Religion, Sex & Politics

The recent "outing" of the double life of the popular Colorado Pastor and President of the National Association of Evangelicals, Ted Haggard, may well have been politically motivated. The fact that his following, which includes President Bush, have been pushing for bans on gay marriage certainly would lead one to suspect that the targets of such legislation might be overjoyed at unmasking this sort of hypocrisy.

Add to this the scandal surrounding Rep. Mark Foley and his relations with young Congressional pages. Foley, a gay but still highly popular Florida congressman, partially blamed his downfall on a Catholic priest. All this should raise a larger question: what are the connections that might exist between religion, sex, and politics?

To try to answer this question, we first have to expand our understanding of sexuality and the role it plays in nature. Sex is not simply a matter or means of biological reproduction. Rather, the reproductive function has to be understood in the broader context of the evolutionary advance of life and the wider range of mechanisms, both physical and psychological, within which life develops. In this respect, Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychiatry, once described sex —and for Freud, everything could be explained by sex—as being "polymorphous".

By this, Freud meant that sexuality expresses itself in a whole host of human activities. Certainly the connections between sex and aggression are well known. Less well recognized is the connection between sexual drive and political leadership. So-called "Alpha-males" (to borrow a term from sociobiology often applied to pack or herd leadership) have long had their human counterparts. In fact, the further we go back in history, the harder it becomes to separate political power from sexual dominance. King Solomon, with his fabled 700 wives and concubines, was hardly the first or the last. It is said that well over half the people of Central Asia have genes directly traceable back to the conqueror Ghengis Khan, while Henry VIII's six successive wives came close to setting a record for Western civilization. By these standards, most of our modern politicians, no matter how sleazy, are decidedly second rate.

Nevertheless, this apparent connection between leadership and sexual drive has rarely been explored when it comes to religion. Except for some old jokes about Pope Alexander VI and Brigham Young, most religious leaders, even Luther after he left his monastery, have been considered to be rather sexually restrained— in fact, even Freud admitted that the sexual drive could be "sublimated" to serve a higher purpose. But such sublimation is rarely achieved without a price to be paid, one that often involves some degree of psychological repression.

So maybe this is where the key to the puzzle can be found. Such self-restraint is not easy, especially when you consider that both political as well as religious leaders like to think, or at least often claim, that their goal in life is to serve the public or the common good of society. With this service comes public recognition and very often, great popularity.

But, at the same time, with this increased recognition also comes increased temptation to live beyond the law or to imagine that one can somehow get away with things that others can't. But the truth is just the opposite. Whether in religion or politics, with increased prestige comes greater scrutiny and accountability. If you doubt that, you don't have ask Ted Haggard or Mark Foley, both of whom are understandably trying to stay out of the public eye at the moment. Just ask Bill Clinton.

R W Kropf 11/6/06

SexScan.doc 600 words 06-11-06