Is sex necessary?
 

Other than for procreation for the continuity of the species, is sex necessary?

I was helping my 7th grader with some of her homework and came across a very simple explanation of Maslow's heirarchy of needs. (This term, in her health class, they've been studying a bit of psycology.) It reminded me of Psych 101 and the instructor spending quite a bit of time on Maslow's triangle.

I remember having a rather heated argument - on my fellow student's part that is - about the necessity of sex. He felt that it was necessary for one's mental and physical health, while I pointed out that nobody has ever died from never having experienced it. The instructor felt the same as my fellow student and he used my thoughts to take shots at the LDS Church - it was well known on campus that I was LDS; being involved in athletics kind of causes more folks to find reasons to not like you or suck up to you - and mocked my beliefs. I countered by calling him a closed-minded and bigoted simpleton which could be an entirely different thread...

I tend to believe while we all need love and affection directed our way, there really is no need for a sexual relationship other than to have kids. Those that like to point to the scriptures to prove that having a sexual relationship (with one's spouse) is something that God directs us to do, tend to either not know, forget or perhaps ignore that the purpose of it is to not be tempted to break the 7th commandment - not to commit adultry.

Now, I'm not saying that I'm prudish, as my wife and I have participated in this activity for purposes other than impregnating her, but I just thought I'd put up my thoughts about this for discussion's sake.

Any thoughts?

It depends what you mean by "necessary". From a clinical point of view, the only things are really necessary are air and nourishment.

That''s in part what I'm talking about...
 

in the years that I was a funeral diretor, I never saw a death certificate on which the stated cause of death was "lack of seual activity".

Many so-called "experts" like to point out the physical and psycological benefits of sex, but thoser are nothing that riding a bike and the knowledge that someone cares about you can't do.

r.f.

I had a friend in school who had a cocaine habit. He told me that I was missing out because I wouldn't particiapte.

If one has never had sex, one wouldn't know if he is missing anything.

You could say that about anything. Do you really need friends? Do you need education? Is love really necessary? How about happiness? If you never have any human companionship, you don't really know what you're missing. And don't get me started on pets -- totally unneccesary. Entertainment is not necessary either. You could conceivably live your entire life, locked in a box that is hidden in a closet, and you would never know that there is something better available.

You make good points. You pointed out that from a clinical point of view, only air and nourishment are necessary. Life is to be lived and experienced only for aesthetics.

In truth, my reason for asking that question is based on the over-emphasizing of sex in the human culture. It's not a bad thing at all, but it's certainly not the be-all, end-all thing that so many claim it is.

Two words: Hell yes!

r.f.

That doesn't quite make sense to me Robin. Either it's something you "just do", or it's something that you are careful about because it has "physical, emotional, and spiritual implications." Aren't those two points of view mutually exclusive?