SA,
Well I am glad someone else adores it because I fear I am rambling.
And yes, historically, you are dead-on with the Catholic Church. I think it's important to realize though it was a different world.. .where Satan actually walked freely in their beleif system, hiding in shadows, spreading disease, possessing people (tertiary syphillis).
Can you imagine this kind of world? They didn't even know bacteria caused some diseases.
The Priests were the scientists of the time (often the only literate people in the village) trying to explain a complex world and why people got sick, disease, mental, died, etc. Prevention was key and yet STD"s still spread like wildfire.
Existence at that level of the peasant was marginal but at least they had the promise of heaven as a consolation prize. This is why the Church held such political power for so long.
Now. . .that being said, and realizing that Catholic-bashing is almost a religious pasttime, even amongst Catholics, I have to say. . .I do see some, no. . .a lot of wisdom in Catholic doctrine at times when it comes to sexuality and marriage/consummation. I think they nailed the 7 Deadly Sins well and they offer a model to living.
I know a lot of people criticize the Vatican as being a bunch of repressed homosexual men walking around who couldn't understand a thing about heterosexual marriage but at times, I find their take on matters like this very insightful and a fascinating read.
Certainly they would be right to not have an entire marriage be overrun with lust (although I must admit I do revel in the thought
) but it's also unrealistic, totally, to figure neither spouse would ever encounter a lustful thought.
As far as their view on premarital sex, I think the problem is marriage happen to late in our reproductive lives now. I feel for my boys, my oldest reaching 13 now. I know what's coming and what am I supposed to tell him?
"Oh yeah, put that off. . .think about baseball until you are 24-26."
Jewish males during the time of JC were all married off by age 15. Jesus was kind of an oddball that way (and thus the impetus for The DaVinci Code).
Not only do I feel sorry for him in that regard but it's so different for boys nowadays as when I was a boy.
When I was boy, it was like:
BOY: Let's have sex.
GIRL: Well, we really shouldn't but okay.
Now. . .it's like:
GIRL: Let's have sex.
BOY: Huh?