The only limit that I would place upon enjoying regular sex is that it should be done in a manner to ensure the maximum safety of all partners involved, and that everybody involved should be consenting adults. Any occasions where people are being hurt or tortured for the sexual pleasure of the person inflicting the pain should not be allowed. If such pain is however induced for the pleasure and with the consent of everybody, I don't see why I should judge.
In terms of homosexuality and the other "perversions" mentioned above, I have also modified my views. Sex has more than one purpose. While one happy connection with the act can indeed be children, sex can also be driven by sheer physical need, or by a deeper emotional love resulting from spending a number of years with one (or even several) partner. I do not therefore see why it should be condemned when both partners are of the same gender.
b. Admittedly the above views are significantly different from the ones I've grown up with. A number of reasons could be given for this, I suppose, but mostly I was influenced by several societal factors. One of these is the paradigm of equality. If I believed in the equality of everybody, I certainly could not believe that homosexual people, cross dressers and other persons guilty of "perverted" behavior was any more perverted than I was with my teenaged desires spilling out of me and engulfing everything I'd ever been taught about sexuality.
While I was not as such influenced by my peers, I was influenced by the changes occurring in my own body. My developing sexuality put me in closer touch with the rest of society. What I was taught on an intellectual level took a secondary position to what I felt within my body. I no longer could believe that serving the needs of the body could not be a vehicle to higher spirituality.
Finally, my main influence was the attitude with which I was taught the above-mentioned rigid attitude. My parents to a lesser extent and my teachers to a greater extent all acted as if I should be ashamed of my body. This was not a feeling I enjoyed, and during my whole life I tried to pursue a more pleasurable state of affairs. Thus part of my enlightenment is the pursuit of personal...
By therefore making me aware of the "pain" of oppression, all my well meaning teachers drove me ever further away from their viewpoints and more towards my own.
Conclusion a. From the above it can be seen that there are two distinct viewpoints regarding sexuality. The one stems from the European and British pilgrims arriving in the United States during the 17th century, and holds that almost all sex is wrong. Sex is only acceptable within marriage and with a single partner for life. This is a patriarchal view often benefiting the white male without any consideration of women and their needs.
The contrasting view is very much more liberal, in that it allows nearly any kind of sex, as long as it does not harm any of the persons involved. Many of these viewpoints stem from the native races in the countries colonized by the British and the Europeans.
As for myself, I believe in enjoying life as much as possible. I therefore would not prevent or condemn anyone having sex in a way that he or she finds most acceptable and most satisfying. I feel this way even towards those who hold the same views as my parents and my teachers. If they are happy with their lives, I believe that people should be left alone. Being thus willing to accept others, I would wish them to accept me and my viewpoints as well and not try to impose their views upon me.
b. I believe the world is changing for the better, and that perhaps soon absurdities such as forbidding gay marriage would be a thing of the past. I would like to see greater open-mindedness in society with regard to sex. Many of my acquaintances struggle to get even the word "sex" past their lips without nearly dying of shame. This reaction was taught by our parents and our society. I believe it is my job to improve what I see as defects in the previous generation's way of doing and of living. I therefore believe that the power of change lies within every heart, and that willingness is its fuel.
Bibliography
D'Emilio, John & Freedman, Estelle. 1988.
Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America, San Francisco / New York: Harper & Row
Walker, Alice. 1990. The Color Purple. London: The Women's Press.
