Why do Americans have such hangups when it comes to sex?

Question

I know its not all of you, but It seems that a large section of the american population have lots of hang ups when it comes to sex. It seems ok as long as you dont look at it or talk about it. If you watch pornography it's considered sick and dirty but many other countries accept it as part of life, regulate it and keep it to a red light district so If you arent into it, you just dont watch it or go there.
I don't necessarily mean just porn but sex in general... I recently read about an outcry in a US state about a picture of a nursing mother feeding her baby. Although there was no nipple exposed, its a completely natural thing & was on the cover of a magazine for nursing mothers available only in doctors, people were outraged.. WHY?
Tell me what you think. I'm curious as to why Sex is widely considered a bad thing in a place where its quite ok to own a gun, people are shot dead every day and its normal to watch extreme violence on tv & movies daily?

just curious palmbaychuck..
If its high morals & ethical behaviour, why the high level of violence?

Answer 1

Huge Lack of Knowledge. Ignorant people. Full of prejudices.

Answer 2

America is probably the most morally divided country on the planet.
We have more people with different world views because of the dozens of different cultures we have. In other countries, you basically have the same kinds of people.
Usually it's the minority that gets the majority of the news attention. Why, is another question.

So, whereas, most people would agree on a particular topic like public nursing in Germany, it is an issue in the States because of the diversity.

In Singapore, it is illegal to spit in public. You don't hear about it on the news because the whole culture over there agrees with the law. If you bring that law to America, you'll have the pro-spitters and anti-spitters protesting in the streets because of our diverse cultures and belief systems. And our media plays on people's diversity for their own filthy lucre. They only add to the problem instead of doing something to help it.

I, personally, disagree with porn and prostitution. A nursing mother is hardly open sex or porn.
I also don't condone violence on TV, but I think people should have a right to own a gun to protect themselves if they need to.

Our nation is becoming more and more divided every year. Our last 2 presedential elections showed that our nation is split in 2 on how we believe. I don't think that it's too long before we collapse internally because of this.
A nation divided cannot stand.

Answer 3

I know I am generalizing, and that is never good... but...

America seems to be a country obsessed with many things, sex being one of them - look at the hoo ha over Janet Jackson for example, or some of those questions you can find on here, about people who believe sex to be a sin and have all sorts of horrible hang up's over it.

I think religion plays quite a big part in this.

Hygiene also seems to be another issue, and health and safety in general. Just look at the legal system - where you can sue someone at the drop of a hat even if it is clearly your fault.

It is a society where political correctness is getting out of hand.

It is a pity.

Answer 4

I think it comes from a form of Christianity that first arrived here in the colonial era. They were called Puritans and taught that human body was a nasty thing and should be covered at all times. They also taught that sex and lust were two very sinful things and people should supress them as much as they possibly could.

These beliefs carried on throughout American society while they slowly died out in European society. It has only been until recently with the sexual revolution in the 60's, that America has really faced complete social change in how sex is perceived and dealt with.

There are still obviously elements of Puritan beliefs in our society and many cling to them. It is simply a conservative thing to do and therefore some believe the "right" thing to do.

Answer 5

There is an inherent contradiction in what you have written. Apparently they may have a different story to tell, and they may get finicky about issues that sometimes are of little importance. But the fact of the matter is that they are too concerned about sex, almost to the point of being obsessed about it. Their friendship, married life and social interaction have a sex bias, and hinge on it.Depression or fractured married life is largely to sexual incompatibility and dissatisfaction arising out it.

Answer 6

It's likely because America on average has more practitioners of christianity than any other western European country. Since christianity see sex for procreation and possibly for just pleasure between a married couple (not all see it this way) they tend to be condemning of things which fall outside what they feel should be the accepted norm.

Answer 7

It's because of our puritan background. And what you call hangups, many of us call ethical behavior. Anything goes as long as it's between a wife and husband only. Premarital, homosexual, group, pornography (which causes you to focus on someone other than your spouse) and unnatural sexual practices are all taught against in the Bible for good reason, they are bad for us and will destroy the love between a husband and wife.

Hope that answers your question! Good luck to ya.

Answer 8

This and other moral dilemmas go back to the founding settlers who immigrated to this land to seek religious and spiritual freedoms that were thought to be frowned upon in the old world as in all things time has changed these views to what we have today a don't ask don't know buy by all means get it mentality!! strange isn't it?

Answer 9

its all to do with politics. its now not seen politically correct to show things of an explicit nature no matter how innocent it is as it can be seen to embarrass and offend different cultures. there is nothing wrong with a mother feeding her baby as in England its exactly the same. we are being turned into a nanny state where the government are intervening with anything. its sounds as tho the us have the same problems

Answer 10

It goes beyond sexual issues. We Americans are all about being PC (politically correct). If something offends one group of people, then it has to be removed/edited. Sometimes we get so busy trying not to step on people's toes that we crush someone else's whole foot.