The dramatic erosion of marriage and the explosion of out-of-control sexuality are not without their devastating consequences. Many acute observers have noted this. In 1968 Will and Ariel Durant’s important book, The Lessons of History appeared. In it they said, “The sex drive in the young is a river of fire that must be banked and cooled by a hundred restraints if it is not to consume in chaos both the individual and the group.”
Although the sexual revolution took off in the mid-60s, other social commentators had made similar warnings earlier on. In 1956 Harvard sociologist Pitirim Sorokin put it this way:
“This sex revolution is as important as the most dramatic political or economic upheaval. It is changing the lives of men and women more radically than any other revolution of our time. . . . Any considerable change in marriage behavior, any increase in sexual promiscuity and sexual relations, is pregnant with momentous consequences. A sex revolution drastically affects the lives of millions, deeply disturbs the community, and decisively influences the future of society.”
And back in 1927, J.D. Unwin of Cambridge University made similar remarks: “The whole of human history does not contain a single instance of a group becoming civilised unless it has been completely monogamous, nor is there any example of a group retaining its culture after it has adopted less rigorous customs. Marriage as a life-long association has been an attendant circumstance of all human achievement, and its adoption has preceded all manifestations of social energy. . . . Indissoluble monogamy must be regarded as the mainspring of all social activity, a necessary condition of human development.”
But these warnings seem to have fallen on deaf ears, and our sexual decline is now in full flight. Consider four recent stories which appeared in the media within days of each other. Any one story alone reveals a culture in crisis, but taken together they show a West on a slide to sexual suicide.
The first concerns the 13-year-old English father who was just twelve when he conceived the child. He and his 15-year-old girlfriend are now parents, but seemingly clueless as to what all this entails. And now it turns out that there is a question as to who the real father actually is. Evidently two other young boys (14 and 16) are now claiming to be the father.
The second example of sexual insanity concerns two lesbians who successfully sued a Canberra IVF doctor for creating two babies instead of one. The case actually has three stages, one sane and two outrageous. In 2007 the lesbian pair sued the doctor, claiming they only wanted one child, and that two would damage their livelihood (even though their combined income is more than $100,000).
In July 2008 the ACT Supreme Court rejected their claim, but an appeals court last week reversed the decision, and ordered the doctor to pay the lesbians $317,000 in compensation. The lesbians said having two children damaged their relationship.
Then we have the case in America of an unemployed single woman who already had 6 children by IVF, but wanted more, and continued having the treatment. She has now just given birth to octuplets. The 33-year-old California woman is unrepentant. “This is my choice to be a single parent” she said.
It’s hard to know who is being more reckless and irresponsible, the woman or her IVF doctor. He recently implanted a 49-year-old woman with seven embryos, who is now pregnant with quadruplets. One can understand those in the IVF industry simply happy to make money, regardless of the consequences, but ask any normal family, and they will tell you that even one child can be a handful for a mum and a dad. But 14 kids for single mum?
Our last story is closer to home. This one involves the growing trend of rental agreements in Sydney involving sex instead of rent money. It seems that some men are taking advantage of the rental crisis by placing online ads which offer women free rooms in exchange for sex.
The Sunday Telegraph explains, “The zero-rent ads, targeting desperate women looking for somewhere to live, are becoming increasingly common on popular ‘share house’ rental websites. Although there have been numerous complaints about the ads, which some website users have dubbed ‘offensive’, they do not breach policy guidelines for sites such as flatmates com.au”
One ad, for a Melbourne townhouse, offered “free rent for someone special: instead of rent, I am looking for someone to help me with certain needs/requirements on a regular basis”.
Specific commentary on these four stories should not be necessary. They pretty much speak for themselves. And they indicate a culture which is losing its way big time, and has lost all bearings concerning things sexual or things moral.
The sad thing is, our wiser, saner and more moral forebears had provided plenty of warning about these things, as already noted. But we have chosen to ignore such warnings, and now each passing day seems to bring out another horror story of sexual insanity.
Indeed, as G.K. Chesterton wrote a century ago, “A society that claims to be civilized and yet allows the sex instinct free-play is inoculating itself with a virus of corruption which sooner or later will destroy it. It is only a question of time.” He is worth quoting at length:
“What had happened to the human imagination, as a whole, was that the whole world was coloured by dangerous and rapidly deteriorating passions; by natural passions becoming unnatural passions. Thus the effect of treating sex as only one innocent natural thing was that every other innocent natural thing became soaked and sodden with sex. For sex cannot be admitted to a mere equality among elementary emotions or experiences like eating and sleeping. The moment sex ceases to be a servant it becomes a tyrant. There is something dangerous and disproportionate in its place in human nature, for whatever reason; and it does really need a special purification and dedication. The modern talk about sex being free like any other sense, about the body being beautiful like any tree or flower, is either a description of the Garden of Eden or a piece of thoroughly bad psychology, of which the world grew weary two thousand years ago.”
We are today witnessing the bitter fruit of allowing sex to become a tyrant. Each day new headlines testify to the fact that when we abuse the wonderful gift of sex, we abuse ourselves and our neighbours. The question is, how much more abuse can we take as a culture before society can no longer function or continue. One suspects that we should find this out quite soon.
Thankyou, Bill. It is a huge service you provide to find and present wise comments from the past, lessons from history.
On the 13 year old, who wanted to keep the child and not abort, there may be a commentary on how warped our society is not merely from those who would have no issue with a 12 year old dad, but also from the nature of some of the outrage. Those who are against this fatherhood because it looks bad and who at the same time think that the answer is today’s sex ed / contraception / abortion, are part of the problem, and evidence of the problem.
Michael Casanova
I could see this sexual revolution coming many, many years ago. The small “l” liberals used gradualism, through the media to change attitudes. This was inflicted on the masses, not by explicit and extreme pornography, which was an addiction for a minority, but slowing through some magazines, which initially offered soft opinions, which could be described as gently permissive. This increased very slowly in intensity, until about 30 years later, their philosophy had grown like a slow cancer, to the stage that we had articles in so-called “respectable” magazines treating abortion and co-habitation as the norm. Nowadays, these trendies feel quite comfortable in ridiculing anyone, who offers an alternate view. Many Church leaders, who should have been at the forefront of the fight, feared this ridicule and would often hide under the bed, rather than come out on some sexual related controversy. Then, in an effort to prove their manhood, they would emerge, supporting the latest left wing fad, knowing this behaviour would grant them immunity from criticism from the media and of course, make them feel they had done something brave for society. Just as well for us that the early Christians didn’t show such cowardice.
Frank Bellet, Petrie Qld
It is sad that the news media is so often filled with stories such as the above. It is really a clear indicator of what happens when moral values are no longer valued. I have heard many people say how abortion in this case would be entirely suitable for this girl because she is unprepared for motherhood. Pro-abortionists will certainly latch on to this case as a good reason for abortion. But this is really beside the point, and abortion is still murder.
Also, thanks for writing on this topic – it gives good reasons as to why Christian guys like myself should heed 2 Timothy 2:22: “Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart”. (KJV)
Thank you for your ministry. It is encouraging to know there are solid Christians out there who think Biblically in all areas of life. Keep up the good work.
I came across the following quotes by the mum who gave birth to the octuplets by IVF:
“I’m not going to destroy the embryos, period. Done, done, done,” Nadya Suleman told her mother Angela … “They were lives,” her daughter said. “… You either use them or destroy them.”
It would seem that rather than wanting to create new babies after the first six, further babies had already been created (fertilised) and so had to be implanted or killed.
The lady, of course, had put herself into this unenviable position by making poor past decisions, and one could question whether she needed to have all the embryos implanted at once, but otherwise she should be commended for her pro-life stand.
Mansel Rogerson
Thanks Mansel
Yes, quite right. None of us are complaining about her keeping the babies. We are glad abortion was not an option. It is just all of the other aspects of this bizarre case that are raising so many eyebrows and questions.
Thankyou, Bill. It is a huge service you provide to find and present wise comments from the past, lessons from history.
On the 13 year old, who wanted to keep the child and not abort, there may be a commentary on how warped our society is not merely from those who would have no issue with a 12 year old dad, but also from the nature of some of the outrage. Those who are against this fatherhood because it looks bad and who at the same time think that the answer is today’s sex ed / contraception / abortion, are part of the problem, and evidence of the problem.
Michael Casanova
I could see this sexual revolution coming many, many years ago. The small “l” liberals used gradualism, through the media to change attitudes. This was inflicted on the masses, not by explicit and extreme pornography, which was an addiction for a minority, but slowing through some magazines, which initially offered soft opinions, which could be described as gently permissive. This increased very slowly in intensity, until about 30 years later, their philosophy had grown like a slow cancer, to the stage that we had articles in so-called “respectable” magazines treating abortion and co-habitation as the norm. Nowadays, these trendies feel quite comfortable in ridiculing anyone, who offers an alternate view. Many Church leaders, who should have been at the forefront of the fight, feared this ridicule and would often hide under the bed, rather than come out on some sexual related controversy. Then, in an effort to prove their manhood, they would emerge, supporting the latest left wing fad, knowing this behaviour would grant them immunity from criticism from the media and of course, make them feel they had done something brave for society. Just as well for us that the early Christians didn’t show such cowardice.
Frank Bellet, Petrie Qld
Let Leviticus18 speak: http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=280
David Skinner, UK
It is sad that the news media is so often filled with stories such as the above. It is really a clear indicator of what happens when moral values are no longer valued. I have heard many people say how abortion in this case would be entirely suitable for this girl because she is unprepared for motherhood. Pro-abortionists will certainly latch on to this case as a good reason for abortion. But this is really beside the point, and abortion is still murder.
Also, thanks for writing on this topic – it gives good reasons as to why Christian guys like myself should heed 2 Timothy 2:22: “Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart”. (KJV)
Thank you for your ministry. It is encouraging to know there are solid Christians out there who think Biblically in all areas of life. Keep up the good work.
Keith Jarrett
Great comment too on this story from Melanie Phillips: Reaping the whirlwind.
Ewan McDonald.
Hi Bill,
I came across the following quotes by the mum who gave birth to the octuplets by IVF:
“I’m not going to destroy the embryos, period. Done, done, done,” Nadya Suleman told her mother Angela … “They were lives,” her daughter said. “… You either use them or destroy them.”
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25099855-663,00.html
It would seem that rather than wanting to create new babies after the first six, further babies had already been created (fertilised) and so had to be implanted or killed.
The lady, of course, had put herself into this unenviable position by making poor past decisions, and one could question whether she needed to have all the embryos implanted at once, but otherwise she should be commended for her pro-life stand.
Mansel Rogerson
Thanks Mansel
Yes, quite right. None of us are complaining about her keeping the babies. We are glad abortion was not an option. It is just all of the other aspects of this bizarre case that are raising so many eyebrows and questions.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch