It's not just the Catholic Church, ALL true/U> Christians and Jews recognize that sex outside of wedlock is sinful and wrong.
Going without sex is freakish and unnatural.
Prior to a couple generations ago, waiting until marriage had been the norm (e.g. natural state) for six thousand years.
Sex is good. Sex is fun. We are going to do it.
So troll, at what age do you suggest children first engage in sexual intercourse?
We are guided by our instincts, tempered by our upbringing and our values. That said, sex is one of our most base instincts.
Yes, and YOUR SUGGESTION that we discard six thousand years of Judeo-Christian values is the problem.
And as for you, “miss marmelstein”, there are plenty of girls born WITHOUT a hymen, or it is broken by regular physical activity that has NOTHING to do with sex. You seem to share the attitude voiced by some in the more extremist Muslim countries.
Now troll, I realize that you've only been on FR for a few months (if this is your first time), but I've noticed that many trolls compare Christians to the Taliban, jihadists or something similar just before they are zotted.
This article was supposed to be about our attitudes regarding sex being shaped by the weirdo perverts in HollyWEIRD. How about you get back on topic instead of trying to ding me?
However, YOU share Hollywood's agenda.
This thread prompted me to do some research on virginity - which, as you say, has been a staple of most societies for at least 2 millenium. I was especially interested to read up on the Vestals - those powerful women of Rome who guarded the temple of Vesta. I’ve visited the remnents of that temple in the Roman Forum. Admirable women, who, if “I, Claudius” is to be believed, also guarded the wills of the Emperors.
Virginity was also believed (and perhaps rightly so) to be excellent for fertility. Fertility and the cult of virginity were very big in the ancient world.
The jews and others fought hard to domesticate people and create civilization and marriage was the bedrock of that.