Very interesting post. I was just talking about "The DaVinci code" with a buddy yesterday.

Sex is very powerful and can be scary, as it can heal but it can hurt, if useed improperly.

When the active male principle runs amok, without the sheltering care it should offer, then it can be problematic. I can't speak on matriarchy, as we have no had one for time out of mind. My historian friends say we never had one, but we have had (and still do have ) matrifocal cultures. Part of the male principle is order and structure, it just gets out of wack. Without compassion...ughhh.

I do not think we are a Xian nation, with real Xian morality, as we frequently leave "the least of these" to their own devices. I see a lot of pseudo-Xianity being promoted to justify selfishness. I often find myself defending the rights of the non-religious to the so-called moral majority, whom are often doing lots of things that would turn my hair white.
Sex tends to be the smokescreen that obscures the real issues and problems that need to be addressed in a society. Those anti-sex practrices which are now laws, exist. But we get around them.

America exists as an economic opportunity organism, not a loving one. There is not time to learn about much sex (or other life issues) if one is too busy working and consuming.

Often, many people don't read the Constitution closely enough to understand it, nor do they know what "civil religion" is. So they get all worked up and lather about the foundations of this country, but don't know what they are speaking of.
"Render unto Caesar" is not just about taxes.

As for repression, I think that a tinge of repression may be good, as it relates to personal self-control, I may need "repress" a bit, so that I dont go out and disrespect my master with another man, for example. For others, that may not be useful and/or wise.
I do support the rights of others to live in ways that I may not, even if it is 'distateful' to me. I have my own house to keep tidy, I can't do it if I am too busy pointing out what others are doing Just moving past value judgements and going into accepting people as they stand.

It is always up to the individual on how they function in society. Laws should be set for the common good, but men tend to set the laws, it is a male-directed issue on what is really being legislated. Is adultery the violation of the loving sacred space between 2 ppl whom vowed to share only certain things with each other? Or is it simply an affront to the husband's property?

I have the right to do all sorts of things but in a secular state, I want for others to make those decisions as well.

For me, sex is an important part of life, however... one day when I am old, my hip replacement will not allow me to keep my knees up by my head during sex. So am I worthless or still valuable?

I am only confused by the worship-of-youth culture and selfishness that has been tied to sex. Very unholistic.

Thank you for some additional daily brain food.

-pc

Firstly, thank you for engaging in a dialog... I know I've touched more than a few hot buttons for people.

I did want to clarify my thoughts a bit. When I mentioned repression, I was referring to externally, legally imposed restrictions on self-expression. I think responsibility and self-restraint are important and overlooked, and I am in favor of protecting individual rights.

As a side note, I'm also in favor of reducing or doing away with punishment for consensual activity between legal adults... and so-called victimless crimes.

I dunno. Maybe I need to start another blog to talk about these things. I've got a lot on my mind.

I agree that we are not an Xtian nation in name, but in practice. I think there is a long way to go before we're really multi-cultural, or at the very least, live-and-let-live. I would be very happy with live-and-let-live. I do not want people to try to convert me to another philosophy. Nor do I want people offended that I disagree.

I also agree with your point about America being largely driven by economic opportunity. If there is one thing America has consistently represented in the international community, it has been that.

Thanks for being willing to talk.

Personally I don't know why America has such a hang up on naked bodies and sex. People over seas are much more open about their sexuality and do not see the taboo of body un-clothed. Being Pagan, I am much more exposed to other lifestlyes and different ways of practicing my religion...most of the time convential religions disagree with the way my religion is practiced. As a former college student I am thankful that going to college exposed me to many different people and cultures, otherwise I would be completely in the dark about how the world cultures differ. My Mother is the type that believes porn is wrong and the only way to have sex is missionary style...she has a hard time dealing with my openedness about sex and life in general with my children ~ but the more something is considered wrong, the more you want to try it.

I have never had the pleasure of viewing Deep Throat, and I would also love to see the documentary as well. I guess now would be a bad time to say I'm going to Dragon*con in Atlanta in the hopes of getting Traci Lords autograph...and that is because of her porn days ~ not what she has done since!

Ahhh...live and let live.. what a dream.

I do understand what you meant by repression-I was addressing both the inner and outer.

when I think about moral strictures, I see religions are codifying some some natural behavior; I can't prove it, but I think that men become protective/restrictive of the female that bears the offspring or is "loved'. We don't need a law to reach the sort of behavior that comes from that.

Keep pushing buttons...if not you, who then???

God (the one in the Old Testament, who appeared as a female on earth, a female named "Shekhinah.") said to Rabbi Hillel (who was one of Jesus's no-doubt-pissed-off Yeshivah (Rabbinical School) teachers):

"Lesson One: You must be true to yourself.

Lesson Two: You must love yourself.

Lesson Three: Love is precious. Do not abuse the name of love.

Lesson Four: Self-respect is necessary to enlightenment, to spirituality, and, indeed, to humanity.

Lesson Five: If not NOW... WHEN?"

I learned this at Hebrew School. It's in the Talmud. It's also in the Satanic Bible of Szandor LaVey, but most LaVey's started out Levy's or Levi's, especially Eastern Europeans who changed their names to LaVey over here. My wildly-based-upon-surmise conclusion?

LaVey, many of whose ideas filtered through the Wiccan and Pagan texts,

largely in order to replace Armanenorden, Thule Gesellschaft, and Germanenorden (i.e., protoNazi) elements

fed into the Wiccan and Pagan religions by MacGregor Mathers, one of the main figures of the British Merrie Olde England movement and the 19th-20th century English-language-speaking Pagan Revival movement,

was doing an awful lot to use his Hebrew School education to his advantage,

even distilling the many-goddesses in the protoNazi movements and true, preChristian paganisms, into

Shekhina, that mysterious God-presence on Earth, who, incidentally, is the Mighty Hand and Outstretched Arm that delivered the Ten Plagues to Egypt, but is

also the gentle and loving being who sheltered Moses, his sister Miriam, their mother Yocheved, and the People of the Book, from annihilation. Also, Pharaoh's Daughter was, in most companion stories to the text, rewarded for her wise sheltering of Moses and activism on behalf of his people.

One of the books I have on my shelf to read is "Satan Speaks" by Mr. LaVey. I don't know much of his work, only that something about the book spoke to me when I found it.

I'll also admit to not knowing huge amounts about the Bible. I knew enough once to pass my confimation exams to become a Lutheran in my teens... But I am quite lapsed.

But I admit to knowing of Shekhina, yet not much about Shekhina.

Sometimes I feel like everything I think I know about religion is wrong.

Oh, man... If I'd known you were raised Lutheran, I'd never have raised the dry, creaking carcass of Religious Education on your blog... high school goth parties with full-on self-mutilation aren't as self-abnegating as being a practicing Lutheran... Do you wanna know the two most famous devout Lutherans (granted they were Missouri Synod, but still...) this country has ever produced?

A) Edward (Eddie) "The Original Norman Bates/ Leatherface/ Francis 'Red Dragon' Dolarhyde" Gein, "The Plainfield Ghoul," who dug up and field-dressed his own mother, mummifying her labia and putting them in a candy dish with several other middle-aged heavyset females' corpses' labia (Read more about the man many refer to as "The Original Sick Fuck" in Harold Schechter's book, _Deranged_). He claimed he just wanted his pure, innocent mother to last forever, which was probably true, given that he had auditory hallucinations that would have been well-nigh impossible for a borderline retarded fellow such as himself to fake. Brrrrr! Kinda puts a little whipping the girlfriend every now and again in real, human perspective, as in, "Yeah, a little kink, whatever, that's your life. But Eddie? Uhm, I don't think his mamma signed up to be a dish of lips. THAT's a real sickness..."

B) John Emil "Family Annihilator" List, who shot his whole family including his own mom when his daughter started wanting to be an actress. This was a sure sign that she would continue to sin like when she played Ellie Mae in Lil' Abner at school. Also, he had lost his job and was borrowing heavily against the mortgage, but going to the train station faithfully every morning like some lost Japanese salaryman cause he couldn't face Mama and (second)Wifey (who were honestly quite sweet and mild-mannered, even according to their enemies)... Either way, he was caught when he started going to church again, as the FBI profiler said he would... I forget the title, but the major book on the List Murders is by Joe Sharkey, whose name is awesome in itself... That Lutheran guilt! I'll take Jewish Mom anytime over Lutheran Jesus...

No offense...(although, obviously, since I've just said that, I've just said something highly-offensive...)

Anyhow, just thought

Blessedly, the church I went to was somewhat liberal and belonged to the Lutheran Church of America, which I think was a bridging or unification of the two synods... However I don't think one could learn the theology without feeling some issues.

One of the particulars I remember was "We are saved by grace through faith." In other words, you better believe if you want a chance, but God will decide in the end. That was spun in lots of ways, what with God loving me so much he sent Jesus to die in my place. But the message is, nothing I do is good enough, it's still God's game.

And let's not forget Original Sin. I need to be baptised into the family of God because simply by being born, being a descendant of Adam, I am sinful.

And I'll never forget the sermon on the day my nephew was batised. It was about sex. Specifically, do not have spiritually unclean sex. Do not defile your body by having sex outside of marriage or for reasons other than reproduction.

I can't tell you how surprised I was that I didn't burst into flames, be it from anger or from the wrath of God.