True Love Waits, Chastity, Virginity and Christian Sex Sublimation

True Love Mates - Over the Rainbow

"Give me chastity and continency - but not yet!"

St. Augustine

Following the simplistic and feckless logic of the "Just Say No" movement church fathers across the country have taken an inordinate interest (1) in the sexuality of their teen charges in the form of a chastity movement, christened "True Love Waits." The organization asks teens to sign the following pledge(2):

A February 1996 rally was billed as "True Love Waits - Through the Roof." (3) The point of the event was to gather pledge cards signed by virgin teens, poke a hole in them and string them on a cable that would later be erected, hopefully through the roof. The irony of the gesture escaped organizers. Photographs of men fondling the cards and struggling to hoist the 350,000 pledges to an upright position illustrate the pitiful failure of sexual sublimation.

Crowds of teens joined together in song. The band DC Talk covered Nirvana's "All Apologies" changing the words, "everyone is gay," to "Jesus is the way." (4) Having abandoned all efforts to infuse their movement with any kind of original style the religious right contents itself ripping off the artistry of drug addicts and queers. With a logo that could more appropriately advertise monster truck rallies it's no wonder.

Virginity, chastity and celibacy have a long and disturbing history. According to Ute Ranke-Heinemann in "Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven," (5) these three virtues were part and parcel of the pre-Christian gnostic religion. Convinced that spirit was superior to matter the gnostics practiced rigorous asceticism and eschewed women, sex and all pleasures of the flesh. Christianity adopted the pagan idealization of virginity from the Gnostics.

The definition of the word chastity is "moral purity." Moral purity as a shared value is always suspect as outsiders are defined as those that lack or repudiate the cohesive values of the dominant group. Hence early Christianity deliniated itself from the Jews by worshipping virginity and attacking Jews as "'carnal,' 'lascivious,' and accursed.'" (6)

Moral, as well as racial purity, was an argument used against the Jews during Hitler's persecutions.(7) And today homosexuals, women and the poor are among the central recipients of pop moral indignation.

While encouraging teens to wait to have sexual intercourse is not in itself a bad idea, it does not necessarily protect teens from abuses (sexual or otherwise) nor prepare them for sexual relationships in the future. The fact that the chastity movement completely denies any kind of sexual expression is especially disturbing. The journal Ms. recounts the tale of the young virgin 'Tony' who keeps lust at bay by dropping to the floor and doing ten pushups. Again, the irony of this gesture is completely lost. (8)

(9)An alternative rejected by the religous right is to teach teens how to think on their own, establish basic media literacy and hone their abilities to think critically. Abstinence will not necessarily protect teens from date rape or sexual harrassment. It won't necessarily protect young virgin wives from marital rape, spousal abuse or disease. But ignorance about these issues will ensure vulnerability, shame and in some cases, death.

The online pamphlet, "Just Say Yes," (10) is an alternative sponsored by the Coalition for Positive Sexuality. It's mission states, "'Just Say Yes' is about having a positive attitude towards sexuality -- gay, straight or bisexual. It's about saying 'yes' to sex you do want, and 'no' to sex you don't. It says there's nothing wrong with you if you decide to have sex, and nothing wrong with you if you decide not to.

"You have the right to make your own choices, and to have people respect them."

In the spirit of hellraising PostFundamentalist Press offer the links at the end of this document and the following (lemon fresh) pledge card for you to complete.

NOTES:
1. Black Collar Crimes, the church wants to recruit YOUR children!
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2. Ms., March/April 1997, "The Cult of Virginity," by Erica Werner, pages 40 - 43.
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3. Ibid., p. 40.
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4. Angry Thoreauan, Issue #18, December 1996, "If Jesus is Coming...We'll Get Him Again!" by Reverend Randall Tin-ear. Issues are available at Tower Records.
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5. "Eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven: Women, Sexuality, and the Catholic Church," by Uta Ranke-Heinemann, 1990 Penguin Books.
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6. Ibid., p. 59.
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7. Excerpted from, Freethinkers,

"The Government, being resolved to undertake the political and moral purification of our public life, are creating and securing the conditions necessary for a really profound revival of religious life."

-Adolf Hitler,
in his speech to the Reichstag on 23 March 1933

"With satanic joy in his face, the black-haired Jewish youth lurks in wait for the unsuspecting girl whom he defiles with his blood, thus stealing her from her people."

-Adolf Hitler (Mein Kampf)

Only Tom Waits!
© PostFun 1997 All Rights Reserved