This is an interesting subject. The concept of marriage, in most cultures is more ceremonial than a legalistic bound before god and man. I don’t mean that this shouldn’t be a ritual of spiritual and social importance, but it didn’t hold the same sort of immoral versus moral sexuality judgments, as it has in Aryan Indo-European culture (i.e. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Persians and Hindus, etc.). Remember these cultures had a dislike for anything feminine, be it the woman’s body, mind or soul. Their problems were more with femininity than it was with sex. Matter of fact the marriage contract, until recently, described marrying women as chattel (property/slave) rather than an equal partner (AND THIS WAS CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE!). The early church fathers believed that sex was a necessary evil, and women who enjoyed it, even within marriage, were sinning (THIS MEANT NO ORGASMS!); even Paul, the apostle said, it was better not to marry. He was first and foremost directing this statement to male congregants of the Christian church. These teachings of Paul reinforced the ideal of a celibate priesthood that predated the church, for this practice already existed in pre-Christian European paganism and virgins had more to do with sacrifices and temple orgies, than Christian spirituality. In some pagan traditions if the temple virgin had sex with the presiding priest she was still considered a virgin, for she had not copulated with an everyday mortal man and you know the priest was gods representative.
I can go on and on about the misconceptions of sex and marriage in a historical and cultural context. But, you need to make a thorough analysis of the traditional concepts given to you, and the contradictions. I find it interesting that the same Christian slave master who preached these ideals, could sleep with and even rape African women, and still felt he had broke no moral Christian code. You should read or peruse the book Yurugu – written by Marimba Ani (a sister!) so that you can understand that defining African sexuality and communal living, i.e. marriage, through European ideals, laws and definitions (i.e. what’s moral, what’s ethical, fornication, adultery and so on) has been disastrous to African people worldwide. The same Euro-Christo culture that supposedly upholds marriage sanctity, wouldn’t allows us to marry for 400 hundred years. There is not always a right and wrong when it comes to culture, religion and lifestyle when viewed in a broad and historical perspective, but you must study; for the creative art of sex and soul mating are the core of our existence.
From male/female union, to family, to village, to tribe, to nation, to hopefully sacred people-hood.
LIVE LONG!
I can go on and on about the misconceptions of sex and marriage in a historical and cultural context. But, you need to make a thorough analysis of the traditional concepts given to you, and the contradictions. I find it interesting that the same Christian slave master who preached these ideals, could sleep with and even rape African women, and still felt he had broke no moral Christian code. You should read or peruse the book Yurugu – written by Marimba Ani (a sister!) so that you can understand that defining African sexuality and communal living, i.e. marriage, through European ideals, laws and definitions (i.e. what’s moral, what’s ethical, fornication, adultery and so on) has been disastrous to African people worldwide. The same Euro-Christo culture that supposedly upholds marriage sanctity, wouldn’t allows us to marry for 400 hundred years. There is not always a right and wrong when it comes to culture, religion and lifestyle when viewed in a broad and historical perspective, but you must study; for the creative art of sex and soul mating are the core of our existence.
From male/female union, to family, to village, to tribe, to nation, to hopefully sacred people-hood.
LIVE LONG!