Society and Sexuality

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You need to accept sexuality as a good and beautiful gift of God(dess) through nature. The cult, and many religions, condemn sex as if the action itself were a "sin." It is not; it is the way that nature and the Lovemind (God) designed us.

Can sex be harmful? Yes, certainly, for it can betray a heart or ruin a life if it is inappropriate, premature, or occurs at the wrong time or with the wrong person.

Can sex be dangerous? Yes, for it can be abusive, treating women, for example, as sexual objects, and de-personalizing them, ignoring their minds, souls, and beings as children of Love. Sex can be a "karmic explosive," and needs to be handled with Love and care.

Can sex be beautiful? You bet! In a context of Love and longterm commitment, sex can be the fabulous zenith of the best of all life -- Love. At its best, good sex is a gift of both God (Love) and Goddess nature).

We were meant to celebrate our sexuality, not to repress and suppress it, damning it as "dirty," "evil," or even "regrettable." Sexual activity, in a healthy person, is as natural as the blossoming of a rose in sunlight. It is as beautiful as a rainbow, sunset, crystal, or any other part of nature.

We cannot simply "follow nature," and live, sexually, like dogs, monkeys, or other creatures. For we are human beings, and we have been given the great gifts of selfcontrol, ethics, kindness, and morality-- which means "goodness." We can foresee the consequences of our activities, to some extent.

Sex can fill your life with nightmare or with refreshing Light and liberation. Recognizing the impulse as natural allows us to embrace the simple fact that sex, and the impulse for it, are good, not "bad," or "sinful."

Sex is like the energy of nature. Like fire, for example, it can be used to warm and give light, or it can burn down houses, hurt people, and create misery. We have an obligation of positive selfesteem not to use sex carelessly. We also have obligations towards each other not to "use" people for momentary gratification.

For sex is not like drinking delicious drink or eating wonderful food. It is a symbolic and complex activity that, for eons, has contained an implicit promise of a very special Love. If we are not willing to give that special, exclusive Love, we are better not indulging in "sex as recreation." For, as delightful to the senses as it can be, sex is never only a sensual experience. It is a promise that we make with our bodies.

That promise has two parts: Love and commitment.

The spiritual person's attitude towards sex is that it in itself is not shameful, guilt-producing, or evil. It becomes antiagapic (contrary to Love) only when it is inappropriate, when it hurts others.

We live by ahimsa, a vow that we make to ourselves never voluntarily to harm any other living creature. This "harm" is emotional, psychological, physical, or spiritual.

Sex is delicious, but it is not candy. it is not for children. It is not a way of passing a boring Sunday afternoon. It is a sacrament -- a very holy aspect of our lives. To have sex carelessly, with too many partners, is to cheapen it, to make it "common." At the other extreme, to avoid it like the plague is also to push us towards imbalance. The key is balance. We must prepare to have sex at the right time with the right person. Thus, it retains its specialness and holiness. For sex is the only holy or sacred activity in many lives.

So, when a sexual impulse arises, the healthiest response is to regard it as natural and normal. Avoid selfcondemnation; that is like damning yourself for feeling hungry, or sleepy. If, for a time, autoeroticism is the only way to relieve the pressures, this is much better than sleeping with the wrong person -- possibly ruining two or more lives! Approach sex with the same anticipation, and enjoy it with the same sense of celebration, that you would express when eating a delicious fruit, or tasting a wonderful drink after having been very thirsty.

It is long past time that we, as a society, reversed the damnation of sex itself as "regrettable" or "unfortunate." We need to remember how to celebrate it-- within a context of honor and mutual Love, not as a mere "plaything."

How did we get so off-track? In very ancient times, many cultures expressed their religions sexually. Celebrating sex was how they honored their gods. So, in the Hebrew Scriptures ("Old Testament"), Jehovah, the wargod of the Jews, sternly presented himself as antisexual. For he was afraid that a positive attitude towards sex would cause the ancient Israelis (he was the god of Israel; each country then had its own god) to stop worshiping him, and to betray him. He feared that "his chosen people" would worship other gods. And they did this all the time! For
almost any god or goddess was more fun to worship than the humorless, murderous, psychotic, and violent Jehovah!

That problem has long ago turned to dust. But we still carry the residue of this ghastly and false god in the subconscious mind. How does God view sex? How does Love view sex?

Love loves sex, when it is honorable and appropriate. That is, if it is regarded as sacred, and as the zenith of Lovexpression between two people, sex is clean, joyful, even transcendental. It is abundantly clear that nature (Goddess) wants us to engage in sex. So does Love (God).
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