On the one hand, sex is a taboo subject avoided during social
gatherings, yet it is also a huge aspect of our lives. But what is sex
exactly, and why do we have it? This article will look at the definition
of sex and how it has been interpreted throughout history in society
and the Catholic Church as well as sexual relations between people
of the same gender.
What makes you desire to have sex? Of course, the most common
response is based on sex's well-known reproductive function. We
crave sex because it is essential to our survival as a species. One
learns that children are born from sex and the stork narrative is just
a tale. However, the facts on the ground call this premise into
question. For starters, people continue to have sex after they stop
having children. Because they are no longer concerned about an
unintended pregnancy, their sex lives often improve.
Today's reasons for rolling in the hay seem to vary as much as the
terms for the deed itself, ranging from pleasure to procreation,
insecurity to inquisitiveness. According to a 2010 review of sex
motivation studies published in Sexuality & Culture, people now
offer "far more reasons for choosing to engage in sexual activity
than in former times." We're also doing it more frequently. It's a
sharp contrast to past norms, which stated that there were only
three sexual motives: making babies, feeling wonderful, or being in
love.
Some of the most commonly discovered motives for people to
engage in sexual activity nowadays are pleasure, stress alleviation,
exercise, sexual curiosity, or attraction to a person- all physical
factors. Goal-oriented reasons include the desire to have a child,
gain social standing (for example, by becoming popular), or exact
retribution. Emotional motives: Gratitude, love, or commitment
To increase self-esteem, prevent a partner from seeking sex
elsewhere, or feeling a sense of obligation or pressure (for
example, a partner insists on having sex). Other reasons for having
sex include:
• Mood enhancement and depression relief
• Feeling powerful
• Experiencing one's partner's power
• Feeling loved by your partner
• Fostering jealousy
• Desire for attention
• Nurturance
• Peer pressure
• Revenge
• Curiosity about sexual matters
• Spiritual enlightenment
Sex in Ancient times
The history of human sexuality, in reality, is far more exciting andcolorful. Many popular assumptions about our medieval forefathers'
sexual experiences are based on the incorrect assumption that they
lived in an age of religious extremism and medical ignorance. While
Christian values did have an impact on medieval attitudes about
sex, they were more nuanced than modern stereotypes assume.
Long before the sexual revolution, Christian beliefs mingled with
medieval medical theories to help form some startling and
sophisticated concepts about sex, as well as a vast array of varied
sexual behaviors.
In Ancient Rome
The citizen's obligation to manage his body di lui was important to the
concept of male sexuality in the Roman Republic. The word
"Manliness" was considered a synonym for "virtue" (virtus, from vir,
"man"). Pudicitia, a sort of sexual integrity that highlighted their
attractiveness and self-control, was the corresponding virtue for
female citizens of good social status. Within marriage, female
sexuality was encouraged. A "genuine man" in Roman patriarchal
culture was expected to rule himself and others wisely, and not to
succumb to others' use or pleasure. As long as he played the
penetrative or dominating role, same-sex acts were not seen as
weakening Roman's manhood. Male partners who were acceptable
were social outcasts such as prostitutes, entertainers, and slaves.
However, sex with freeborn male minors was formally banned As a
result, "homosexual" and "heterosexual" were not the primary
dichotomies in Roman sexual thought, and no Latin terminology for
these concepts exists.
In Roman literature and art, there are many depictions of open
sexuality. The fascinum, or phallic charm, was a common ornament.
The wall paintings preserved at Pompeii and Herculaneum
represent a wide range of sexual positions and settings. The
Augustan poet Ovid's humorously advised both men and women on
how to seduce and delight lovers in his collection of poems, The Art
of Love. Thinkers like Lucretius and Seneca created elaborate
theories of human sexuality based on Greek philosophy. Gender
identity, adultery, incest, and rape are all common themes in Greek
mythology.
According to Cicero, the desire to reproduce (libido) was "the
seedbed of the republic," as it was the catalyst for the first kind of
social institution, marriage, which in turn gave rise to the family,
which the Romans considered as the foundation of civilization.
Adultery and sex offenses (stuprum) were both punishable under
Roman law. Adultery was only committed by a Roman husband
when his sexual companion di lui was a married lady.
glamorous, and entertainers of any gender were considered to be
sexually available.
The Origins of Sex
Many ancient civilizations around the world engaged in a variety of
adult sexual practices. Sacred sex, incestuous relationships,
homosexuality, prostitution, and even bestiality were among the
activities. As society became more religious, frowning on non-
monogamy and other sexualities (as well as the effect of religion on
society), many elements of these civilizations began to adapt or
evolve their views on sexuality into what we know today:
heterosexual marriage; monogamy, and etc.
But if we have to examine when the practice of sex first started we'll
have to go back to billions of years to the bacteria. From a scientific
standpoint, the word sex is all too often connected with
reproduction, with sexual intercourse leading to childbirth.
When we consider the evolution of life, we can see that sex is the
formation of a genetically new individual. Sex is a genetic mixing
process in mammals that has nothing to do with reproduction as we
know it. Many species have provided and exchanged genes
sexually throughout evolutionary history, but this sex has never
resulted in cell copying known as reproduction. Although the
contribution of DNA from more than one parent is frequently used to
reproduce extra living creatures, most organisms still separate sex
from development and reproduction, which are performed through
nonsexual mechanisms.
Sex is not a single, but a diverse and widespread process that has
evolved at least multiple times.
Sex in Medieval Times
It's hard to believe that just a few centuries ago, the most natural
act of human love was perceived so differently. Sex has changed
dramatically from a cultural standpoint as well. Things were quite
different in Europe throughout the Medieval period, which lasted
from the 5th to the 15th centuries.
There were certain do's and don'ts, regulations, and etiquettes that
could be amusing today. Here are 10 weird facts about sex in
Medieval Times:
1. The only legal sexual position was the missionary.
The missionary was the only sexual position sanctioned by the
Catholic Church. They believed that the missionary was the only
way to go since other positions may confound gender norms or
accentuate the enjoyable parts of the act since sex was solely seen
as a means of reproduction.
2.Sex before marriage was forbidden
Sex before marriage was absolutely prohibited. That's still the case
today for certain members of particular religions. However, if you
were detected having sex before being married, you would be
disemboweled and killed.
3. Animal parts and fabric were used to make condoms.
The use of a condom or anything that prevents the natural process
of ejaculation was considered a sin by the Church at the time, and it
is still considered a sin by the Church today. Historians have
discovered accounts of individuals using condoms back then as
well. Despite the fact that the goal was to deal with STDs. But,
those condoms weren't anything like they are now. Animal bladders,
intestines, and linen were used to make them. And, unlike now, they
were reused several times.
4. Sex wasn't meant to be enjoyable.
This is ludicrous, to say the least. In those days, sex was seen as a
necessary evil for the production of children. This meant that you
could have sex if you felt compelled to. You were not allowed to
enjoy yourself, and doing so just for the purpose of pleasure was
considered a sin.
5. To get your virginity back, you just had to pray.
Women were assessed based on their virginity. It was almost as if
virginity was a badge of pride. This is why many ladies were praying
for the rest of their life to get it back, even if it was taken after
marriage. Nothing altered physically, but from a theological
standpoint, women may achieve greater degrees of holiness if they
prayed for their virginity to be restored.
Same-Sex relations
From requiring all males to engage in same-sex relationships to
casual integration, through acceptance, to seeing the practice as a
minor sin, repressing it through law enforcement and judicial
mechanisms, and proscribing it under the penalty of death, societal
attitudes toward same-sex relationships have varied over time and
place.
A comprehensive collection of 42 pre-industrial cultures' historical
and anthropological records show that " Strong rejection of
homosexuality was recorded by 41 percent; it was tolerated or
disregarded by 21%, and no such idea was documented by 12%. In
a survey of 70 ethnographies, 59 percent said homosexuality was
nonexistent or rare in frequency, while 41 percent said it was
prevalent.
Sodomy was created as a violation of divine law or a crime against
nature in societies inspired by Abrahamic religions.
prohibition of anal intercourse between males predates Christian
theology. It was common in ancient Greece; Plato coined the term
"unnatural."
Many historical figures, such as Socrates, Lord Byron, Edward II,
and Hadrian, have had terms like gay or bisexual applied to them;
some scholars , such as Michel Foucault, have viewed this as
risking the anachronistic introduction of a contemporary
construction of sexuality foreign to their times, while others
disagree.
No one in antiquity or the Middle Ages experienced homosexuality
as an exclusive, permanent, or defining way of sexuality, according
to constructionist arguments. This argument has been refuted by
John Boswell, who cites Plato's ancient Greek writings, which depict
persons who are exclusively gay.
Sex and the Church
The Public
The history of sex, in the public imagination, is a simple one. For
centuries, the people of the Christian West were enslaved by sexual
repression, bound by an overwhelming fear of sin and a complete
lack of understanding of their own bodies. Those who did not meet
the high moral standards set by the church, state, and society were
shunned and punished.
With two new themes, Christianity reemphasized Jewish attitudes
about sexuality.First, there was the reiteration of the idea that
marriage is absolute and irreversible, as well as additional
instruction on divorce and an explanation of the rationale and
principles behind those laws Second, while marriage was
matrimony in Eden, the trajectory is pushed ahead in the New
Testament to the goal of no marriage in the new heavens and new
earth.
The New Testament is very clear about sexual relations rules. Paul
openly answers some of their inquiries concerning this in one of his
letters to the Corinthian church.
Paul is preaching into a situation where the church was slipping into
lust, with some members even using prostitutes (6:16), while others
preached a 'higher spirituality that incorrectly denied worldly
pleasures, including sex abstinence (7: 1). Paul writes to them to
explain the proper context for sex in marriage, as well as the
importance of couples continuing to have sex and giving each other
joy, while also encouraging them to practice celibacy.
Several other texts discuss sex or marriage. Before Adam's fall,
Augustine of Hippo believed that there was no lust in the sexual act
and that it was wholly subordinate to human reason.
Later theologians came to the same conclusion that sexual lust was
a product of original sin, but nearly all agreed that it was merely a
venial sin if done within the context of marriage and without
overwhelming lust.
Three reasons for marriage are identified in Reformed schools, as
exemplified by the Westminster Confession: mutual
encouragement, support, and pleasure; bearing offspring, and
avoiding lustful sin.
Many Christians today believe that there is no immorality in having
unrestricted marital intercourse. Some Christians will tend to limit
the conditions and degree to which sexual pleasure is morally licit,
such as in order to develop self-control and prevent sex from
becoming addictive, or as part of a fast.
The Clergy
Under the Clerical celibacy discipline within the Catholic Church,
only unmarried men can be ordained to the episcopate, priesthood,
and diaconate.
In today's Catholic Church, the rule of celibacy for priests has
opened a huge debate. And if the ordination of married men has
long been accepted by the Eastern Orthodox Church and within
Protestant congregations, it still has a long way to go until
welcomed by the Roman Catholic tradition. More and more people
today believe that priestly celibacy should be optional like it is in
other Christian churches. Even Pope Francis has indicated that he
is willing to consider married men being ordained, but only if the
proposal comes from national bishops' conferences.
However, until further actions are taken, Francis has stated that the
Catholic Church will continue to require priests to practice celibacy.
With the exception that if one makes a singular mistake and slips
into the 'sin' he shall be forgiven but if one is unable to observe
celibacy on multiple occasions he should return to the lay state,
especially if there's a child who has a right to a father.
Sex Before vs. Now
Humans are sexual by nature, and sexual activities have remained
mostly unchanged since the beginning of humanity. We were
hunters and gatherers throughout our evolutionary history, and we
had to be ready for anything. The history of sex is a mix of
psychology, anthropology, and biology, but it's primarily just a
fascinating story of how humans have evolved over time and what
behaviors people find attractive in others - which can vary from
generation to generation.
Sex Positions Then vs. Now
Modi or The Ways was a collection of engravings illustrating sixteen
different sexual positions. Consider it a Renaissance-era version of
The Joy of Sex.Marcantonio Raimondi, an engraver, published the
book, also known as The Sixteen Pleasures, in 1524 Raimondi's
vivid designs were inspired by a series of sexually privately owned
Giulio Romano paintings. The book received a lot of attention. It
resulted in the Catholic church's first pornography conviction.
Clement VII, the Pope, imprisoned Raimondi. The book was
destroyed in its entirety. Some of the positions that the book
included were: penetration side-by-side, cowgirl, reverse cowgirl,
missionary, standing missionary, full-frontal missionary, kneeling
missionary, and doggy style 'wheelbarrow' . Most of the positions
were variations of the missionary as it was the most popular
position back in the time. Today, those positions are also the main positions used during
intercourse. however, modern society has added a number of sex
positions and techniques that ancient people had no clue about.
Some of them are crab, cowboy, 69, victory, arch, and fusion.
Sex Between The Same Gender Then vs. Now
Since the dawn of civilization, homosexual men and gay sex have
existed.
Man-on-man intercourse, for example, was undoubtedly practiced
in ancient Rome, and evidence of same-sex actions being
described in ancient Greek plays has also been discovered.
However, physical connections between males have been the
target of political and societal criticism throughout more recent
sexual history. Over a thousand homosexual men were jailed in the
United Kingdom in the 1950s for merely having sex. The legislation
at the time said that intercourse between males was prohibited.
The change would come in the shape of the partial
decriminalization of homosexuality in the United Kingdom in 1967
when the law was changed to allow gay men to have sex without
fear of being imprisoned.
However, even after the change of law, their life hasn't been easy.
Until today, there are reports of members of the LGBTQ +
community being subjects of discrimination. A report, based on a
YouGov poll of over 5000 LGBT people, shows that anti-LGBT
abuse goes far beyond acts of hate and violence on our streets.
Many LGBT persons continue to face discrimination when
accessing public services and going about their daily lives, whether
at their neighborhood store, gym, school, or place of worship.
What can we do to stop it?
• Call out anti-LGBT internet harassment whenever you
encounter it. By letting them know you are an ally, you may
help individuals who are being targeted.
• If you see an anti-LGBT occurrence from employees or other
customers, notify the local business owner so that they can
address it. Make it clear that if they don't report cases of
homophobic, biphobic, or transphobic prejudice you encounter
while accessing public services like housing or social services
to the service provider or local council, they risk losing you and
other clients.
• Take a public stance against hate crimes against LGBT
people. Encourage your relatives, friends, and coworkers to
join the campaign.
Sadly, there are several myths today regarding gay men's sex that
are circulating, which may be fostered by social homophobia and a
lack of sex education and understanding within the LGBTQ +
community. However, governments and organizations are trying to
fight such myths and rumors and educate their citizens.
Sex Workers Then vs. Now
Sex has evolved significantly throughout the course of human
history, and it varies according to the geographical area, gender,
religion, and social class. For many years, sex was seen as a
technique of reproduction, as we already established. It was only in
the last few decades that people began to view sex as a joyous
activity rather than a necessity for survival.
And even though the past and the present have many things in
different sex as a profession is something they share in common
Prostitution has been around since the dawn of time. Every major
city around the globe had a brothel, and these brothels have been
used for a variety of reasons including prostitution, medicine,
entertainment, and even sex education. A prostitute was a word
used to describe women who engaged in sexual activity with
citizens (particularly foreigners) in exchange for money or gifts. One
of the best examples of state sex laws was found in Rome's
brothels. The brothels had to adhere to a variety of regulations,
which has a lot in common with todays' regulations on sex workers.
Sex employment is a huge business these days, with a variety of
job titles available , including cam lady, anal whore, and anything
else comes to mind!
Change of Gender Then vs. Now
In the history of sex, there is a movement in which people try to
change their sexual history. For example, transgender people
usually have sex reassignment surgery (SRS) so that they can live
with their true gender identity and be more comfortable with it. This
could include surgical procedures such as genital reconstruction or
hormone therapy and / or treatment of other psychological problems
related to lack of sex hormones.
Since ancient times, transgender persons (including non-binary and
third-gender individuals) have existed in societies all over the world.
The phrases "transgender," "gender," "gender identity," and "gender
role" first became popular in the 1950s and 1960s. As a result, there
are differing perspectives on how to classify historical records of
gender-variant persons and identities.
Procedures that assist people in transition to their self-identified
gender are known as Sex Reassignment Surgery or Gender
Affirmation (Confirmation). Options for gender-affirming surgery
include face surgery, top surgery, and bottom surgery. However,
modern gender reassignment surgery began only in the twentieth
century when full medical and surgical therapies for transsexualism
were accessible following fast developments in the fields of
endocrinology and plastic surgery following World War II. In 1952,
the Danish plastic surgeon Paul Fogh-Andersen pioneered the
contemporary age of sex reassignment surgery. Things started to
change in the United States in the late 1950s when several hundred
transsexuals were treated by Dr. Harry Benjamin, a sympathetic
endocrinologist who was the first to define gender dysphoria.
and many people have had them.
Humans are the only species who stigmatize certain sexual habits,
and sex continues to be a deeply controversial topic around the
globe. Although attitudes will eventually improve, sex will never be
free of stigma or shame unless we appreciate its origins and
transitions.