I am going to a workshop on genetics and behaviour this morning, so I read SSM with interest. You can do good surveys of sexual behaviour, but even if you sample carefully –which is much more hard than you would think –then you have to deal with the natural modesty of most people. Sex, for  most, is a private matter. People say what they consider is acceptable. I am not working at home, where I can neatly insert links, but Zippy in his acerbic way makes a point. About bias.

I doubt that researchers ever find themselves in a position to ask non-whores to wire up their genitals in an arousal study. So data comparing asked-and-agreed to asked-and-declined is like comparing data on bar sluts who gave out their number and bar sluts who didn’t.

The context was being paid to see stimuli (what we will gloss over) with a recording instrument inserted in your vagina. Most women who agree to this have had a certain desensitization: most who are not blase about such things simply would not volunteer. Unless coerced, which is another form of evil.

But on bias, nothing new here.

Try doing research on violence — which I have done and do — or substance use. Reporting bias is real to the point that I use a scale of perceived violence as an outcome.

JUDE 17-25
17 But you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” 19 It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. 20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some who are wavering; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies.
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, 25 to the only God our
Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

I am going to come back to bias and the worldly. Most of us struggle with sins, and to each their own struggle. A simple example: gambling bores me. I don’t by lottery tickets.  I do not play poker. I tend not to rant about gambling because to me it is a non issue. But food… let us say the walk has to be over an hour a day. Pastry shops and cakes are very bad for me, and I want them.

The struggle is important. It forces us all to painfully realize we are imperfect.

And those who say we will never be tempted are lying. Those who say that indulging in temptation are worse.

For this is why the Erikson situation is important. A fallen church empowers one to sin, because they fear confrontation will damage self esteem. A non-worldly church sees self esteem as an idol of this age. Erikson left the non-worldly church because confrontation and excommunication is painful.

But repentance is. Struggling with sin is. We are not promised ease in this life if we are of Christ, but trouble, opposition, and pain. In fact we are told we should embrace this, as Christ did, for we have been deemed worthy to bear his name –by no work of ours but by his Spirit changing us.

Links
www.presbyterianmission.org/devotion/daily/2013/12/7/
sunshinemaryandthedragon.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/four-reasons-to-take-sex-research-with-a-grain-of-salt/