Celibacy

The Shakers were celibate throughout their entire lives, because they believed that God did not want people to have sex. They believed that sex was a distraction from one’s life and tasks that were to be completed. Comparing this belief to my life as a sixteen year old girl in the twenty-first century, celibacy is far from the expectations that are set by adolescents. There is an unspoken expectation that a teenager is not normal, or is “prude” if their virginity has not been lost by the time they have graduated high school. This expectation puts a large amount of pressure on girls in modern day society, as one can feel uncomfortable admitting the fact that they have not yet engaged in sexual activities. There should not be a time stamp on the age that one is supposed to lose their virginity. Could the idea of celibacy be an idea worth considering? The Shakers lived very successful lives, and they found the equality within sexes that people of the twenty-first century are still fighting to attain. Despite the temptations that must be avoided while being celibate, the equality that is given in exchange for sex is a gift that many people are currently fighting to acquire. Equality is given in exchange for sex because there is no expectation of women, or even men for that matter, and there is not the idea that a woman is inferior to a man during intimate activities. Many people relate the inequality of men and women to the feeling of sexual pressure that is put on women, and this is a pressure that the majority of teenage girls feels and often gives in to. I feel as though, if women truly want to accomplish the sexual and business equality that women have been fighting for since the 1800’s, there are going to have to be sacrifices made, that potentially effect the everyday life of women, for better and for worse. Women, and especially teenage girls, should take note of the way that Shakers lived. Celibacy may be something that very few people consider, but according to the Shakers, it will take the pressure off of teenage girls and help to make an environment where men and women are created equal.