Sex in Paradise—Darwin—Wallace—Intelligent Design

 

 

 

 

Sex in Paradise—Darwin—Wallace—Intelligent Design

 WARNING: One of the scenes in this video is sexually explicit and intended for mature viewers only.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIYkpwyKEhY

Excerpt BOFAW: Chap. 26, “Soul Medicine.”

 I pointed out that in both lions and humans sexual behavior is driven

by a phenomenon we call instinct. To illustrate the point, I asked,

“How many of you guys had to have your mom or dad teach you how

to have an erection?†The girls giggled nervously; the guys looked

shocked, but quickly broke into laughter. No hands were raised.

 

 

Here is something to ponder!  The mammals, that would eventually become humans, began having sex over 150 million years ago. However, with the exception of some additional knowledge gained about the structure/function correlation of the human reproductive process, many of the mental factors and nearly all of the spiritual factors remain mysterious.

An interesting aside is that Alfred Wallace (Darwin’s contemporary) developed his own theory of evolution. After studying Birds of Paradise and other exotic jungle birds, he challenged Darwin’s theory that such beauty and complexity could not be the result of mere chance and competition. He maintained that there must be some hidden spiritual force behind their existence. This was one of the first examples of a scientist suggesting the probability of “Intelligent Design†as a guiding force in evolution.

John Muir stated, “On no subject are our ideas more warped and pitiable than on death.â€

 

A close second to Muir’s aphorism could be that our ideas about human sexuality are often warped and pitiable. It was not directly stated as a goal, however, if the process of “going for a walk†meant “going in,†it necessarily involved students discovering who they were and some of the multitudinous aspects of their emerging sexuality. After the arduous struggle to reach the top of Half Dome, it was not uncommon for girls to describe a deeper affinity to “Mother Nature,†or “Mother Earth†and the guys to experience a surging sense of their masculinity. Psychologists would surely describe this as discovering dimensions of their emerging sexuality.

Toby wrote;

“When we got to the top of Half Dome…there was a slab

of rock about six-feet wide, twelve feet long and about

four-feet deep. I carefully inched my way out. Slowly,

slowly, I decided to focus on the rock and not look down.

When I got to the end, I very carefully stuck one leg

at a time over the edge. After I was settled, I leaned over

and looked down between my legs into 4,800 hundred

feet of free air. At first, I couldn’t breathe, and then

my balls jumped up into my chest. I was about to explode.

My heart was pounding. I thought if an earthquake hits now,

it’s all over. I quickly got back on my knees, carefully pivoted,

and crept back to safety.â€

Several classes approached the matter of human copulation from an impersonal, pragmatic perspective and concluded that the process, although biologically imperative, was bizarre, weird, intriguing, scary, beautiful, and a dozen other possibilities. What was not open for discussion was the acknowledgement that their parents had to have sex to procreate them. That was deemed gross, yucky, disgusting and involved too much information.  I usually tried not to laugh.

In truth, the process of humans having sex is quite miraculous, and aside from being necessary for procreation, remains one of the greatest human mysteries.

When the subject of “love†came up, it was usually considered using the Greek triad of eros (carnal or erotic love) philos (brotherly love) and agape (spiritual love). Whether on the trips, or in the classroom, the discussions were strictly platonic (as far as I know) ;o).

Typically, the guys were mostly curious about the“eros†kind of love while the girls intuitively sensed that the act of “love-making,†was just the tip of a proverbial iceberg which included deeper real and or symbolic meanings. The girls were usually able to communicate that they agreed that having sex was an important part of a healthy marriage, however, they regarded it as merely one link in a marital chain that would ultimately involve many other links. The concept of “agape†or spiritual love was mentioned, but properly left undefined. They agreed that if it were truly spiritual it could not be defined. Remembering the “reptilian brain†I had in high school, I was always in awe to hear students discuss issues like this at such a mature level. I was supremely privileged to share in their discussions which sometimes would have shocked many adults, especially their parents. I know this because I was never quite comfortable with such discussions with our own children.

 

Just as “spirituality†was not directly sought (or taught), each student’s path of seeking his/her personal gender evolution was his/her private business. Whether in the classroom, on the trails, in tents, cabins or motel rooms, the girls learned much from each other about being a girl; guys learned from each other about being a guy; and they all learned much about the opposite gender.

Once, while sitting around a Yosemite campfire, we were discussing the life-cycle and mating behavior of bears. I casually pointed out some differences between bears and humans and mentioned that human males typically reach their sexual peak about 17-18 years of age. One of the 50-year-old male chaperones laughed and said, “Can’t you say plateau rather than peak?†The circle began to chuckle with him.

It was well known among backpackers that Yosemite bears were particularly fond of girl’s cosmetics and make-up. Therefore, before each backpacking hike, the girls were asked to leave their cosmetics back in the bear-proof boxes in the Valley.  Frequently, the guys mentioned that the girls seemed more natural and approachable without their make-up. The girls appreciated the thoughtfulness of the guys and enjoyed not spending the 30 mins-to 1 hour putting the make-up on. As soon as they got home, the make-up went back on.

Darwin and Mendel clearly illustrated that the process of sexual reproduction was necessary to enhance the shuffling and redistribution of genes, however, there are many profound, and often beguiling, mysteries associated with human sexual reproduction. Anyone doubting this should ask a left-brain-dominant scientist to reduce the description of either a male or female orgasm to a formula. And, just to keep the playing field even, he/she should ask a local priest, pastor or rabbi what God had in mind when He/She designed human eroticism.  Little wonder the ancient Sanskrit writers described the human male penis as “The Wand of Light.â€Â