Sex and religion. A discussion and a doubt that has been a part of almost all cultures in one way or another. But why? If one were to read the teachings of all religions, it would show that there aren't any limitations to what one can do sexually, with the exceptions of animal and children. Adultery is also discouraged, but that doesn't mean you are limited to sex with one person. Adultery is when someone, without the knowledge and consent of their partner, is having sex with others. But that does not mean you're forbidden to have sex with others, or to maintain an "alternative" lifestyle. But, unfortunately, many are not as forgiving in their beliefs as they should be. And many of those are "leaders" of their "flock" and have the power to impose on others their own vision of life. Sometimes, that makes life a living hell for their "flock", since what they have been taught, is contrary to what they feel and wish.

I do not believe religion has any place in the sexual debate at all. I believe religion is, as the communists said, "opium for the people". Meaning that religion is a bond through which the people can be controlled to the "leaders'" content. As long as religion continues to meddle in the everyday-life of humans, we will never be truly free of thought and mind. Religion should be what makes you comfortable, showing you you are loved by a higher entity than humans, and give simple rules to follow. Rules that aim to make it easier to live with eachother upon this earth, not harder. Most of the Ten Commandments, everyone can agree on. You shall not steal, you shall not kill, honor you mother and father, you shall not commit purgery/lie to get someone in trouble/get yourself out of trouble, you shall not covet your neighbour's house, wife, ox, donkey, slave or anything that belongs to your neighbour. These rules I believe to be worthy guidelines in life. Though I believe the last one needs to be explained. Biblical language is written so, as to be a subject of interpretation. For me, the last one means that you shall not be jealous of what your neighbour has. To want what he has, and to think that your neighbour's wife is hot, his slave are dutiful and wish that in your own slave, that his ox is virile and hope your own is the same, that his donkey is strong and laborious and want that for your donkey, only says to me that we are humans and admire those who are better off in life through their own labour. They shall be revered for what they can do for you, teach you, not scorned for it. But they must never be allowed to cloud your own judgement either. What once worked for them, may not be of help to you. To blindly follow anyone invites utter destruction. People around you are there to lend you a helping hand, not to be your master in everything.

Actually, I believe life is summed up in an economical teaching. If you have seen the movie "A beautiful mind", you may remember the blonde in the bar. There, he expands on a teaching that has been the Holy Writ for long. To prosper, you must do what is best for you AND the group as a whole. To do what is best only for the group will ensure that not all the group are best off, and to do what is best only for the individual will ensure that the group as a whole isn't content.

I believe we are born with free will. However, I do not believe we were created with free will. And the "fact" that we weren't created with free will, has been hanging over us for far too long. My dream for the world is that everyone will realise that they are the masters of themselves, and not accept mindlessly the mastery of others over oneself. Karl Marx, in my opinion, was ahead of his time. Communism is the ultimate society-model, but we, the humanity, are not ready to accept it yet. It has one flaw, and that is to deny humans the right to believe in a higher entity. Add that to communism, and the world will be a perfect place.

You may now believe I don't know what I'm talking about and think for yourself that I must have forgotten the Soviet Union, Vietnam, North-Korea, The People's Republic of China and so on. I have not, but they did also not fully embrace communism. They did the first steps of it; A peasant revolution, a group of people taking the power of government. But they did not go further. They didn't relinquish power to the people as the teachings of communism say they should. The group held on to their power, they didn't distribute it to the communes. That's the reason why communism failed. The people using it for their purpose didn't read it all the way through. They read only as far as to see that this was a convenient way of gaining power, to awaken imperialism.

Sex and belief should never in my opinion be a part of eachother, except to the degree described further up my post. If you feel comfort because belief is a part of your life and sex-life, that's the best for you, but if you feel uncomfortable because belief is restraining your thoughts and desires and wants, then discard it. Religion was never meant to be a weapon of guilt. Religion was always intended to be a cushion of love and forgiveness, a comfort to us as creatures, an explanation for that which science hasn't answered yet: Are we alone?