catholicsphere

It is no secret that society is obsessed with sex. And, it is also no secret that the general opinion of society is that the Church does not want anyone to have sex — except for making babies — let alone enjoy it.

Let’s Talk About Sex
So, with that in mind, I thought that it might be prudent to talk a bit about sex. Everywhere you look and listen — television, billboards, magazines, radio, music and movies — you see sex being used for nearly every purpose under the sun. People want the right to it, and to have it, wherever, and with whomever, they choose. They will buy things that make them think about it, or, potentially better at it. They want to be protected while having it. And, they want to enjoy it.

But, if you take a closer look around, you will see how apparently unsatisfying sex is for most people. Look at the rags at the checkout. A Google search reveals the advice out there on things to try to make sex satisfying. Even churches are beginning to open up in talking about sex and marriage. These are just a few examples that speak of potential problems in many sexual relationships — especially for sex drive in women.

Dwindling Drive, Unreal Expectations
An interesting study, the results of which were published early in 2006, found that use of oral contraceptives (’the pill’) could cause long-term problems with sex-drive in women. Given the high rate of contraceptive usage both in and out of marriage, this could be the reason for the seeming prevalence of unsatisfying sexual relationships, and why sessions at women’s conferences addressing problems with sexual desire are some of the most crowded.

However, the problem is not only with drive and desire. The culture has much to do with creating unrealistic expectations and portraits of what sex is “supposed to be”. And, those same rags at the checkout counter are also telling you that if you are not satisfied, it is just a matter of leaving your current partner/spouse and finding someone who will meet your needs (always spoken of as a “got to have it”).

But what about the kids?
In fact, our culture is so obsessed with sex that we are actually putting heavy sexual imagery into products aimed even at young girls — from the Bratz dolls to teen magazines and clothing. But, a recent study by the American Psychological Association found that this is actually harmful to girls. I’ve already written a bit about that earlier, but it merits being repeated — perhaps as often as possible until we understand the consequences of having sex and sexual imagery in our faces at every turn.

That is not to mention the effect that this is having on the boys and men in our society. The availability of online pornography, with it’s appearance of virtual anonymity, is snaring scores of men in the web of sexual addiction, deceit and abuse. Schoolgirls are cyber-bullied into stripping online. And, the abuses and crimes continue to rise in all sectors of society.

It makes one wonder whether all the sexual education in schools is helping or hurting.

Who’s responsible?
So is it really the Church that is responsible? Society has been doing its own thing. People have been ignoring anything the Church has to say about it.

I think its time that people start listening to what the Church has to say and get on the road to more satisfying sexual relationships and family life.

[tags]catholic, sex, marriage, love, sexuality, catholicsphere, church, relationship, family, education, addiction, abuse, society, doctrine, christian, faith, internet, pornography, children, news[/tags]