“The first two facts which a healthy boy or girl feels about sex are these: first that it is beautiful and then that it is dangerous."

I agree with Meg about consequences.

“Cinderella received a coach out of Wonderland and a coachman out of nowhere, but she received a command that she should be back by twelve. Also, she had a glass slipper; and it cannot be a coincidence that glass is so common a substance in folk-lore. This princess lives in a glass castle, that princess on a glass hill; this one sees all things in a mirror; they may all live in glass houses if they will not throw stones. For this thin glitter of glass everywhere is the expression of the fact that the happiness is bright but brittle, like the substance most easily smashed by a housemaid or a cat. And this fairy-tale sentiment also sank into me and became my sentiment towards the whole world. I felt and feel that life itself is as bright as the diamond, but as brittle as the window-pane.

Remember, however, that to be breakable is not the same as to be perishable. Strike a glass, and it will not endure an instant; simply do not strike it, and it will endure a thousand years. Such, it seemed, was the joy of man, either in elfland or on earth; the happiness depended on NOT doing something which you could at any moment do and which, very often, it was not obvious why you should not do. Now, the point here is that to me this did not seem unjust. If the miller's third son said to the fairy, "Explain why I must not stand on my head in the fairy palace," the other might fairly reply, "Well, if it comes to that, explain the fairy palace." If Cinderella says, "How is it that I must leave the ball at twelve?" her godmother might answer, "How is it that you are going there till twelve?"

And it seemed to me that existence was itself so very eccentric a legacy that I could not complain of not understanding the limitations of the vision when I did not understand the vision they limited. The frame was no stranger than the picture.

[For this reason] I could never mix in the common murmur of that rising generation against monogamy, because no restriction on sex seemed so odd and unexpected as sex itself. To be allowed, like Endymion, to make love to the moon and then to complain that Jupiter kept his own moons in a harem seemed to me (bred on fairy tales like Endymion's) a vulgar anti-climax. Keeping to one woman is a small price for so much as seeing one woman. To complain that I could only be married once was like complaining that I had only been born once. It was incommensurate with the terrible excitement of which one was talking. It showed, not an exaggerated sensibility to sex, but a curious insensibility to it. A man is a fool who complains that he cannot enter Eden by five gates at once. Polygamy is a lack of the realization of sex; it is like a man plucking five pears in mere absence of mind.”

GK Chesterton

Col says: 'I would further note, you are not offering to accept any responsibility, what so ever, for the outcome of the decision (no abortion) you would force on other people. In mine and most other people’s book, that is rank hypocrisy and the vain attempt of an interfering busybody to control things which are none of the busybody’s business.'

Contrary to your assertions, I have indeed 'offered to accept...responsibility, etc' and do so regularly, in order to offer what help I can to support women and children in situations of need - and therefore LIVE my beliefs.

-'rank hypocrisy'and the 'busybody' bit, would be one who talks about 'choice' and offers only the price to take a life, but not the means to support that tiny life or the mother.

Trade215 - 'Its a relief that common sense has prevailed and women have retained a very important tool over the control of their own destinies' You are relieved that women have 'retained a very important tool, etc.' That's the 'cop out' that I referred to NOT the MALE pill, which I suspect meets with resistance from women because of the very reasons that Laurie makes. You argue for the male pill then say that you are relieved that 'women' haven't given you that responsibility and have decided to go with a new 'women's only' drug, RU 486 instead. Now that's a 'cop out' by anyone's standard.

Comments by Rex and MIW that followed contained relevant, positive and interesting comments.

Trade 215 the “ideal” male pill would mix an appropriate contraceptive with a reasonable dose of Viagra.

The result – firing blank rounds like a machine gun.

Although I would tend to support Laurie’s post on the practicalities of the matter.

Rex, it was good to read your post. I would concur with all you say, so it is refreshing to read the output of a like mind. Please continue with your inspirational contributions.

The simple question to ask any Catholic is – would you submit to Muslim Sharia law?

If they say Yes - then sort of faith do they have in their creed?
If they say No – then why do they expect Non-Catholics to conform to Papal Law?

Religious extremism is a strange thing. Muslims display it overtly, Catholics, with view to their political history, prefer covertly.


Martin Ibn Warriq – most of your post seems to be about fairies, I hope you are happy with your source of “inspiration”. It makes interesting reading, as far as fairy stories go but I thought we were talking about “real life” here and not a fairy tale to amuse infants with.

Brothers Grimm had another take on fairy stories which are often too ghastly to recount.

You should meet up with Lady, then you could have fairy concerts and fairy tea parties. She is certainly reading off a similar page as yourself.

What people do within the context of a “consensual relationship” is an entirely private matter.

Whilst it might be a concern / interest / source of vicarious experience to you, it is in reality, none of your business.


Meg1 “Contrary to your assertions, I have indeed 'offered to accept...responsibility, etc’”

Well good for you Meg1, I bet that makes you feel “special” and “needed”.

I bet a day does not go by when you do not take opportunity to remind someone else of how you are martyring yourself for their good and how much they must owe you for being so “giving”.

Keep it up and I will want to throw up.

Col Rouge's paranoid anti-Catholicism seems to be getting in the way of rational thinking......as if Catholics are the only ones anti-abortion, anti-contraceptive etc etc. Col, before you go to bed tonight don't forget to check under the bed for any Catholics, that's if they haven't chased the Commies off of course!