Has anyone ever been able to explain why? It's pleasurable, it hurts no-one and it doesn't break any of the ten comandments (unless you are doing it with someone else's partner.)
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It's pretty easy to work out.
There are world wide taboos against sex with lots of partners & for a push towards stable relationships
But only for women. The only taboo for men was that having sex with another man's wife or daughter was a form of theft (you were devaluing his property) If he had enough money or prestige a man could pretty much do what he liked - there are many Fitzroys in the English speaking world, but I've never heard of a Fitzreine.
1. So men have more confidence that they are the father of any baby.
That wouldn't stop 'daddy' straying from the marriage bed, though, would it.
2. To encourage men to stick around and support the family unit.
It's a win-win situation (on average) for men and women. They both get something out of marriage which is why it has survived for so long.
If you look at the stats, it is a sad but true fact that where there are child bashings, sexual assaults etc it is more likely to be a step dad than the natural father. Not saying that all step dads are like that, of course they aren't. But casual partners don't necessarily have the same attachment if they know the children are not theirs.
Divorce and subsequent relationships are a separate issue to sex outside marriage. And even given that a stable marriage is the best environment for bringing up children that doesn't mean having sex before marriage is harmful or undesirable.
