What’s the Bible got to do
with orgasms?
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A New Study Provokes a Question About Christian Education
The answer might depend on how you interpret the creation
stories. Here’s’ why.
On 31 July 2016 a Yale University study of female orgasm
was published in the Journal of
Experimental Zoology. The biopsychology of sexuality is viewed from an
evolutionary perspective but until this study, previous research and attendant explanations
failed to reveal a clear link between human female orgasm and either the
facilitation of fertilization or increasing the number of pregnancies. In
addition, female orgasms do not occur on a regular basis during heterosexual
intercourse but are more reliably produced by other methods due to female
anatomy. In contrast, male orgasm is clearly linked to the movement of sperm
toward an egg during intercourse.
The researcher’s inquiry considered the production of
hormones during human female orgasm then looked for other animals that showed
similar hormone surges as a part of copulation-induced ovulation. The findings
indicate a specific role for female organism in animals where copulation
stimulates ovulation suggesting that this type of reproduction preceded the
relative independence of orgasm from reproduction in humans and other primates.
They suggest that like other traits, human female orgasm may have persisted as
a trait for secondary reasons—reasons not related to reproduction.
Christianity and
Sexuality
When it comes to teaching about sex, contemporary Christians
often refer to the Genesis union of Adam and Eve as an example of a God-blessed
sexuality. The story has been used in many ways, including the idea held by
some that the purpose of marriage is procreation.
The difficulty in understanding the purpose of female
orgasm has puzzled scientists for years. The new research points in a new
direction guided by evolutionary theory. In contrast, a strict creationist view
offers no specific scientific guidance in how to understand the presence of
female orgasm, which does not appear necessary for procreation.
One integration approach to such issues for students of
biopsychology is to consider God as Creator and evolution as a process that is
not inconsistent with either the Bible or new developments in science.
See related posts on Christianity, Psychology, and Evolution below.
See related posts on Christianity, Psychology, and Evolution below.
Thoughts and
Questions
Can Christians studying sexuality at a conservative
Christian college or university obtain accurate information?
Will graduates from conservative Christian colleges and universities
struggle to get into respectable graduate and professional schools if they do
not understand the evolutionary bases that explain much of biology and
biopsychology?
Will Christians from conservative colleges and
universities suffer from a general disrespect in cultures where scientists are
highly respected for advances in health care and technology?
How can scientists at conservative Christian colleges and universities deal with parents and donors who insist on teaching creationism and reject all teaching about human evolution? (This assumes that scientists do not accept the view that creation is incompatible with evolution.)
Should graduates and other donors withhold funds and refuse to send their children to conservative Christian colleges or universities that deny the compatibility of creation and evolution?
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A House Divided: Sexuality, Morality, and Christian Cultures.
Related posts on Christianity and Evolution
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