Is Rape Natural? Part 2, 2014 Edition

[bennyboy]

Of course rape is natural. Men have a strong motivation to have sex with women, obviously rooted in the selective advantage of pre-contraceptive, pre-abortion humans. I'm not sure, but I think you could even make the case that rape is more natural than not raping. Not raping involves cultural training, understanding (and caring about) the feelings of others, etc., which are at least partly learned. Raping basically involves a fundamental instinct, aided by the biological advantage of size that most men have over most women.

I'd also say the intense horror and revulsion toward rape is artificial-- the psychological harm often extends well beyond the physical harm. It is strong ideas about the sanctity of the sexual self, the importance of virginity and purity, etc. that makes rape such a scarring event for some. But I've personally had doctors do that are just as invasive, and been less affected-- because my world view accepts medical procedures and not unwelcome sexual assualts.

Now, before everyone goes off and starts shitting on me, we're talking about nature here, with the understanding that nature is a hostile, shitty, dog-eat-dog context, not a field full of daisies with frolicking unicorns. I'm not saying that it's okay for men to rape women, or that it's wrong for a women to be psychologically broken afterward-- just that it's clearly natural.