Love & Sex

http://www.myspace.com/whoislionelo/music/songs/sometimes-it-s-not-about-us-26606344

Sometimes we talk about sex, as a matter of science

We do it because it’s practical, like a household appliance

And its not about us, its not about love and its not about trust

Its all about purpose, its all about mechanical lust

Sometimes we talk about love as a matter of numbers

One plus one equals two, one is me one is you, there are no other answers

And its not about us its not about a connection its all about routine

And how it offers protection

Lets take these song lyrics about love and sex, and line them up with what the pope says about love and sex. Lets use Lionel O as the popular culture advocate and use Pope Paul VI as his own, religious advocate.

In this ninth section of Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI explains marital love. In layman’s terms, marital love is something fully human. Something that combines the mind and spirit, that is not instinctual or based on natural emotion. Marital love is something where a man and a woman commit themselves to each other and grow with each other to eventually become one being. This includes sharing everything with one another, especially themselves, body and mind. This is a commitment made until the day they die. This marital love includes the responsibility of procreating life from that love.

In this song by Lionel O, the lyrics lay out the imbalance between the love between two people and how views on this love can differ. The lyric starts with the topic of sex and the varying views on sex. Sex can be seen as a way for two people to express their love for one another, or as something scientific, something simply practical. Then love is brought in. Love being either the connection between two people, or just another way of comfort and protection.

What initially combined these two texts in my mind was this topic of sex. What sex is for, what it does, what it means. Pope Paul VI says that sex in marital love is something used to strengthen the relationship, but above all, sex is something that should be strictly used for procreation. This is where I see Lionel O conflicting. He is saying that sex should not simply be seen as something scientific, something practical that is used for procreation. That sex should be about “us”, the two people involved. “…each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life,” this quote from the eleventh section of Humanae Vitae explicitly states that every sexual act should ultimately be committed for the creation of human life. This goes against what popular culture seems to be saying, that sex should be about the two people, not about the outcome.

The topic of love is another which both the lyric and Humanae Vitae address. Lionel O, once again, is concerned that this practicality of love is overtaking the connection between two people. This is something I see the pope being concerned about also. The pope wants marital love to be something where two people are entirely committed to one another, just as most cultural representations of true love want two people to be committed to one another.

What I see when I line these two representations of these topics up together, is that there is not much that is different. True love and marital love are almost interchangeable terms for love, true love being the cultural representation of love, and marital love being the religious. Sex is the only place where love seems to differ to these two parties. The cultural advocate sees love as something between the two people, not about procreation as the pope sees sex.Pope Paul VI’s view on love and sex comes from scripture and years of analyzing. But where does this cultural view on love and sex come from? WE create it. Without culture, no one would have one problem with how the pope views sex and love. Culture constructs what love and sex is supposed to be, so when the pope says anything that strays from what we have been constructed to believe love is, then it becomes hard to take what he says as a way to see love and sex. When looking deeply into what the pope is getting at, there is not much conflicting. Love is love to both parties. Sex is about two people in both views, but in one view, the outcome of procreation is desired. Who knew culture and religion were so close when it comes to love and sex?