FAQ

Uniformity was in the beginning and since then the whole evolutionary drive spiritual and physical, has been towards divergence and differentiation. Those who proclaim the desirability of uniformity turn away from progress, they are heading in the wrong direction. Everything in Nature proclaims that uniformity is not the objective and that the drive should be towards individualisation. The lower on the evolutionary scale a thing is, the more uniform it will be.

The Culdians have produced a Pre-Natal correspondence course for parentsto-be and a correspondence course on Child Care and Culture for parents of children up to eight years of age. It is hoped that in time classes based on the Culdian teachings in relation to child-raising, will be operating. As one of the objectives of the whole boy of Culdian teachings is to change individuals for the better and to place them on the road to the Mastery of Life, it follows that such teachings will also make them better parents. Only following a generation of perfect parents can we expect to have a perfect world, at least as far as perfection is attainable on earth.

It is extremely unlikely that any normal woman would derive pleasure from being raped, although it is known from research that many women fantasize about it and some place themselves in situations which invite rape; however, it is unlikely that this is done consciously. The whole subject is frought with difficulties and there are many grey areas. While publicity in the media and other unreliable evidence seem to indicate that rape is on the increase, research shows that this is not the case and that actual violent and criminal rape by a stranger is only slightly up on what it was one or two generations ago.

It seems that most rapists have personality defects and relationship difficulties. Some have relatively stable marriage relationships and a few appear to have been good husbands and fathers, but deeper probing found evidence to the contrary. One thing they all had in common was a defective home environment when they were children. There is little doubt that the causes of their eventual anti-social behavior are to be found in their childhood environment and particularly in parental irresponsibility or indifference. Many were unable to relate to their mothers or held her in little respect. The father’s attitude towards the mother and women in general also seems to have played a part. Research indicated that the number who had feminist mothers was out of proportion to the community in general, and it seems that the son of a ‘butch’ lesbian is more than four times as likely to be a rapist as the average.

When it comes to anti-social behavior the family is all important and there is little doubt that the great bulk of the ills afflicting society today can be attributed to the decline in family stability and status. This is why the Culdians place so much emphasis in their teachings on family wellbeing. A concept which the Culdians are trying to promote is that of responsible parenting, something little understood in it wider application, for it actually begins during courtship. Very few people take their prospective children into consideration when choosing a mate. Yet, for the genetic good of humankind this is something which cannot be overlooked without dire consequences.

It would certainly be unfair if women were treated an anything less than men’s equal, because an inspirer is always greater than the inspired. Two recent surveys taken by women among women show that the great majority of women believe they have an inspirational role to play and that they can command respect from men; most of those surveyed believed that women have fallen short of their potential. Over half agreed that woman’s deviation from this role was probably a contributing factor to the present state of society. Therefore it is in the interests of society and humankind that the Culdians adopt a particular attitude towards sexual roles, and not because of an arbitrarily chosen moralistic concepts.

The answer must depend entirely upon what is meant by equality, for not all interpret this in the same way. Equality of rights and status there should be; equality of opportunity, of pay, of influence, are also things which Culdians uphold. However, some people tend to confuse equality with uniformity and while we strenuously uphold the principle of the former, we are opposed to the increasing influence of those who seek to impose the latter. It is the differences between the sexes which have to be accentuated, not the similarities, providing always that neither sex is thereby prejudiced.

Speaking objectively and from research and statistics alone the answer can only be ‘yes’. It is the only possible one on the evidence.

We cannot agree that Culdians are judgmental with regard to women. On the contrary we recognize the superior virtues inherent in womankind and the great importance of the womanly criterion and female status. Perhaps it is because Culdians realize that woman is not living up to her full potential as a female, and that society is the worse because of this, that some of their statements may sound critical. We do not absolve men from blame and it is a sad commentary on our society that among men women are often classified according to their mammary development, their availability for sex and the

extent to which they expect male commitment. Such talk was heard a generation ago, but then it applied only to a certain section of womankind; now there is no such discrimination among men.

Seduction of the innocent and trusting is always wrong, but obviously this is a cliché and not a satisfactory answer. Where is the dividing line between rape and seduction? A notorious rapist stated that the only difference between the two is salesmanship – the difference between the way a callous robber carries out his crime of acquiring something he wants and the way a gentleman con-man goes about it. It is interesting to note that long after he had served his term of imprisonment the same rapist was again accused of rape. However, he defended himself by proving that he had long since given up the risks of rape but had studied and made himself a master of, the art of seduction, thus obtaining the same end result. He admitted 28 rapes to the police, only five of which had been reported and three of his victims said he was ‘quite nice’ about it, while two stated they were not sure whether they had been raped or seduced. None of these women had reported him to the police.

Official statistics are of little value and are not given much credence, but other figures are available and considerable research has been carried out by voluntary social workers. The conclusion arrived at is that there appears to be two main categories of rape and rapists. There are men who, because of personality inadequacies and character or mental defects, derive pleasure mainly through subjecting the victim to cruelty and indignities. There are the vicious, callous and violent rapists. The other type derives perverse sexual pleasure through the sex act itself and these rapists have no urge to hurt or harm. They will often spend time in sensual talk, if circumstances permit. What has come to light, however, is a whole grey area for what has increased manyfold and is sometimes described as ‘positive’, ‘masterful’ or ‘aggressive’ sex embodied in the image some women have of ‘the great lover’. Research in several western countries indicates that women have now come to accept this as the ‘norm’, and in fact often anticipate or expect it. In this expression of ‘lovemaking’ the male sex urge is dominant. The problem arises when, having permitted the man to go so far, the woman does not wish to follow through to the culmination. In the past, when the man did proceed to what was considered the logical conclusion,

this was generally considered to be rape, unless the woman gave implicit consent, but these days it is not so. Women, having come to accept this male behavior as normal, and having their stereotyped image of the great lover in their subconscious, find it difficult to accuse the man of rape. It seems, from the evidence, that modern western women are prepared to accept and tolerate sexual advances, even if they refuse to ‘follow through’, whereas formerly this was considered ‘disrespectful’ and ‘degrading’. It is in this grey area that the subject of rape poses the greatest problems for those who have to deal with the victims and the perpetrators. This is where research becomes confused.

To put the matter in a nutshell let us say that there is a general lack of social concern, a lack of discipline and an enshrouding apathy which were not present in earlier generations. Compounding the situation is the fact that people do not know the answers to problems; they make wrong choices and decisions because they have no standards of assessment, no guiding codes of social and communal conduct or a personal relationship criterion. Although the decline began earlier it was given impetus during the first world war when women started entering factories and doing jobs previously undertaken by men. Then they started to seek what they called ‘equality with men’, which is certainly their right as far as status and rights are concerned, but unfortunately a sector of women took this to mean ‘masculinisation’, and it was here that the problems really started. Men and women are fundamentally different; no man has ever produced a baby and no woman has ever fathered one, each sex having been designed for specific and very different roles in life. The supreme job of womankind has always been to maintain the integrity of the home and family. When women remained at home and concentrated on raising the children there was less crime, less delinquency and much less inter-personal discord. While mothers were the centre around which homelife revolved, maintaining discipline, devoting time and attention to the all important task of properly raising children and mindful of the needs of the next generation, society remained relatively healthy. However, once woman’s interests moved away from the sphere of domesticity young

children were left more or less to their own devices and to the influence of anti-social elements. They often became ‘latch-key children’, coming home to a cold and empty house to await a harassed, stressed and often irritable mother. They were provided with a ‘convenience’ meal and spent the evening, sometimes, in the company of parents often ill at ease with each other. As they grew up the children of such homes came under the domination of others, perhaps anti-social and vicious characters, and soon were congregating in juvenile gangs, like pack rats. The gang instinct is not new; what is new, however, is the anti-social colouring of the thinking, which was not present in earlier times. Respect for parents and law and order, for policemen, politicians and community leaders, has been replaced by derision, unfortunately not always undeserved. The seeds of present social ills were sown in the impoverished soil of an unnatural and cold, uncommunicative homelife, and it is in the same place, the home, that a cure must be effected. This is an area of prime concern to Culdians.