for them certain things
are impossible there will be an obvious alternative. The man who cannot
forget the woman in the priest or preacher will not attend her church; the
woman, of whom the same is sometimes true, will avoid the ministrations of
men. There will then be less of that eroticism in religion which some of
those who--by a curious perversion of logic--oppose the ministry of women
actually quote as a reason for compelling women to go to men-priests
because there is no one else for them to go to.

IX

FURTHER MISUNDERSTANDINGS: THE NEED FOR SEX CHIVALRY

"Men venerated and even feared women--particularly in their
specifically sexual aspect--even while they bullied them; and
even in corrupt and superstitious times, when the ideal of
womanhood was lost sight of, women tended to get back as
witches the spiritual eminence they had failed to retain as
saints, matrons and saviours of society."

_Northcote: Christianity and Sex Problems, p_. 326.

Chivalry is the courtesy of strength to weakness. Yet women who pride
themselves on their superior moral strength in regard to sex rarely feel
bound to show any chivalry towards the weak. I do not myself believe that
women are _as a whole_ stronger than men, or that men are _as a whole_
stronger than women; but I am sure that the sexes are relatively stronger
in certain respects and at certain points, and that where one is stronger
than the other, that one should feel the chivalrous obligation of strength
whether man or woman. Chivalry is not and ought not to be a masculine
virtue solely.

For example, it is quite common to be told of (or by) some girl who is an
artist in flirtation that she is "quite able to take care of herself." This
appears to mean that whoever suffers, she will not; and whatever is given,
she will not be the giver. It is possible to go further and say that
whatever she buys she will certainly not pay for.

What does she buy? Well, it depends, of course, on what she wants and what
is her social class. But, roughly speaking, she wants both pleasure and
homage--not only theatres and cinemas, ice-creams or chocolates, but the
incense that goes with such things--the demonstration of her triumphant
sexual charm, which evokes such offerings.

Of course, in a great deal of this there is no harm. People who like each
other will like to please each other, to give pleasure, and to enjoy it
together. But there is