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A long way from Descartes
Jun. 25th, 2013 11:13 pmOne day, when I was a senior in college I ended up talking with an older, international student in the basement of the library. We talked about a range of things and I think that it was interesting to him to get the perspective of an American, but by the time I had to make it to my next class (or whatever it was I was going to) I was pretty creeped out, and I made sure I ducked into a building I really wasn't headed to so that this man wouldn't know where I was going.
The reason for my discomfort? In the course of the conversation, he, of course, was trying to ascertain my status. (I say "of course" because it's a very run-of-the-mill question in college.) The conversation went on, but he started to try to make the point that it was only with the experience of sex could one have any true "perspective" of the world. This wasn't some passing comment or throwaway line that he was parroting, but a sentiment that he seemed to be really stuck on.
Now, the sentiment itself is creepy enough, but probably the creepier part is that the insinuation seemed to be "Hey girl, why don't you leave the library with me and let me give you some "perspective" on the world." Of course, after relaying the story to some of my close friends, gaining "perspective" came to be a running joke among us.
As creepy as the whole encounter was, I can't necessarily say that this man was doing anything but repeating what secular morality would have people believe. In days past, Descartes reasoned, "I think, therefore I am," which, among other things, indicates the supremacy of reason in the human being. These days, that mantra seems to have been changed to "I have sex, therefore I am," which is a complete reversal of the supremacy of the intellect to the supremacy of emotion.
At least with Descartes', the premise is universal; even if we don't understand exactly what goes on in the minds of people who have had extensive brain injuries, for example, it's difficult to say that there is nothing going on there. However, with the latter premise, not only does it fail logically, as there is no "magic perspective" or "personhood" granted to one for having sex, it doesn't take into account that there are tons of people, such as children, who shouldn't be having sex.
The Biblical standard for sex is that it's something that is reserved for married couples. For as long as I can remember, popular culture has rebelled against this, characterizing it as prudish and unrealistic, while feeding us a constant diet of why it is "okay" for people to have sex whenever they want. After all, One doesn't even need to go into the moral implications, however, to understand that when sex is reserved for marriage, it brings both partners into an equality that merely "succumbing to the urge" cannot.
I sincerely believe that the promotion of all sorts of promiscuous sexual behavior is not just one way to try to mock Christian morality, but also is a means to make people slaves of their own passions. After all, a person who has been trained to "do what feels good" has hardly built up the sort of moral fortitude needed to forgo pleasure when times would call upon this individual to stick to logic to accomplish a "higher" mission.
The reason for my discomfort? In the course of the conversation, he, of course, was trying to ascertain my status. (I say "of course" because it's a very run-of-the-mill question in college.) The conversation went on, but he started to try to make the point that it was only with the experience of sex could one have any true "perspective" of the world. This wasn't some passing comment or throwaway line that he was parroting, but a sentiment that he seemed to be really stuck on.
Now, the sentiment itself is creepy enough, but probably the creepier part is that the insinuation seemed to be "Hey girl, why don't you leave the library with me and let me give you some "perspective" on the world." Of course, after relaying the story to some of my close friends, gaining "perspective" came to be a running joke among us.
As creepy as the whole encounter was, I can't necessarily say that this man was doing anything but repeating what secular morality would have people believe. In days past, Descartes reasoned, "I think, therefore I am," which, among other things, indicates the supremacy of reason in the human being. These days, that mantra seems to have been changed to "I have sex, therefore I am," which is a complete reversal of the supremacy of the intellect to the supremacy of emotion.
At least with Descartes', the premise is universal; even if we don't understand exactly what goes on in the minds of people who have had extensive brain injuries, for example, it's difficult to say that there is nothing going on there. However, with the latter premise, not only does it fail logically, as there is no "magic perspective" or "personhood" granted to one for having sex, it doesn't take into account that there are tons of people, such as children, who shouldn't be having sex.
The Biblical standard for sex is that it's something that is reserved for married couples. For as long as I can remember, popular culture has rebelled against this, characterizing it as prudish and unrealistic, while feeding us a constant diet of why it is "okay" for people to have sex whenever they want. After all, One doesn't even need to go into the moral implications, however, to understand that when sex is reserved for marriage, it brings both partners into an equality that merely "succumbing to the urge" cannot.
I sincerely believe that the promotion of all sorts of promiscuous sexual behavior is not just one way to try to mock Christian morality, but also is a means to make people slaves of their own passions. After all, a person who has been trained to "do what feels good" has hardly built up the sort of moral fortitude needed to forgo pleasure when times would call upon this individual to stick to logic to accomplish a "higher" mission.
