Posted on 03/22/2008 3:49:17 PM PDT by Terriergal
Demand for an Afrikaans sex magazine that targets married, Christian women and shatters prissy Calvinistic stereotypes has increased so much that an English version will hit the shelves next month.
The launch edition of Intimacy - which features lap-dancing, submission and a tricky question about parental sex on the cover - follows a 300 percent growth in demand for Intiem magazine, which was launched in 2006.
“We strive to empower Christian women not to feel guilty for enjoying this God-given pleasure which is sex, but rather to embrace it,” said managing editor Liezel van der Merwe.
Writing on sex from a Christian perspective had been a difficult challenge, with sex and religion both highly sensitive topics and few guidelines in the Bible, said Van der Merwe.
“You won’t find any information on, say, masturbation, oral sex or how to spice up your sex life in the Bible. So the only thing one can do is to take the general guidelines that were given to us and apply it to the best of our knowledge and with guidance from the Holy Spirit.”
Readers reacted positively from the start despite the team having braced itself for criticism from religious sources. Some of the most loyal readers were ministers, sexologists and conservative readers and more than a third were men.
An online sex shop (www.intiem.co.za) had also been very successful. Each magazine issue also offered a choice of “mild to hot” toys to spice up readers’ sex lives, which are encouraged for use with partners.
“Sex shops are not women-friendly places and lots of women still see them as sleazy and ‘dark’. We aimed to provide a friendly place from where women could order toys without having to pluck up the courage to visit one of these places,” Van der Merwe said.
The quarterly Afrikaans version, which has a 30 000 distribution run and a LSM 8-10 readership, will be translated and adapted for English-speakers to appeal to a multicultural audience. The original target market’s readiness for a controversial, niche publication had been underestimated, she said
“While we believed that it was only Afrikaans women from a Calvinistic upbringing who had a need for a magazine which speaks openly and freely about sex, we soon came to realise that this was not the case. This was the obvious next step.”
The magazines were not Christian publications, but written from a Christian perspective, she clarified.
This meant monogamy was endorsed and marital affairs condemned. And while experiments with oral sex might be encouraged, no articles written for gay couples would ever be found.
Readers were left to choose what they felt comfortable with, from their religious perspectives, in the covering of topics such as submission in marriage.
“We believe that if a sex act stays within a marriage, is shared by only husband and wife, and both of them are comfortable with and enthusiastic about doing whatever they are doing, it can only be beneficial to the marriage.
“And this is what God wants for us.”
Thread.
Useless.
Pics.
Clearly you need to re-read Song of Solomon. Pretty toe-curling.
Thread.
Sinful.
With Pics.
:)
Sinful.
With Pics.
:)
Sin lies only in hurting other people unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense. (Hurting yourself is not sinful -- just stupid).
Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love, 1973
I don’t think the best strategy for a Christian is to look toward science fiction writers for their theology. If we all did that, we might have to become Scientologists!
It has been rumored, but is probably not true, that Scientology was created on a bet between Hubbard and Heinlein. It seems out of character for Heinlein, if not Hubbard.
But wisdom can come from many sources. Have you studied any of the Native American Coyote stories?
L
You wrote:
“Have you studied any of the Native American Coyote stories?”
No. I have never seen any convincing evidence to believe there is much to learn from American Indians today.
Have you ever looked?
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.Shunryo Suzuki-Roshi
Shunryo Suzuki-Roshi
Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
-The Great I Am
So long as it is happening within the bounds of a heterosexual marriage, what two people do to and for each other is their business.
One can be a Christian without being a frigid prude.
You wrote:
“Have you ever looked?”
Have I ever needed to?
V: Have I ever needed to?
Millitant ignorance placemarker.
Hear frigging hear...
One can be a Christian without being a frigid prude.
If God didn't want us to enjoy one another, he wouldn't have made it feel soooooo good.
L
You wrote:
“Millitant ignorance placemarker.”
When you guys can demonstrate that American Indians have achieved success at anything in the intellectual or spiritual realm that overshadows Christianity and Christendom you let me know. Until then I have no reason to believe they have much that is worthwhile other than casinos and I don’r gamble much.
Black Elk - who is so often touted for the book Black Elk Speaks - later became a Christian and even a catechist for more than 40 years. Gee, I wonder why?
“Militant ignorance placemarker.”
When you guys can demonstrate that American Indians have achieved success at anything in the intellectual or spiritual realm that overshadows Christianity and Christendom you let me know. Until then I have no reason to believe they have much that is worthwhile other than casinos and I don’r gamble much.
Thank you for demonstrating the validity of my comment.
Some of us seek knowledge for the sake of acquiring knowledge. Some of us don't. You appear to be in the latter group. While that may be comfortable for you, dismissing someone else's quest for knowledge appears to be not only ignorance, but militant ignorance.
Wallow in ignorance all you like, but what's the point of dragging the rest of us down with you?
Black Elk - who is so often touted for the book Black Elk Speaks - later became a Christian and even a catechist for more than 40 years. Gee, I wonder why?
I'd be interested in knowing, which appears to be the difference between us.
You wrote:
“Thank you for demonstrating the validity of my comment.”
Oh, no, sir or madam, thank you for demonstrating mine. You clearly could not come up with a single American Indian intellectual or spiritual achievement that overshadows Christianity and Christendom. NOT ONE. Zip. Zero. None.
“Some of us seek knowledge for the sake of acquiring knowledge. Some of us don’t. You appear to be in the latter group.”
Some of us recognize some bits of knowledge as having more worth than others. It’s called “discernment”. Those who lack discernment believe all bits of knowledge are of equal value. This same group of people are usually de facto supporters of lost causes, multi-culturalism and other outdated, out moded and empty leftist ideas.
“While that may be comfortable for you, dismissing someone else’s quest for knowledge appears to be not only ignorance, but militant ignorance.”
And your point makes no sense since I didn’t dismiss anyone else’s “quest for knowledge”. I asked why I - THAT’S ME - should want to know “coyote” stories from the American Indians. Three or four posts into this nonsense and I have yet to receive any type of affirmative case for their worth - which would just seem to prove that they don’t have much.
“Wallow in ignorance all you like, but what’s the point of dragging the rest of us down with you?”
I have never wallowed in ignorance, but I expect a certain discipline to my studies. I have five university degrees. I see no reason to study “coyote” stories. Can you provide a single reason that is worthwhile why I should? No, apparently not. Also, I have spoken for myself, and have not tried to drag any of you down anywhere. Your latent paranoia seems to have gotten the better of you. Snap out of it and come back to reality.
“I’d be interested in knowing, which appears to be the difference between us.”
Not at all. I already know. You don’t. That is the difference between us. Here’s a similarity between us: I can’t think of a single worthwhile reason to study “coyote” stories over other things and apparently you can’t either.
Thanks for proving my point twice over.
Belief gets in the way of learning.Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love, 1973
At least Heinlein left behind the leftism, nudism, open marriages and other radical ideals he espoused when young. So, there’s hope for you yet. Of course that won’t happen if you stay rooted in “coyote” stories which you can’t even seem to present a case for anyway.
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