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From: todd@scirtp.UUCP (Todd Jones)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Planned Parenthood, the wisdom issue
Message-ID: <493@scirtp.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 14-Oct-85 14:24:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: scirtp.493
Posted: Mon Oct 14 14:24:52 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 17-Oct-85 01:32:49 EDT
References: <4356@alice.UUCP> <1181@ames.UUCP>
Organization: SCI Systems, Research Triangle Park, NC
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> I suspect that morality was developed (a long time ago) to keep society
> from being wiped out by venereal disease.  Think about it.  Any society
> with venereal disease that didn't limit sexual contact somehow would
> eventually sterilize all the females and disappear.  Monogamy is 
> reasonable and successful approach to the problem.  Note that societies
> such as Polonesia that had no venereal disease (before the white man
> came) were very promiscuous with no serious problems.  When syphlis and
> gonorea were conquered by drugs and the pill came out, we thought free
> sex was great, and it was.  The hidden problem arose when herpes and
> AIDS got into the picture.  Basically, sex is a great way to spread
> disease.

The problem is the lingering presence of puritanical beliefs that
address the issue by creating taboos and fears around sex. These
beliefs often corelate sex with evil and create more curiosity for
young people than caution. When youngsters (boy, do I sound old!)
realize they can have sex without the devil branding them for life,
they tend to shrug off all words of authority. If we are more open,
honest and candid with our pubescent children (and with ourselves),
we will probably see an improvement in mature sexual attitudes.
(NOTE: mature sexual attitudes are not 1) fear of sex 2) rampant
promiscuity. sez me.)

-todd jones