Requiem for the Word “Religion”

Feelings are just a tax on sex. More to the point: flowers and romantic dinners are just an annuity, slowly accruing enough funds to buy sex. In this time of economic belt-tightening, why not try to streamline the sex-acquisition process? Instead of putting it on layaway and making weekly payments, one could just pay it all in a lump sum. In perfect eBay fashion, virginity could be awarded to the highest bidder.

Sadly, this economization of sex is not just a flippant portrayal of modern conceptions of human relations - putting a price tag on sex is a sobering reality. Recently, an article in a major publication stated that a young lady was selling her virginity for $3.8 million. The twenty-two year old girl is simply going to sell her virginity to the highest bidder. The integrity of this ‘gift’ is based on her honest word that the highest bidder would actually be her first. Now, the fact that she is selling sex and that there are ample men lining up is not exactly inconceivable news. After all, prostitution is said to be the oldest profession and it is only becoming more professional.

The real kicker comes when the young lady explains her rationale for selling her virginity. She states that it all comes down to a moral and religious issue and it is neither against her morals nor her religion. Essentially, the young damsel in financial distress is saying: “you’ve got your religion that you live by and I’ve got mine - so don’t tread on me.” Like it or not, this is a brilliant public relations move. Playing the modern day trump card of religion, nobody in good post-modern conscience can tell her that selling virginity is wrong.

Religion is the crux of her argument. This recently tepid word has become a veritable get-out-of jail-free card. Anyone can say that their religion permits an action and you are being intolerant by suggesting that they are wrong. This gives Christianity no traction whatsoever to contest immoral behavior, allowing people to write anything off simply as a person’s private conception of morality. The word “immoral” has been struck from the books to be replaced by open-mindedness; to many people, saying that an action is contrary to Biblical teaching now has absolutely no efficacy.

No longer can one say, “I am monogamous because of my religion.” Anyone can simply counter with, “I am promiscuous because of my religion.” Using religion leads to a stalemate where each side simply agrees to disagree. What, then, is a Christian to do with this quandary? The answer is unnerving to some Christians - if society has gutted the term “religion,” natural reason still has clout.

In society’s breast, reason forever beats. As a culture, we have decided it is reasonable to be tolerant, concerned, and humane. It is reasonable to base knowledge in experience and science. It is reasonable to test all beliefs. In view of this, suppose one could counter this young lady’s argument on the basis of reason. In other words, her so-called religion has failed to change her mind, so why not try plain reason?

Could she be persuaded by psychology and its suggestions that she is running towards an identity crisis and ruined psychosocial growth? Could she be persuaded by medicine and its suggestions that she is at risk for AIDS and a whole slew of other sexually transmitted diseases? Or, perhaps the economists could persuade her by explaining the law of diminishing returns and how her ‘product’ is ever decreasing in value. The fact of the matter is, I really don’t know what would persuade her. Still, I do know that if the word “religion” does not work, Christians must find something that does. It seems reasonable to me that if the Creator of reason is good, reason itself must be good.