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Add to NewsvineI just spent an hour in an editorial board meeting with Jonathan Neerman, the new head of the Dallas County Republican Party. He's 35 years old, and, like any GOP official this year, has a pretty thankless task.
He was pretty candid with us about the task ahead. One thing that struck me as particularly interesting is his discussion about how out of touch much of the party is with where age 40 and younger voters are. He kept going back to the environment, and saying that the GOP has simply got to get more green if it's going to appeal to younger Republicans and independents, for whom this is a bigger issue than for the older, more traditional Republican voters. He also mentioned how he'd gone recently to speak to the Log Cabin Republicans -- the first party chairman to do so ever -- and put a link to their site on the Dallas GOP site.
I liked him. He was talking about how the Republican Party has got to re-engage with people, and rebuild itself. Been coasting for way too long. Make younger conservatives and conservative-leaners have faith in the GOP again. The message I kept getting was, "It's time for a new generation to come forward and put its stamp on the GOP."
I'm curious to know what this blog's readers who are Republican, or who are independents open to voting Republican, think about what the younger generation of conservatives have to offer the GOP to revive the brand.
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So, Max, would that be a tacit endorsement of my precis of orthodox Catholic teaching, somewhere up-topic? Do you agree that penis-in-vagina sex, with ejaculation and no contraception, is the only acceptable form of sexual expression ever, for anyone?
Would you also agree that everyone, everywhere, must agree to abjure all of the following: masturbation as well as any form of physical contact that might lead to sexual feelings, pornography as well as any visual representations that might lead to sexual feelings, oral sex, anal sex, and any form of caress that might lead to ejaculation or orgasm outside of proper intercourse, as well as any form of sexual fantasy?
I'm not asking just Max, by the way. As I did earlier--and received no answer--I'm interested in responses from all who consider themselves orthodox. Needless to say, you need not reveal any personal experience, though it would certainly be fascinating if you did. This is a general question about principles, and as such, ought to get your principled conservative juices flowing. (Ahem. You should pardon the expression.)
By the way, isn't "hitting the bullseye" an awfully male-centric way of describing sexual congress? Presumably there are two people involved, both of whom are surely much more than merely a target to be hit.
Posted by: sigaliris | May 17, 2008 2:53 PM
"So, Max, would that be a tacit endorsement of my precis of orthodox Catholic teaching, somewhere up-topic? Do you agree that penis-in-vagina sex, with ejaculation and no contraception, is the only acceptable form of sexual expression ever, for anyone?"
I think there is room for other "activity" between man and wife, but the goods must be delivers, so to speak, to the proper address with no contraception.
Posted by: Max Schadenfreude | May 17, 2008 4:15 PM
Thanks, Max. That is my understanding of the traditional view, as well. I wonder how many traditionalists follow this, in practice, and I wonder what percentage of heterosexuals in general believe in and practice this teaching. Given the tendency to "economize" a bit on the truth about sex, even in anonymous surveys, though, I guess we'll never know. In my personal opinion--if I may say so without engaging in TMI--it's the most fun over the long haul. But even if chocolate cake is one's absolute favorite dessert, no one would want to be compelled on pain of death to eat chocolate cake and nothing but chocolate cake for the rest of one's life. I think it would lose its savor a bit under those circumstances. Especially if, to continue euphemistically for the sheer amusement of it, the husband ended up bolting his slice in moments, and the wife got barely a taste of the frosting. And some people are positively allergic to chocolate. Imagine having to go to confession weekly because you've been dreaming of cherry pie again . . . .
Posted by: sigaliris | May 17, 2008 5:27 PM
How would the Orthodox know about cherry pie?
Steve
Posted by: Steve | May 17, 2008 7:51 PM
Almost forgot. Are we allowed to read Song of Solomon anymore under strict Orthodox guidelines?
Steve
Posted by: Steve | May 17, 2008 7:54 PM
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