, workers, ect. Work made all women’s status go up in their homes. Most mi...
Sex in today’s world can be seen anywhere. It is on billboards, radio stations, personal books, school books, magazines, peers, movies, songs, and the most famous is televisions. Commercials use seductive images, sounds, and music grabbing the attention of the audience. Movies and television are proof of the sickness of sexual addiction in society. This disease spreads across the country, infecting the way people think and live their lives. Ultimately it is destroying society and what America holds to be morally correct. Two such sources of writing, “Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades” and Countering the Culture of Sex, give examples of what effect culture play in the way of living. Today’s culture pumps out messages of sexual immorality and the idea of sexual relations outside of marriage are fine. Sexual immorality can destroy families and create dysfunction in the sacred vows of marriage.
The depression was not just affecting white but blacks had things even harder. Black women who have been working much longer than white women now couldn't even find jobs. Black women dominated the field of domestic labor. Many worked in private households doing cooking, cleaning and other household duties. But many blacks weren't this lucky. They were discriminated from many relief programs.
The Depression Era was a period of major strife brought about by speculation and largely unregulated business practices. Almost everyone in the United States was affected, even many citizens of other countries around the world, but the working poor were disproportionately affected. Both Farmers and Workers experienced anti-union sentiment since before the turn of the century, and were subject to extremely hazardous working conditions, low wages, and in the case of farmers, many accumulated mass debt to decreasing prices of produce. While the Great Depression led to the unnecessary suffering of the working poor, it also led to many great successes by the work of the labor movement, which went on to benefit future generations and begin a legacy that continues today.
The 1930s brought the deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn of the Western industrial world (http://www.history.com). This economic downturn was known as ‘The Great Depression’ (http://www.history.com). The Great Depression in the United States soon began after the stock market crash of October 1929 (http://www.history.com). Consumer spending and investment dropped which caused a decline in industrial output and led to rising levels of unemployment (http://www.history.com). During this time period money was scarce. People did what they had to do in order to make their lives happy (http://wwwappskc.lonestar.edu). The Great Depression was hard on the economy which in turn affected how people lived their lives and spent their money.
Huge numbers of Americans had their lives upset by the Depression. Homelessness, poverty and despair characterized much of the nation in those days. Many of those who could not provide for their families, in larger cities as well as smaller towns, committed suicide to put an end to their troubles.
Since the dawn of man, sex has played a crucial role in society. Before they learned to read or write humans were engaging in sex and without it none of us would be here. In today’s society, sex has grown to become much more complicated. If I were to ask a group of people on the street what they believed sex was? I bet they would have a hard time answering. The question puzzling society today is how do we define sex? Can we define sex? These are questions raised in Tracy Steele’s article “Doing it: The Social Construction of S-E-X”. This article is about the current questions and issues that have been raised about sex within today’s society. In this paper I will summarize the key points of the article, while sharing my own thoughts and opinions of Steele’s findings.
In the documentary Abstinence Comes to Albuquerque, abstinence-only education stirred up a controversy. The controversy brought a variety of social and political issues out into the light. One social issue is the stigma associated with sexual behavior or sexual experience and a policy concern is that religion is influencing public policy. Even after a federally authorized Mathematica study exposed the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only education both Congressional Democrats and Republicans continued to fund these programs. The reasons behind this action includes fear of the topic of sex and not wanting to do anything that will upset their constituency, thus hurting their chances of reelection.
Poison flowing around us, slowly eating away at relationships, tearing apart marriages. Promiscuity is rising in today’s society. It is hurting many marriages and relationships as the rise of cheating on partner’s increases. Huxley’s dystopia shows how the rise of promiscuity may affect society in the future. As we are coming closer to this dystopia, promiscuity is hurting families, relationships and partners already in today’s society.
Looking at our past, there have been dramatic changes in the way humans view sex. Long before the 1900s individuals framed their views based on the religious institution. Due to the fact that they strongly centered their idea of sexual thought on religion, they believed that the only purpose of having sex was to procreate. As the 1920’s approached, there were various factors that changed the way individuals viewed sex. The “new women” known, as flappers were women who were confident in who they were. They changed their attire as well as their social attitude. In the 1920s, the flappers redefined sex; customs and traditions were broken and new norms were created by society.
American culture is very sexually oriented. Sex can be seen all over the media. Charles Krauthammer stated, "Sex oozes from every pore of the culture and there's not a kid in the world who can avoid it"(Bender).
When any thought of cynicism arises, it conjures an image of bitter thirty something divorcees, single alcoholic fathers, or disillusioned old maids. However, this disease is rampant now among "Gen X'ers", and it is certainly no surprise with the miasma of food, cars, money, drugs, and of course sex that assaults early twenties men and women with the frenetic pace of a moving el-train. Yet there is no better example of the reason for American youths cynicism than the meager choice of sex partners in the nineties. The problem is not quantity, but most definitely quality. Sexual partners, especially for women fall into three categories: the mechanical, the sensitive, and the "Oh (My God What Have I Done)." Note, however, that there is essentially no "good" category. Is this an oversight? What do you think?