In every culture, in every era and every continent, there are morals about sex. Predefined and expected behaviors are provided by the traditional sources, the elders and religious institutions, as a guidance on how people should treat their own sexuality. There is no question that has been avoided by these prophets of "moral purity." Everything, from our thoughts to our desires to every personal activity, falls under the scrutiny of such standards. What we want, why we want, and how we express our want -- all of these fall within some commandments or principles that have been expressed by an ancient religion. Tradition is based on what was practiced thousands of years ago; it is not based on our immediate needs or desires.

     The Old Testament of the Bible even regulates the proper behavior of women who are menstruating; or, for the most part, it condemns them and everything they touch as "unclean." (Leviticus 15:19-30) The Qur'an is equally damning of what is a completely natural, healthy part of life: "Say: It is an illness, so let women alone at such times and go not in unto them till they are cleansed." (Qur'an 2:222)

     This morality may not be preached, because of its absurdity, but its attitude and tone are in full force within the religious community. No longer do we hear that menstruation is an inherently unclean, blasphemous act, no matter what the Bible or its prophets teach. We do not hear it anymore, because the light of science has blinded the religious beast -- having grown so accustomed to the darkness of ignorance, it was rendered powerless by the brightness of truth.

     Why is it that priests and bishops no longer talk of a woman's period as a sign of evil? Because it is a natural part of healthy existence. But these same priests and bishops still talk of the sexual urge as a sign of evil -- even though it, too, is just a good part of healthy life. The desire for multiple partners, for same-sex relationships, for oral sex, and for something more interesting than missionary-style sex -- all of these are forbidden by the churches, the higher institutions, and even within universities and schools. All of these desires are the natural production of our impulse towards sex. They are just as natural as menstruation, nocturnal emissions, or sexual arousal.

     These sex morals are not simply opposed to "deviances" or "unclean sexuality." They are, overall, completely opposed to the sex attitude on the whole; they are grounded in a philosophy that attached taboos and sanctions to every part of the human body, to everything that has proven natural, good, and whole through science over the centuries. Many of today's anti-sex advocates are attacking homosexuality, multiple partner relationships, or sex education. They claim their enemy is something "impure and unnatural." But in reality, they are only attacking something that is the natural production of our desires as living beings.

     These missionaries against the sexual attitude are not solely religious, but they are an embedded part of many overlapping cultures. In Nationalist cultures, which value traditional ways of their ancestors, they find new expressions of sexuality to be a threat. In Chauvinist and Sexist cultures, heavily populated throughout the world, sex is treated as a form of domination and control; and its use for pleasure, happiness, and feelings of freedom are always prohibited. The largest contribution to this anti-sex attitude have been from religions, notably Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

     These are the three forces that have pushed for an anti-sex morality: the Nationalists, the Conservatives, and the Religionists.