MiloCast

This being the first post of this new blog, the topic of virginity seems to be relevant. I was reading a post on the Atheist’s Wager blog discussing virginity, and was suddenly struck by a realization: there is no such thing. Referring to someone as a virgin is a commonly accepted way to refer to the physical — if not moral or spiritual — state of a person.

Consider that the concept of virginity was invented by religious people, and its meaning has evolved since it was created. When it came to describe someone who has not yet had sexual intercourse, it applied only to females and the hymen was considered a reliable test. Anyone who has attended at least a sixth-grade health class knows why this “test” isn’t worth anything. Yet virginity is a highly-prized “thing” that men value in women (and society values even in its young men), to the point where Japanese geisha traditionally auctioned off their virginity, or mizuage for .

Obviously I’m not the first to realize this, nor is this blog the first place the idea has been published. Which makes it even more interesting to me — how a simple, seemingly common-sense notion is imperceptible to even secular societies. How else has religious influence left its fingerprints in our cultures even after we have abandoned so many of its darker trappings?

I hope this first posting opens up many conversations with my new readers, and I look forward to getting to know you.