<p>Once again Harvard is in the national news. </p>
<p>Virginity is an archaic concept whereby the patriarchy seeks to oppress and possess women, as if they are pieces of property. By taking a woman's virginity, a man can claim ownership of a woman as his own: the act of penetration signifies his virility and supremacy over his female counterpart.</p>
<p>However, proposing that consensual sex between two human beings is somehow sinful: this is a grossly distorted view. It isn't difficult for any rational-thinking person to understand this, and those who abstain from sex for fear of divine retribution are sorely mistaken.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the divine nature of sex is undeniable. It is a gesture of pure love, dedication, and devotion that is shared between two human beings. It is a special moment of intense intimacy, and as one of our holiest and most universally understood human virtues, love must be respected. Promiscuous and wanton sex cheapens the value of love: not necessarily our worth as men and women, but how we appreciate and acknowledge its sanctity.</p>
<p>As a Roman Catholic, that is how I have come to understand human sexuality.</p>
<p>I simply question the motives of these organizations, their the need to put up some sort of feminist/fundamentalist facade in order to legitimize themselves and further their agenda.</p>
<p>Embracing abstinence is not necessarily an act of empowerment. It demonstrates that one is an enlightened human being.</p>
<p>i wonder if by joining one of these clubs people can become born again virgins</p>
<p>^ About an hour of World of Warcraft will definitely do it.</p>
<p>I think it is great that there are students like this with self-respect and character at HP.</p>
<p>Huguenot Mom</p>
<p>^ Compared to what? A brothel?</p>
<p>What I did not like about this article is the way it made H students sound like they were having sex left, right, in the corner, under then dining room tables, in the back row in lectures...</p>
<p>Come on, now. It's college, it's the 21st century. People will be having sex! I think it's admirable that some student are open about their decision to wait for marriage, but the tone of this article seems so holier-than-thou that it just turned me off (no pun intended...)</p>
<p>Isn't it possible to simply respect peoples' different attitudes about pre-marital sex? Is there a problem with peer pressure, in one direction or another, or is it simply judgmental attitudes (personal insecurity perhaps) directed at the person (people) with the opposing attitude? It does seem to me that if you choose to either blog your sex life, or publically announce your celebacy, you are bringing yourself withing the scrutiny of the community. Its difficult to tell, having read the article, whether the reaction of the Crimson was more a result of responding to the public declarations, or if there was really an agenda expressed.</p>
<p>What do real Harvard students think?</p>
<p>I was just about to respond in a similar manner to the sentiments expressed in Loki5's heading. I think that for the most part, students here are very conservative when it comes to sex, believe it or not, given how liberal the place is. However, I feel that we do express and support our friends who have different viewpoints on a vast majority of issues. Granted, there are people who, at times, refuse to hear others, but this is more the exception than the rule. I read it a bit differently than munchkin -- I saw it more as an article that highlighted the variety of opinions about pre-marital sex on campus, and how we live together and respect one another anyway.</p>
<p>I also find it refreshing that people can express their honest opinions about such topics, and this is one aspect of Harvard that I am absolutely in love with!</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think it is great that there are students like this with self-respect and character at HP.
[/quote]
And all students who engage in premarital sex lack self-respect and character?</p>
<p>Just because someone doesn't prescribe to your world-view, they're automatically a bad person? Coming from a conservative, McCain-voting republican: You are unbelievably ignorant and close-minded.</p>
<p>
[quote]
And all students who engage in premarital sex lack self-respect and character?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You're distorting her words and logic...
Do you have some sort of venomous vendetta against Republicans or something?</p>
<p>^ Reread his/her/its post regarding Republicans...</p>
<p>Ugh... nevermind.
It's still a perversion of logic, however.</p>
<p>No, it's not. Praising those who choose abstinence before marriage for "self-respect and character" implies that there is some lack of those traits in those who do not - otherwise, the statement would be redundant and irrelevant, as it clearly was not meant to be. </p>
<p>There is the possibility that huguenotmom was simply generally praising these students for having the fortitude to have a different opinion and to stick by it, but the old-world connection between virginity and purity/self-respect/etc. makes this unlikely, as does the fact that she did not mention that her comment applies to difference of opinion in general.</p>
<p>@echang08: Reread Kwu's post. It makes a good point that you're ignoring completely:</p>
<p>
[quote]
It is a gesture of pure love, dedication, and devotion that is shared between two human beings. It is a special moment of intense intimacy, and as one of our holiest and most universally understood human virtues, love must be respected. Promiscuous and wanton sex cheapens the value of love: not necessarily our worth as men and women, but how we appreciate and acknowledge its sanctity.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So even if huguenotmom is misrepresenting it as kwu's initial post about fundamentalism might suggest, you have to address kwu's argument for the value of abstinence beyond religion.</p>
<p>Also, how can you not commend someone with both the self-restraint and deep respect for sex as a significant emotional occurrence? Or do you think sex is purely physical with the same significance as using the restroom?</p>
<p>"Promiscuous and wanton sex"</p>
<p>My beef with the article (not to mention the student group) is that it sets up a false dichotomy between waiting for marriage and promiscuity. Sex is common at Harvard, but promiscuity is not. The random hookups happen, of course, but that doesn't mean the kids had sex. The vast majority of the sex I knew about involved committed couples who cared about one another. I had exactly one boyfriend in college and one in law school. I loved them both, and I am still in touch with both (the college bf is now married to someone else). Most of us live in those gray areas between extremes.</p>