An insightful read , as usual, Mark. However from what I understand of this lifestyle, the dominance and submission isn't always "gruesome" as you have suggested, nor is it even necessarily about the application of pain on one person toward the other (like S&M), but rather it's about one person accepting a powerless submissive position under another who is considered, and accepted, as their superior. It can be about a complete transfer of power and not about any pain. The submissive finds "freedom" in the abandonment of all her rights and privileges as she accepts the unquestioned rule of her superior (and there are of course male submissives with female dominants, as well). Clearly this is not a Godly perspective since none of us are superior in the eyes of our omnipotent God, who sees us as equally sinful, yet equally loved and forgiven. So for what it's worth, this is just another wave in this rather raucous Tsunami that we're all surfing!
Thanks for the thoughtful interaction, Jim! My primary sources are limited. The four counselees I've worked with were all involved with the infliction of pain as part of foreplay. And the four books I've either read or sampled all include the infliction of pain. The one book referred to above did mention that it can be limited to simply a submissive role without pain or even sex. But she implied that subset is quite small.
I'd be interested in your sources. If you could email them to me, I'd appreciate it. And thanks for following what I've written all these years!
An insightful read , as usual, Mark. However from what I understand of this lifestyle, the dominance and submission isn't always "gruesome" as you have suggested, nor is it even necessarily about the application of pain on one person toward the other (like S&M), but rather it's about one person accepting a powerless submissive position under another who is considered, and accepted, as their superior. It can be about a complete transfer of power and not about any pain. The submissive finds "freedom" in the abandonment of all her rights and privileges as she accepts the unquestioned rule of her superior (and there are of course male submissives with female dominants, as well). Clearly this is not a Godly perspective since none of us are superior in the eyes of our omnipotent God, who sees us as equally sinful, yet equally loved and forgiven. So for what it's worth, this is just another wave in this rather raucous Tsunami that we're all surfing!
Thanks for the thoughtful interaction, Jim! My primary sources are limited. The four counselees I've worked with were all involved with the infliction of pain as part of foreplay. And the four books I've either read or sampled all include the infliction of pain. The one book referred to above did mention that it can be limited to simply a submissive role without pain or even sex. But she implied that subset is quite small.
I'd be interested in your sources. If you could email them to me, I'd appreciate it. And thanks for following what I've written all these years!