Not that the thought arouses me, but how do they channel their normal and very natural sexuality?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2013 04:33AM by volrammos.

Probably. Check out all the gay/lesbian missionary stories on this forum. Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. Prison inmates also exhibit some of the same sexual behaviors as outlets. (I'm not saying that some/many are not actually gay or bisexual, I'm just relating observations about the kinds of outlets others have observed among predominantly/formerly heterosexual populations). Even Viktor Frankel pointed to some homsexual behavior in concentration camps at one time or another as a sign of sexual frustration. Nature will find a way, so to speak. Google Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (classical sculpture so not NSFW, per se).

s4711 logged out Wrote:

>Google Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (classical sculpture so not NSFW, per se).

Totally OT but Bernini wasn't a clergyman so not sure why you would bring him up. Bernini was a baroque sculptor not classical, in fact he was soundly derided by the neoclassicals. Finally Ecstasy of Saint Teresa isn't even close to NSFW, even his Apollo and Daphne or The Rape of Proserpina are totally safe and they are loads more suggestive than Ecstasy of Saint Teresa.

Thanks, art history major. I just brought it up to demonstrate how cloistered life may yet be imbued with sexuality, despite the prohibitions against it. Frankly, I couldn't care less whether it is "baroque" or "classical".

Anytime, I know so little so when I run across something I know, I spit it out regardless of whether it is useful or not.

Some things that are true aren't very useful. Kidding. Didn't mean to come across so defensive. Whatever. Point is, sex happens. When the sex hits the fan... Yeah, whatever.

I read that in the middle ages, there were, what we would describe as brothels, often located outside of monasteries.

Even after Catholic priest could no longer marry, it became common for them to openly have a mistress who was, for all practical purposes, his wife. There are even medieval stories about "priest wives" going to hell, for loving their men.

I imagine there are all kinds of things that go on behind those closed doors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Monk

For what it's worth.

Yes.

Even the letters that survive from Galileo's daughter, the nun Suor Maria Celesteis, elude to it in her "that of which we don't discuss" way.

Check out the book Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel.

The whole nun thing is really disturbing when you think about the role of women in those times. It's a little messed up that it still exists, IMO.

Be it a cloister, or a prison, or a school, people are going to boink whatever is available and justify it in whatever way they decide.

For three years while living in Germany, I rented a room at a monastery. The rent was cheap and I got two meals a day. Not bad for a struggling young student and performing artist. Anyway, occasionally, I would get a knock on the door from one of the brothers seeking some 'company'. Hey I was young, it was the 70s and the party was going strong back then.
So yes, there is some hanky panky going on in the cloisters.

male or female? i am guessing male

only because they presumably wouldn't put up a female in the first place... interesting.

My best guess is that it happens here and there, but is far from the norm. I've read a compilation of stories of former nuns, and while they were quite frank in other ways, there was no mention of hanky panky with each other. Many of them mentioned being required to do activities in groups of three or more, and being warned away from forming "particular friendships." Also a colleague of mine was a former nun, and she didn't mention anything like that going on.