GOD LAUGHS

Part I – Man and Sex

The concept of God, The Supreme Being, The Creator, from a religious perspective is quite different from that which one could ever perceive if left solely to one’s personal experiences and observations, especially if those experiences and observations pertain to sex. Human sexuality, if nothing else, provides overwhelming evidence that God has a sense of humor. But where to begin?

Heterosexuality, homosexuality, bi-sexuality, A-sexuality, transvestites, fetishes, rape, prostitution, pornography, paedophilia, nymphomania, frigidity, incest, masturbation, sexual dysfunction, libidos, hormones all are parts of human sexuality and all, to one degree or another, impact human behavior. To encumber man with such a powerful, complex and frustrating psychological modifier as the sex drive, with all of its obvious consequences, surely requires a sense of humor. And after inflicting man and woman with this overpowering source of pleasure, pain and frustration, should not God, at the very least, have addressed the issue in more than just a few of His Ten Commandments? Does it make sense that an all-knowing God, aware of man’s penchant toward extreme behavior, would limit His concerns and admonitions regarding sexual excesses to adultery and coveting? Only, it would seem, if He possessed a cynical sense of humor. That being the case, one can only conclude that God laughs. What else can He do?

Think Tiger Woods and his recent fall from grace, Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, Gary Hart and Donna Rice, or go back to the Profumo Affair that rocked the U.K. in the early 60’s, or Jimmy Swaggert and other evangelicals who could not or would not control their libidos. Can you really think about these kinds of events and not imagine God chuckling? Even that which is not funny can have humorous aspects. Suicide bombings certainly are not funny, but the concept of carrying out such an extreme act of violence for Allah’s promise of forty virgins in paradise; that is laughable, an example of the thin line that can exist between pathos and humor. And what of those other men of God, the priests whose sexual transgressions have shaken the very foundation of the Catholic Church? It is not their homosexual predations that evoke humor. It is the concept of mandatory, institutionalized celibacy that is funny. God provides a domineering sex drive, then demands that you suppress and overcome that drive in order to “serve” Him.

The inability to control one’s sex drive is not rare. Nor is it limited to identifiable segments of the population. The fact is, we know not what transpires behind another’s closed doors, even another whom we consider to be quite close to us. One man’s normal sexual activity is another’s guilt-ridden fantasy, and another may consider it to be deviant, taboo or even sinful behavior.

Sexual compatibility, though probably not rare, is certainly not the norm. The term sexual compatibility here pertains to couples supposedly “in love” and committed to one another’s happiness. The processes couples go through to determine if in fact they are compatible are fraught with humor, especially from the standpoint of a neutral third party. Couples must “work” at sex; there are no universally enjoyable or accepted sexual practices and, even if there were, people would still raise issue concerning time, size, mood, distractions, deviations…

Just as we laugh at the inept actions and frustrations of others, surely a Supreme Being would laugh at man’s sexual fumbling, his excesses and abuses. People pray that He, “Lead us not into temptation”, then conduct themselves as though tempting others and being tempted were life’s main objectives. The media, specifically entertainment and advertising, fashion, books and now even medicine are dominated by sex. Today’s standards tolerate far more than yesterday’s, and tomorrow's will make today look tame. Religion cannot control it. Society does not control it. And when either of these entities tries to control it, their efforts prove more detrimental than helpful.

Man is quick to determine God’s will in this regard. That is, most believe that what is abhorrent to them is abhorrent to God, and should therefore be forbidden. Well, if all of this does not make Him laugh, then He must be shaking His head and reminding Himself to do it a little differently next time.