Human sexuality - 19

• condemnation of incest
• women seen as property of men
• men free to have multiple sexual partners
• prostitution fairly wide spread

• 1) law/rules
• 2) primary function is procreation
• 3) Talmud has recommendations for how much sex
• 4) Song of Solomon
• 5) Gender imbalance was less than in other cultures

• Majority View (positive view)
• 1. Celebration of human body
• 2. variety of sexual behavior
• 3. clear gender imbalance

• Minority View (Dualism)
• 1. Mild version-Plato
• a) Sacred/platonic love vs. profane love- profane love isnt evil but sacred love is better
• 2. Harsher Version-Pathagaras
• a) sexual intimacy has a weakening effect

Down with divorce

sin is not just what you do, but your hearts and thoughts

showed extreme compassion

• 1) Gift of celibacy
• 2) if you can stay single-do it for the sake of simplicity of life. urgency of the return of christ.
• 3) relationships between men and women

• Sexual passion might override reason
• Sexual Negativism
• 1) equated sexual pleasure with lust no matter what the context
• 2) best lifestyle is singleness and celibacy
• 3) next best was marriage w/sex simply for procreation
• 4) being married and enjoying sex was a venial sin
• 5) adultery was a mortal sin
• 6) contempt for sexual anatomy led him to believe that part of miracle of Christ was that he never came in contact with his mother's genitals

No more elevation of singleness and celibacy

Framed marital sexuality positively

• Sex Negativism
• There's a stereotype but there's a reality
• 1)sexual intimacy should be saved for marriage
• 2) marry young and have lots of sex
• 3) dressed modestly because the human form and sexuality were highly valued

• 1)Minimized sexuality
• 2) any sexuality not directly related to procreation was wrong (esp masturbation)
• 3)pornography and prostitution ran rampant