Conjugial Love (Rogers) n. 297

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297. (2) The man ought to court the woman and ask her to marry him, and not the other way around. This is a consequence following his choosing whom to court. Moreover, it is also honorable and seemly for men to court women and ask them to marry them, whereas it would not be seemly for women to do so in reverse. If women were to do the courting and asking, they would not only be censured, but after several times of asking they would also be regarded as contemptible, or after marriage as slaves to lust, with whom it would be impossible to have any domestic relations other than cold and disgusting ones. Marriages would be thus changed into tragic scenes. Wives on that account even turn it to their credit that they yielded to their men's pressing the question, as though in surrender to them. Who does not envision that if women were to court men, they would rarely be accepted, but would be either shamefully rejected or seduced into wanton acts, in addition to prostituting their modesty? Furthermore, men do not have any innate love for the opposite sex, as evidenced earlier,* and without that love, they lack an inner enjoyment of life. Consequently, to enhance their life by that love, it is incumbent on men to make appeals to women, by politely, respectfully and humbly courting them and asking them to grant that sweet addition to their lives. The beauty of that sex in face, form and manners, surpassing that of men, also adds itself as an obligation of the vow. * See no. 161:2.


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