Puritans and Sex

Puritans were often stereotyped as a strongly religious group that lacked humor and was very sexually repressed. Although they were strongly religious, they were still human beings. They knew sex was a human necessity and understood that fully. What they did was make vigorous strides to make sex before marriage illegal. In other words, they only wanted married couples to partake in sexual intercourse to honor the code of God. They came up with a number of laws to protect sexual misdemeanors such as adultery, fornication, rape, etc. Not following these such laws were supposed to result in death. Although the death penalty was the rule of law, in many cases this punishment was not given. The sexual law system of the Puritan peoples was very lenient. Not flawed by any circumstances, but very lenient. There was a very basic rule. Do not let sex interfere with religion. The number one goal was to glorify god. If a love for a woman is taken so far that it interferes with a man’s relationship with god, then the love for the woman was too far. In the reading, the author Edmund Morgan says, “The Puritans never wished to prevent the enjoyment of early delights. They nearly demanded that the pleasures of the flesh be subordinated to the greater glory of God. Husband and wife must not become so transported with affection that they look at no higher end than marriage itself “(Morgan). It was very simple. If married, in the eyes of the Puritan people, sexual intercourse was okay. If not married, than it was one of the worst sins known to man. Sex before marriage was the least of their worries at this time. The big rule breaker was in other sexual offenses. Toward sexual intercourse outside of the marriage the Puritans were as frankly hostile as they were favorable to it in marriage. They passed laws to punish adultery with death, and fornication with whipping. Yet The Puritan people had no doubt that these rules will be broken. Although it was against these things were