THE MYSTERY OF SEX/PART 7

 

CHAPTER VII

THE PHYSICAL FUNCTION OF SEX

The student, casting aside all preconceived notions, and all ideas implanted in his mind by custom and general public opinion, and examining the records of Nature as written in her great book of creation, can make no mistake regarding the true function of sex. He will see all through Nature plainly written the universal law that Sex exists purely and solely for the purpose of creation, procreation, and reproduction. If he be candid enough to acknowledge this to himself, he will see that all other uses and employment of Sex must be abnormal, perverted and unnatural.

It is true that the human race has acquired the habit of employing the physical function of Sex for the purpose of sensual gratification alone, reproduction not being desired or intended in the majority of cases. This habit extending over thousands of years, and being unquestioned by the majority of the race, has led many persons to believe and hold that such practices were perfectly natural and in full accord with Nature. But a careful study of Nature's ways, plans and methods will show any fair-minded and unprejudiced person that the habits and practices of the human race regarding the function of Sex, are unnatural and perverted and have no basis in any of Nature's fundamental laws.

All through the various kingdoms of life we may see that Sex is used solely in the direction of creation, procreation and reproduction. It is the function whereby Nature keeps up her supply of living forms and things. She bends every effort toward the exercise of this function, and often subordinates even the life of the parent to the function of bringing forth the new generation. So carefully does she regulate the instinctive desires, that the females of the animal kingdom will refuse to cohabit except at the proper seasons when procreation is possible. At all other seasons the females will vigorously oppose the males, and the latter seemingly recognize the situation and allow themselves to be driven away. The study of the processes of Sex, in all fields of the great kingdom of life, will show conclusively that the one only and sole purpose of Sex is that of creation, procreation and reproduction.

"But," argue some, "that is all very well for the animals, but man is greater than the animals, and has improved on their habits. Is man no more than a beast, to be governed by their habits and customs?" This absurd argument is accepted as valid by many men who seek not reasons but excuses for the practices and habits of life. The truth, as recognized by all biologists, is that man in the primitive state followed the same laws and habits as that of all the rest of the animal kingdom, and refrained from cohabitation except at certain periods when the female was capable of conception. In some savage tribes the custom still exists, and the female will vigorously drive away the insistent male at other times. In this she is supported by the public opinion of the tribe, and others will rally to her defense if necessary. And so it was with primitive man, undoubtedly. The desire and will of the female prevailed, and these desires and this will were operated according to natural instinctive lines.

But when mankind advanced to the stage in which woman was held not as an equal and co-worker, but as a serf and slave, man began to impose his passion upon her at unseasonable as well as at seasonable times, and the prevailing unnatural practices of the race resulted. In no other animal except man has this unnatural practice prevailed. Some writers have excepted certain varieties of the goat, which are said to have become perverted in this respect, but certain it is that the general varieties of animals still adhere to the instinctive laws and principles of Nature in this respect. As for man "improving" on the animals, the "improvement" is along the same lines as the other 'improvements" which led to the manufacture of intoxicating liquors, and the use thereof; the use of drugs and narcotics; the barbarous social customs which have sprung up and which make the misery of the many the price of the success of the few. Man has "improved" many things, but some of his "improvements" have been in the wrong direction. And so it is with the case in point.

To those who will rise in revolt at this statement, we would put the plain question: If the physical Sex functions are not intended for the sole purpose of reproduction and procreation, for what purpose are they intended?

Some will answer that they are intended for "pleasurable gratification;" "manifestation of love,'' etc., etc. But this only carries the subject back another step. Biologists teach that Nature has made all of the necessary functions more or less pleasurable, gratifying and satisfying, in order that the individual living things may perform the acts of these functions. Eating is pleasurable, but hunger and appetite were certainly not devised merely to give pleasure -they were made pleasurable so that the living things would be impelled to gratify them instinctively and thus carry out Nature's great purpose of sustaining her living things. But men have cultivated the sense of taste and appetite until many individuals are abnormal in this respect -they have become perverts and degenerates in regard to appetite and taste. The ancient feasts, in which the gluttons would take emetics to relieve their swollen stomachs of their contents, only that they might then proceed to refill them with fresh delicacies, give us a striking example of this fact. And some modern gourmands almost equal their ancient brethren in this respect.

The taste for drink gives us another example of the perversion of a natural instinct.

And so it has become with the function of Sex. Intended by Nature solely for the purpose of creation, procreation and reproduction, men have so perverted and degenerated the natural intent that, like the taste and appetites, they have dragged the Sex function down into the dust. That which should be regarded as one of the highest of Nature's functions and processes, has been made the subject of vile jests and abnormal practices. That function which lies at the very root and beginning of Life has become the subject and object of abnormal, unnatural and degenerate practices which shock any mind which looks upon Nature in all her manifestations as essentially pure. The instinctive realization of this fact has caused the race to regard Sex in itself as impure. It is not Sex that is impure; but the prostitution and perversion of her natural functions have slimed over her primitive purity.

If Sex were confined to her natural functions, the race would regard the subject of sexuality in an entirely different light. It would then occupy the high place which Nature intended for it. The Fount of Life would be kept pure, and would be the subject of veneration. But so befouled have become the waters of the Fount, owing to the unnatural practices of the majority of the race, that many shudder at the mention of its name, and avoid it as unclean and impure. The race does not realize the cause of this strange degradation of the subject of Sex, but the intuitive and instinctive mentality of men and women recognizes the unnatural and perverted state of the subject, and naturally recoils from its consideration. Were the natural and normal conditions existent to-day, then Sex in human life would be regarded as as pure and worthy as is Sex in the life of the plants. So perverted has become the popular idea of Sex, owing to the unnatural conditions prevailing, that the mere mention of the word is taboo in polite circles. Could this arise from natural use of the function? Is there anything impure in the thought of the birth of the child, and the reproduction of the species? Is it not apparent that the shame, odium and disgust attached to the subject arise from the instinctive knowledge that the function of Sex has become perverted, unnatural, degenerate, and hence ignoble and disgusting?

It will require but the general realization of the facts which we have just stated, to bring about a change of conditions, a resumption of the normal and natural. Just as are other per- versions and abuses of the sexual nature highly condemned, avoided and punished by all right thinking people, so would this particular common unnatural practice be regarded as a perversion, once the fact was realized that it is unnatural. Man instinctively shrinks from anything unnatural -there is an intuition which warns him off forbidden ground. Man's intuition in this particular instance has been diverted, owing to the perverted habit having been accepted by the race as "second nature." Man feels the repugnance arising from intuition, but not understanding the matter he evinces it toward the subject of Sex in general, treating it as impure and unworthy, instead of raising it up to its proper place of purity -condemning only the perversions of its principles.

Once regarded as unnatural, the ordinary promiscuous habit of cohabitation 'for the mere purpose of sensual gratification’ will be placed in the same category as the other unnatural manifestations of Sex, which cause a blush of shame to mantle the cheeks of every decent person at the mere mention or thought thereof, so unspeakably vile are they. All that is needed is the realization of the truth regarding the matter. The instinct and intuition of the race will do the rest. And strange and incredible though this may seem to those who have not noticed the undercurrents of public thought, the day is not far distant when the race will see this thing in its proper light. Many indications of this are even now apparent. There are many straws showing which way the wind is beginning to blow.

In conclusion, as in the beginning, ask yourself the vital question: If the physical Sex functions were not intended for the sole purpose of reproduction and procreation, for what purpose were they intended? Carry this query around with you for awhile, and you will begin to see a new light on this subject.