The primal purpose of marriage.—If boys and girls were properly trained and safeguarded, if our customs and habits of life were natural instead of artificial; they would use up their sexual energy in their various activities. Under such normal conditions the gradually developing paternal and maternal instincts, which are the products of maturing sexual life, would be under perfect control and lead them to marry for the primal purpose of procreating the species and perpetuating the race. This God-implanted paternal and maternal instinct, in their relation to the normally developing sexual natures, are so strong that matured young people are willing to assume every burden connected with maintaining a home and every sacrifice incident to raising a family of children.
Maternity not an affliction.—No normal wife, properly educated, who has the right view of marriage, looks upon maternity as an affliction. No woman, capable of normal motherhood should marry, who considers maternity a great affliction. The woman who is willing to sell the use of her body to one man in marriage for the consideration of being married, for food, clothing and shelter, and who deliberately and willfully avoids maternity, is but little better than the woman who prostitutes herself to a number of men for a price. The motives that lead a man and woman to commit prostitution outside of the bonds of marriage cannot be made sacred and pure by the sanction of law and a marriage ceremony. When husband and wife are mutually agreed, in this crime, he is as guilty as she.
Procreative periods in the sexes.—The possible procreative period of man extends from about seventeen to the close of life. His normal procreative period extends from about twenty-four to the beginning of his change of life. The possible procreative period of woman extends from puberty to the close of the change of life. Her normal procreative period extends from about twenty to the beginning of her change of life.
Function of menstruation.—The function of menstruation is to prepare the womb for the reception of embryonic life. Since the womb during menstruation is not prepared for the reception of this beginning life, the wife instinctively repels the sexual approaches of her husband.
Pregnancy a period of continence.—When impregnation occurs and the womb becomes the closed home of embryonic life, sexual desire largely or entirely ceases in the normal woman. She now enters a nine-month period of gestation. Again it is natural for her to repel sexual approaches of her husband. All the pregnant females among the lower animals and savage man faithfully repel the approach of their mates during gestation. This law is violated alone by semi-civilized and civilized man. The females among the lower animals and savage men do not dread maternity and the males are normal and do not force their demands upon their mates during gestation.
Why maternity is regarded as an affliction.—Among the civilized races, artificial customs, a false education and a selfish devotion to an unnatural social system, lead many women to dread maternity and to look upon this most sacred and glorious function of womanhood as a very great social affliction.
Enslaved motherhood the crowning curse of the age.—The artificial life of civilization leads men to become sexually abnormal. Law, custom and a misinterpretation of certain passages of the Bible have given men and women the erroneous idea that the wife must submit herself to the husband’s sexual demands, even during pregnancy. Hence the civilized woman submits to her husband’s demands. Another reason why she does not repel his approaches is because she feels that the “worst has already happened.” Enslaved motherhood is the crowning curse of an artificial civilization. If Bible students had given more sincere thought and time to the study of the redemptive meaning of, “And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son; and he (Joseph) called his name Jesus,” than they have to the doubtful meaning of a passage found in the writings of Paul, past legislation, education and evangelization would have accomplished more in the redemption of the race from the slavery and curse of lust.
Mysteries made clear.—When we keep in mind the primal purpose of marriage, the function of menstruation, the period of normal child bearing, it will not be difficult for us to understand why there should come a change in middle-aged woman, when menstruation, ovulation and child bearing should cease. Understanding that normal passion in woman is nature’s call for maternity, the reason for her repelling the approaches of her husband, during the change of life, and why sexual desire largely ceases with this change, will be clear to us. When the thoughtful husband, who loves his companion, understands the nature of this experience in the wife, he will be more considerate, sympathetic and self-controlled. Continence during this change will not only be a blessing to his wife, but it will be of physical and mental benefit to himself.
The age when the change of life occurs.—In this country, as a rule, the change of life occurs from forty to fifty. A few thousand miles south it occurs sooner. Climatic conditions hasten or retard both puberty and the change of life. If the age at the dawning of puberty is multiplied by three, this will give the age when the change of life will usually begin. There are other causes that may hasten or retard the approach of this change. Women have been known to reach the age of sixty and one woman to reach the age of seventy, before the change occurred. On the other hand there are cases where the change has occurred as early thirty-five and rare cases as early as twenty-eight and thirty.
Other names for the change of life.—This change is sometimes known as the “menopause,” referring to the cessation of the function of menstruation. It is also referred to as the “climacteric” period, meaning that a climax in life has been reached.