Religion, Sex and Vulgarity

[dizzydoll]

At what stage in society’s existence did sexual words and religious terms become commonly used to insult or offend others? And why? I’ve often wondered this, after all they are only words anyway, so why are these words most often chosen in swearing? Don’t get me wrong, I have no time for profanity, I’m just wondering about these connections.

It seems to me that many religious groups and other belief systems have sexual hang-ups, the evidence is in their teachings. I mean we were all born as a result of procreation, so why is it that some blurt out offensive sexual or religious terms [sometimes together] to be hostile to one another? What is the deeper psychology behind this?

Please keep comments clean.

[Lote-Tree]

At what stage in society’s existence did sexual words and religious terms become commonly used to insult or offend others?

Only Abrahamic religion suffers from this. They have very unhealthy obsession with Sex and women.

I think because men couldn't have babies they felt bit left out. So they invented a Male God so that they can feel bit superior than women ;-)

[The Atheist]

The use and foulness of them has come and gone over the centuries as well.

Blasphemy used to be the ultimate spoken sin, and at that stage, what we now see as foul language was fine. Nowadays, blasphemy is everywhere, but you still can't say the eff word on [US] TV.

Lote's largely right about religion being the cause of sexual terminology being obscene now. Almost all religions hate sex - it's hard to think about god when you're calling out his name in ecstasy.

[JuniperWoolf]

Maybe it's just because that's what seems to be the most shocking. If you get "SEX IS BAD" shoved down your throat since birth, your friend telling you that they just boinked your mom is probably going to have some kind of emotional effect.

As for why modern religions are so anti-sex, all I can say is that's not how things used to be. In pre-Christian Rome, they used to celebrate almost everything with an orgy (Saturnalia). I don't know why they decided to change things once they adopted Christianity, or why Christianity was so prudish in the first place. The whole sex=damnation thing is a relitively new idea.

[dizzydoll]

Its really quite strange, and perhaps I think so because my parents never spoke to me about sex or religion, for that matter. I learned all that from my friends. Even more strange, on more than one occasion male friends have told me about women who began reading the bible straight after lovemaking. This was upsetting for my friends as they cared deeply for some of those women. Once would be bad enough to hear of this guilt but as I stated before it happened more than once, and who knows how many times it occurred back then.

[The Atheist]

Even more strange, on more than one occasion male friends have told me about women who began reading the bible straight after lovemaking.

I would honestly have fallen out of bed laughing had that ever happened to me.

[dizzydoll]

I would honestly have fallen out of bed laughing had that ever happened to me.

Hello my friend. Not if you care for the women, surely you wouldnt do that. You would try to understand what makes her tick and help her get over it. There are other issues surrounding sex that women have hang-ups about, like shyness. I am shy sexually. Men dont seem to share these problems, altho I have been told of a few but its usually fear of performance in their case. Either way, it wouldn't surprise me to find its all connected to religion in some way.

[blazeofglory]

This is really a great issue and of course most of us were taught to be repulsed by sex. My parents were strict on sex and we were not even allowed to move with girls in my teens. Once a young girl proposed me and I could not make advances. For, we were taught that sex is a dangerous thing and indulging in acts of sex will lead to the fall of man morally and religiously. I tried to distance myself from girls, and talks about sex. But now I am no longer living with parents and enjoy independence both economically and intellectually. Now I will not feel guilty about. It is a natural thing. Yet having an outside matrimonial relationship is a matter that calls for great concerns. Sex, religions and vulgarity are totally mutually exclusive things. There is no link at all. Sex is a biological and emotional need, religion is a faith only and vulgarity is our attitude. Of course we must learn to enjoy sex guiltlessly and no need to read the Bible after lovemaking at all out of guilt. If you read the bible just out of any other impulses it is OK but when you do it out of guilt you need some tips on it, maybe some liberal minded scholars.

[The Atheist]

Hello my friend. Not if you care for the women, surely you wouldnt do that. You would try to understand what makes her tick and help her get over it.

Nah, I'd be ROFLing.

True!

I could never have a serious relationshipn with someone who reads the bible anyway. They'd be sick the first time I held a Black Mass.

There are other issues surrounding sex that women have hang-ups about, like shyness. I am shy sexually. Men dont seem to share these problems, altho I have been told of a few but its usually fear of performance in their case. Either way, it wouldn't surprise me to find its all connected to religion in some way.

Yes, performance anxiety is a big issue for some men, but I'm quite sure it has nothing to do with religion.

[dizzydoll]

{edit}

This is really a great issue and of course most of us were taught to be repulsed by sex. My parents were strict on sex and we were not even allowed to move with girls in my teens.

I have some idea how people from the East were raised. I am sure they consider people in the West to be very loose indeed. I would simply say the West broke away from 'old norms' and still many people from the East aspire to be like those in the West today. And vise verse. I give up.

I would say we came into this world the same way we came out. From the beginning our soul [which existed before birth] was connected to this single act of pleasure, but we have difficulties with it. I figure it has to be some kind a throwback conditioning to previous lives we will never know unless regressed to find out. From my point of view I am horrified by the open sexuality displayed by many of our youth today. Judgment aside, its clear I must change to accept, not them as they are our future.

And even on this site, I feel people read but are afraid or appalled by the topic to add their views.

[Katy North]

Don't forget the poop words!!

Errrmmm... my hypothesis for the reason why the religious types are so uptight about sex is that sex is a pretty powerful thing. We all have a drive to reproduce to propagate the species, etc etc, plus it just feels really good and is great entertainment, especially if there are no books or TVs to be found. By controlling sex, the church (note I said church, not god) found a way to control the universal means of procreation and entertainment among it's followers. What's more powerful than that?

A religion that's been around for two thousand years?? Hmmmm...

[blazeofglory]

{edit}



I have some idea how people from the East were raised. I am sure they consider people in the West to be very loose indeed. I would simply say the West broke away from 'old norms' and still many people from the East aspire to be like those in the West today. And vise verse. I give up.

I would say we came into this world the same way we came out. From the beginning our soul [which existed before birth] was connected to this single act of pleasure, but we have difficulties with it. I figure it has to be some kind a throwback conditioning to previous lives we will never know unless regressed to find out. From my point of view I am horrified by the open sexuality displayed by many of our youth today. Judgment aside, its clear I must change to accept, not them as they are our future.

And even on this site, I feel people read but are afraid or appalled by the topic to add their views.

I agree and of course in the east we have this feeling, in fact most think in our society that people in the east are too loose and have multiple relations. My own friends say that it is hard to get virginity in the west whereas it is something all the newly weds want in their spouses. However I differ. In fact a desire for mating is natural and in the east people are too much religiously bound whereas in the east they are open. But gradually the rift between both is disappearing. The reason is people are flocking westward in large masses from the east and they will assimilate or acculturate themselves. I am really happy to discuss this issue at great length here and of course some of the confusions with me will be clear

[dizzydoll]

This might seem a real stupid question Blaze but I would sooner trust you than some website. If a woman in your country chose to not bear children how would the community feel about that?

[Paulclem]

It's easy from our modern perspective to question the ethics of bygone times, but sexual prohibitions weren't just about repression. They were also about protection - particularly for women. Sex can mean pregnancy of course, and in the past that had great consequences for the girl - sometimes death.

Nowadays we have the luxury of contraception, and better medical care, we can be more easy going in our attitudes about sex and it's relationship to language in swear words and religion.

[Virgil]

It's easy from our modern perspective to question the ethics of bygone times, but sexual prohibitions weren't just about repression. They were also about protection - particularly for women. Sex can mean pregnancy of course, and in the past that had great consequences for the girl - sometimes death.

Nowadays we have the luxury of contraception, and better medical care, we can be more easy going in our attitudes about sex and it's relationship to language in swear words and religion.

I was going to say something along those lines. Absolutely. Sex = children, and that causes social problems if the mating pair is not of age and capable of supporting them.