ThirdAge Insider: Dr. David Schnarch |
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Where's God When You Have Sex?
Does God show up when you're having sex? I don't mean the "Oh, God! Oh, God!" variety of worship that commonly occurs during orgasm. I am referring to whatever constitutes your notion of the Divine.
Given how many people jettison their childhood religious training in order to enjoy sex, this may sound a little odd, but "Where do you think God--or Great Oneness, Brahman, Rigpa or The Force--parks himself/itself while you're getting it on?"
This question isn't as blasphemous as it might seem at first. For centuries, theologians of every religion have seriously considered the metaphysical stance and physical position God adopts while we're positioning ourselves with each other. (Presuming you're authorized by your religion to "do it," that is.) There's more diversity of opinion than you might think.
THROUGH THE AGES Medieval Christian scholars argued that God absents Himself when couples make love; thus sex and all things holy should be kept far apart. Couples were told to abstain before, during, and after religious holidays, or when receiving the Sacrament. Most particularly, couples were enjoined to refrain from sex on the Sabbath since this was God's day.
On the other hand, Jews were taught sex on the Sabbath was especially praise-worthy because God was nearer that day. And yet, at different points in Jewish history, Jewish men were enjoined to have sex without desire, or without seeing their wife's body.
While various interpretations support or dispute the above characterizations, here's the point: People adopt many different stands about where God stands when couples have sex. Buddhism (especially Tantra), Islam, Daoism, Hinduism, and others all consider whether Spirit moves closer or farther away (or we move closer to Spirit) when we attempt to be fruitful and multiply--or better yet, celebrate our love for each other.
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