Today’s Atheist Meme of the Day, from my Facebook page. Pass this on; or don’t; or edit it as you see fit; or make up your own. Enjoy!
Atheists feel transcendent wonder at the magnificence of life, as much as anyone. The idea that, out of earth and water and sunlight, living beings have evolved with the ability to experience consciousness and joy and connection, fills many of us with a deep sense of amazement and awe. Pass it on: if we say it enough times to enough people, it may get across.
I’m stretching the topic to make a point, so bear with me.
“Atheists feel transcendent wonder at the magnificence of life…[that] fills many of us with a deep sense of amazement and awe…”
Yet what is one of the big headlines today in the popular media?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/married-jonas-brother-say_b_401769.html
Married Jonas Brother Says Sex Not Worth the Wait
As to whether Mr. Jonas’ bride agreed with his “that’s it?” assessment, Mr. Jonas remarked, “That’s what she said.”
This is obviously a great example of why abstinence is a lousy way to prepare young people to be adults. Not feeling free to explore sexual feelings, they don’t develop a sense of what makes sex an important part of our lives. They don’t know how to “experience consciousness and joy and connection” that sex can bring two people because they have been convinced by those who believe that sex is sinful, that it is really “no big deal”. Not knowing what sex can be, they don’t know what to do to make it enjoyable. It is like giving a kid the keys to a cer without his/her ever having ridden in one.
Now that they have followed their imposed abstinent value until married, they have missed the mark with their initial experience. It now probably never will be an enriching experience, and these two will either cling to each other tightly within their restrictive religious beliefs and pretend that everything is wonderful to make up for the lack of a better connection, or one will discover what sex can be and leave the other behind, hurt and confused.
@ToppHogg: I think most people would probably say of their first sexual experience that it was a bit meh. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t go on to experience transcendent orgasms and meaningful connection, etc. etc. However, I do agree with you that the emphasis on claiming that sex is bad and dirty and debasing means that even people who follow the program and wait to have sex until they’re married are going to have trouble simply turning around, shedding the shame and being able to freely explore their sex lives as adults.