Religion And Sexulity Essay, Research Paper

Sexual mores are sexual customs or conventions regarded essential to or a characteristic of a community. I believe it would be interesting to write about the sexual mores of two different than Christianity. In this paper will focus on sexual roles of women and marriage in the Hindu and Islamic religions.

Hinduism is the main religion and social system of India. This religion includes the belief in recreation, the worship of several gods and the caste system as the basis of society.

Throughout time marriage has always played an important social function in India s society. In ancient times a ceremony termed horse-sacrifice would be preformed before a man and a women were united. In this ceremony a horse was let loose to roam for one year than it would be captured and sacrificed. After this sacrifice the bride lay beside the horse and imitated copulation with it. The death of the horse represented the sacrifice and commitment that a man and women had to make for one another if they were to be married. Marriage and sacrifice are closely related in India and an unmarried man is called one without sacrifice. #

In more recent times marriage ceremonies have changed a great deal. Each wedding in India varies depending upon the amount of wealth each individual family holds. The typical wedding in India has the groom and the bride represent the sex god Shiva and his wife Parvaiti. The bride wears a loincloth and a crown covered with gold and silver paper. In this elaborate procession the groom enter upon a horse or in the case of a royal wedding mounted upon an elephant.

In almost all cases the fathers of the man and women arrange marriages. Both fathers are to provide as much money as they could afford to the bride and groom and when the special day comes the fathers give their blessing by proclaiming May both of you perform together your duty. # The general thought about marriage in India is that the husband should be three times as old as the women since a man of thirty should marry a maiden of twelve, or a man of twenty-four a girl of eight. . #

Sexual intercourse within the Hindu religion can be seen as type of religious ritual. There are different manners in having sex depending upon the desire of the child or not. If a couple does not want a child, after sex the man chants With power with seaman, I reclaim you. If they do desire pregnancy he would say With power, with seaman, I deposit in you. # There is a mystic power in seaman for Hindus and if it is split they must take it and rub it upon their chest and forehead.

It is hard to talk about sexual relations in India without mentioning the best known sexual manual in the world the Kama Sutra . This has become a vital part of sacred sex in India. This book was written by Brahmin priest Vatsyayana around 350 AD and gives instructions on sexual techniques. The central part of the Kama Sutra give details of practices in sexual intercourse, choice of partners, different kinds of embracing, kissing, pressing, scratching and biting.

The male dominates the sexual relationships within Indian marriage and there is little pleasure in sex for women in this culture. If a man desires to have sex with his wife, he will ask her to lie with him. If she does not grant his request he would try to bribe her, and if she continues to refuse he would hit her with his hand or stick and proclaim With the power and glory I take away your glory. # Husband s are to be worshipped as a god by the women even if he was to seek pleasure elsewhere.

The Law of Manu states Day and night women must be kept in dependence by the males of their families, and they attached themselves to sensual enjoyments they must be kept under one s control .# This dependence remains throughout a women s life because the women is protected by her father in childhood, her husband in youth, and her sons in old age, and it is believed she is never fit for independence.

Even though women are not treated with equality in India all women desire to be married because widowhood is considered the world s greatest sorrow. This may be due to the fact that if a women s husband was to die she is forbidden to remarry because a virtuous wife who remains constantly chaste after the death of her husband, reaches heaven, but a women who from a desire to have offspring violates her duty towards her deceased husband, brings disgrace upon herself and loses her spot in heaven #

Even though sexuality is encouraged in this society it does not go without restrictions. There are various taboos that surround sexual intercourse. For example, sex should always be practiced in private and it is a sin to have sex with your wife during menstruation. There is great punishment for sexual crimes like rape, lesbianism and incest. If a man is found to rape a women he is punished be severing off two fingers. Lesbianism brought and may also include the loss of two fingers and the women s head being shaved. Male homosexuality was not punished as severely since he would have to bath in his clothes or loose his caste. Incest is severely punished in India since the offender has to lay down on a heated iron bed or have his penis and testicles cut off and walk with them in his hand until he fell down dead.

The next religion that I will examine the sexual mores of is the religion of Islam. Islam is the religion of Muslims and is a monotheistic faith revealed through Mohammad as the profit of Allah. Muhammad was considered a very sensual man who had 14 wives and was said to have the strength of 40 men. # His faith is a critical part in understanding the relationships between religion and sex in the Islamic culture. There are numerous versus in the Koran (Qur an) which was written by Mohammed s follower s and is the basis of this religion.

Islamic society is similar to other societies because it believes that all girls should be properly married, with dowry as soon as they reach the right age. One thing that separates the Islamic religion from others is that polygamy has scriptural justification. The justification of plural marriage is found in the Koran since it states If you fear that you may not act towards orphan s with equality, then marry such of the women as seem good to you; two, three or four and give women their dowries as a gift. #

Certain rules also apply to marriage with the religion of Islam. One of these rules deals with marriage within religions. Even though marriage to pagans was strictly prohibited until they were converted it was lawful for a Muslim to marry a Christian or a Jewish women. It was forbidden though to allow a Muslim women to marry a man of another faith.

Sexual intercourse after marriage was encouraged by the Muslim faith but it should be preceded by an act of piety. The Koran states Send forward something for yourselves, and act piously towards God and know that you are going to meet him. #To comply to this request those who are about to have sexual relations complete a phrase and give warning that they will meet God at the end.

There is also restrictions in the Muslim religion on sexual intercourse. Similar to India s culture, one of the most forbidden acts is for a couple to have sex during menstruation. Fornication is also forbidden and is punished by whipping the man and the women involved a hundred times. The Koran places great restrictions on marrying blood relations. A Muslim is forbidden to marry their mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, brother s sisters, paternal aunt s, maternal aunt s, brother s daughter s, sister s daughters, those of who are your mother s or sisters by sucking, your wives mothers, wives daughters, sons wives, or two sisters at the same time. #

Muslims are allowed to get divorced but it is regulated. If a man or women wants a divorce they must be separated for three or four months before the declaration of a divorce. If during this separation the women are found to be pregnant they cannot leave their husbands. If they are not pregnant the divorced women is kindly sent away and the husband cannot take away their dowry.

This religion goes to extremes to protect their women because from an early age clitoridectomy can be performed on girls and involves the removal of the tip of the clitoris. There are also practices such as excision of the clitoris and labia minora and infibulation, which includes excision and then sewing up the vagina. These practices are not as common as in earlier days, because they cause a great deal of pain and harm to the women.

The practices of polygamy, seclusion of the harem and wearing veils are addition reasons that combined to limit the women s freedoms. Men other than husband s or fathers are forbidden to speak to a married Muslim women unless they are concealed behind a curtain. Religion teaches women to hide their sexuality since believing women should cast down their eyes and guard their private parts…throw their scares over their bosoms, and not show their ornaments except for their husbands or their fathers. #

As you can see the sexual mores of both of these religions differ greatly from Christianity. And while numerous people in our society disagree with the practices of these religions we must respect that these mores are essential to the way of life of these people.

References

Parrinder, Edward., Sex in the World s Religions., New York, Oxford Univ Press. 1980

Tannahill, Reay, Sex in History., New York, Stein and Day, 1980

Wall, Otto., Sex and Sex worship in the World., Delhi: India Publications.1979

http:/www.sp.uconn.edu/ guang/teaching/h106/selections-from-law-of-manu-.htm