Sex & God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality Read Online Free PDF

otherwise noted, all quotations from the Bible are from the New International Version (NIV).
    7 Some might call this psychological sublimation. That is, redirecting energy from a socially unacceptable urge or dangerous desire into something more socially acceptable and somewhat gratifying or rewarding. Without going into psychoanalytic theory, I think a cognitive-behavioral explanation is much simpler, and easier to understand as we see it working in the everyday world.
    8 From the website of City Bible Forum, Melbourne, Australia. Available online at http://melbournecbf.wordpress.com/2011/05/27/ffl-27-may-sex-can-anything-be-better/ .

CHAPTER 2:
YOU CAN TAKE RELIGION OUT OF SEX, BUT YOU CAN’T TAKE SEX OUT OF RELIGION
    Where do we get our sexual maps? Why is religion so interested in giving us the map? Why are sexual restrictions so important in the religious sexual map?
    “Of all the delights of this world man cares most for sexual intercourse. He will go any length for it-risk fortune, character, reputation, life itself. and what do you think he has done? He has left it out of his heaven! Prayer takes its place.”
    -Mark Twain, Notebook, 1906
Putting the “Fun” Back in “Fundamental”
    Religious sexual morality is fundamentally meaningless. Any instruction is largely negative. Where does the Koran instruct on the ethical way to have a fun and open sexual relationship? Where does the Bible teach a parent how to deal with a child’s sexually oriented questions? How many sermons have been preached on the multitude of ways to give a woman an orgasm? Is there a chapter in the Book of Mormon on oral sex for males and females? Of the dozens of Scientology books, which ones teach about the joys of sex toys in masturbation? Do any of these religious documents teach people how to relate to one another respectfully and equally as sexual beings?
    Sex is the weak spot of religion. What would happen if sexual restrictions were taken out of the equation? Can you imagine the Pope waking up one morning and saying, “Wow, I had the best wet dream last night. I think we will make masturbation legal in the Catholic Church.” Could the president of the Mormon Church receive a revelation that women are allowed up to three lovers? Such a revelation was given to Joseph Smith, allowing him all the wives he wanted. 9 And a similar revelation came to Mormon Church President Welford Woodruff in 1890, eliminating the practice of polygamy in the church. God gave him the revelation just in time for Utah to be admitted to the Union. 10 Imagine such homophobic ministers and leaders (who have all been caught engaging in suspect acts) as Ted Haggard, Bishop Eddie Long, Senator Larry Craig or George Rekers saying homosexuality should be accepted by the church.
    Let’s explore where we get our sexual ideas and preferences. Then we can better understand how religion plugs into the development of sexuality to its own advantage.
Our Limited Sexual Maps
    We inherit a map of sexuality from our culture and religion just as we inherit a map of the food we eat. Our food map is small compared to theglobal possibilities. Indeed, your food map is so limited that you might starve to death in the midst of plenty if you were transplanted to another time or place. How well would you fare if you were plunked down in the jungles of Brazil or the Kalahari desert in Africa? Local peoples survive, even thrive, but you would starve or get accidentally poisoned by eating the wrong food.
    In modern society, we have expanded our local food map with a variety of ethnic foods and spices unheard of by our ancestors. As a result, we have far more interesting and varied foods than any culture in history. Yet, even with these amazing changes, some religions still try to control food selection: Jews and Muslims condemn pork and classify foods as Kosher, hall (lawful) or harm (unlawful); Hindus condemn meat of any kind; some Buddhist traditions require a vegetarian diet, etc.