Well, here's what the UUs think, anyway.

From the Sex Ed curriculum, Our Whole Lives (there's probably a better link on the US UU website, but I'm too lazy to go looking or it now).

• This curriculum is also based on the following assumptions about human sexuality:
  All persons are sexual.
• Sexuality includes much more than sexual behaviour.
• Human beings are sexual from the time they are born until they die.
• It is natural to express sexual feelings in a variety of ways.
• People engage in healthy sexual behaviour for a variety of reasons, including to express caring and love, to experience intimacy and connection with another, to share pleasure, to bring new life into the world, and to experience fun and relaxation.
• Sexuality in our society is damaged by violence, exploitation, alienation, dishonesty, abuse of power, and the treatment of persons as objects.

Essay/Research question:

What are the underlying assumptions/premises of Good Vibes-style sex-positivity? What are the underlying assumptions/premises of iVillage-style sex-positivity? Which of those do you and/or your partner agree with? Disagree with? Feel vaguely uncomfortable with?

Update on Sex Huts

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/11/18/world_cup/index.html

With slightly more than seven months to go until the opening ceremony on June 9, German officials have come up with proposals for bringing prostitutes and World Cup fans together, among them "sex garages." Dortmund, one of Germany's bigger World Cup venues, came up with the plan to erect Verrichtungshäuser -- a strange phrase, best translated as "performance houses." These temporary shacks were to have been set up next to Dortmund's football stadium. Last week, though, city officials confirmed that the plan had been shelved after they were unable to find a sex-hut sponsor.

The National Council of German Women's Organizations plans to set up stalls around the stadiums urging fans to think twice before having sex with prostitutes who may have been coerced. "We have nothing against prostitutes or prostitution," said Henny Engels, its executive director, last week. "But we are against people trafficking and forced prostitution. It's already a big problem in Germany. We want to use the World Cup to make our point."

I hate to mention it, but...

Everyone criticizes the administration's short-sightedness, but has anyone speculated as to what might be motivating it?

I mean, think about it:

• Non-sustainable energy policy
• Burning bridges in our relations with other countries
• Deficit spending (buy now, pay later! It's the American way!)
• Screwing the environment
• Screwing education , childcare, healthcare, etc. (but Children Are the FUTURE!)
• Not bothering with an exit strategy for Iraq before invading it (or even now)

They're thinking like there's no tomorrow. You know what? Maybe they know something we don't. Maybe there really IS no tomorrow. Maybe they're planning a big nuclear fireworks show in 2008, or maybe they're some kind of paranoid death cult that thinks then date of the end specified in Revelation is SOON so they better live it up while they can.

I mean, what else could they possibly be thinking?

Jon Carroll on Science, Faith, Public Health and condoms.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/06/14/DDGKOD77501.DTL

Also: It would be really useful if young people were taught to distinguish between science and faith. Science does not make faith impossible; it just presents evidence about the workings of the natural world, which you can choose to believe is evidence of how God laid it all down. Revel in the complexity of the Lord! Marvel that he gave protean adaptability to viruses, and marvel that he gave humans brains to understand that adaptability. There's this little war right now between humans and viruses, and you want to be on the human side. Am I right? Then buy a damn rubber, just in case. You know?
Or get one for free. You can get free rubbers more easily than you can get free apples.
And, by the way, the Bible does not spend a lot of time worrying about teenage sex. Sacrificing oxen, now -- the Bible really cares about that. Don't be sacrificing an ox without consulting the recognized authority. But as to sex -- trust your local public health professional. Medicine is your friend, even if your insurance company isn't.

Sex huts: how romantic

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050608/od_nm/odd_germany_sex_dc;_ylt=Au_cVh0aXf.KS1ZeOcDBZqSek3QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBhOWhjOTd2BHNlYwNjaWQ3NTc-

Sex huts: how romantic

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German city is rushing to install a series of drive-in wooden "sex garages" in time for next year's Soccer World Cup and an expected boom in the local sex trade, a city official said Wednesday.

Dortmund, one of 12 cities to host World Cup matches, is anxious to keep prostitutes and their clients off the streets by providing them with discreet places to do business.

Experts estimate as many as 40,000 prostitutes may travel to Germany to offer their services to fans during the tournament.

"The World Cup has put us under added time pressure, as we don't want a situation where prostitutes and their clients disturb residential areas," the official said.

Prostitution is legal in Germany in designated areas.

"In Dortmund we have an official red light district on the outskirts, but there is a problem. There is not enough space for everyone to park."

Dortmund plans to arrange the Dutch-designed huts, which have been introduced in the city of Cologne, another World Cup venue, in an area with condom machines and snack bar.

"Men have to get used to them of course, but a high percentage accept them because they can protect their anonymity," the official said.

"That said there will always be those who want to go behind a bush, under a bridge or into the woods."

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Is this thing on? How do I add commenting?