An "alternative" take on faith and sex.

First of all, let me say I'm flattered to be asked to post here. I'm M. If you want to know more about me, just ask. That said...

I'm blown away by the posts on sex and religion thus far. It's intriguing to me to see the various ways that faith inserts itself (no pun intended) into our sex lives. The way it can wrap itself around every facet of human existence continues to shock and amaze me.

When I was twelve, I was asked to leave the Apostolic church I had been going to since birth. Always the sensitive and caring child (and being a Libran), I easily picked up on inequality in any guise and felt the need all the way down to my bones to fight for the underdog. For those of you who know nothing about the apostolic faith, it's a small community unto itself that is based in pretty extreme Christianity. Very much like being Amish with electricity. I was bothered the most by the complete lack of gender equality. Women had to sit on opposite sides of the pews, cook and clean for the men, eat last, etc.

Finally, when I was twelve, I had enough. I approached the preacher and let him have it. And I never looked back.

My mother, thank goodness, allowed me to pick my own path. Her only disclaimer was that I believe in something. A life without belief, she always said, was a life not worth living. I landed in Paganism and have been a practicing Witch ever since.

Being Pagan has allowed me to circumvent the majority of religious/sexual hang-ups I may have had, should I have come to adulthood in that church. I have no qualms about expressing myself, both sexually and otherwise. Paganism is all about love, pleasure, the pursuit of happiness and individuality. I answer to no one but myself, I live for no one other than myself.

I've found that, however, a large percentage of the Pagan population is heavily into BDSM. I believe that, because we're allowed to be so free, we're also allowing ourselves the freedom to choose to be enslaved. In looking back, I've taken the parts of my religious upbringing that disturbed me the most and taken them into myself. I've changed them, made them my own and gained a larger control over a part of my life that was out of control.

On a related note, I've heard a few stories from submissives who were scared by their first foray into subspace. Since I've been practicing meditation and Yoga for the better part of 10 years now, I found that sinking into subspace was much like slipping into a warm bath (to steal a line from P.). It was comfortable, warm and delicious. I relished feeling out of control and, yet, knew at any moment I could bring myself out of the submissive trance I was in and back into "reality."

Hopefully that gives you some view of sex and religion from an alternative point of view. I'm already looked at as a member of a bastard child religion (although I consider it more of a spirituality), why not go even further out there and admit I like to be tied up and raped? ;)