Glenn,

I read the MSNBC article and I think that it missed one minor point. Older singles may get together simply to combat the lonliness one feels after the loss of a long-time spouse. For example, my wife's grandfather has recently moved in with another older woman after the death of his wife, to whom he'd been married for 50 years. Since they live in Sun City, FL, we affectionally refer to their home as Sin City. He probably will not marry this woman.
MSNBC overgeneralizes by saying this is the generation that abhors all extramarital intercourse. But since we're generalizing, isn't it possible that some seniors are cohabitating to enforce their behavioral patterns? My wife's grandfather has never run a washing machine or a dishwasher in his life. Nor has he hardly ever cooked, ironed, or even folded his own clothes. Why would he start at age 81?

On another note, isn't the assertion that extramarital intercourse was frowned upon in the older generation a rather broad statement? This was the generation of the three martini lunch, 'sexy stews', buxom secretaries, burlesque, pin-up girls, etc.

Just because the older generation didn't publicize and glorify their exploits the way we do now, it's ludicrous to think that their lives were any less libido driven than ours.

For all the piety and wholesome living that we've been fed to believe typified America before the late 60's, this story just demonstrates that the styles may change, but people are fundamentally the same.

Of course, the thought of old people sex is still disgusting for strictly aesthetic reasons. I couldn't help but picture the old naked lady in 'The Shining' as I read the story.

For any aficionados of good literature out there, may I recommend "Old Love", a collection of short stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer. The theme is love and lust among the geriatric set more than fifty years ago, chronicling residents in 'old folks homes' who dreamed of falling in love literally until the day they died. It's easy to read and very funny. Anyone who has read it would be unperturbed and unimpressed by this story.

I'm nowhere near an expert, but I've read the Bible thru twice, and don't remember any passages condemming sex outside of marriage. Could you point me to any?

What I did find is a bunch of warnings to honor your commitments, and to respect the commitments your neighbors may have made between each other.

Am I out of line here?

Just to preface, I say Go Gramma! everybody needs and deserves affection, companionship, etc. If 2 consenting adults want to spend their golden years together, I say go for it.

because I'm a know-it-all, I have to answer
Spambait's question:
from webster's dictionary
fornicate

v : have sex without being married
from Bible.com
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT....FORNICATION?
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 & 1 Corinthians 7:1-2

"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."

Yeah, naturally it's from Paul.

Ambrcat, I used Strong's Concordance to help me to understand those passages in I Corinthians. Fornication is defined as (4202) harlotry, adultery (which I take to be the adulteration of one's issue), and incest. Strong defines (4203) as idolatry or unlawful lust.

Again, I see the Bible as reinforcing the sanctity of marriage, and contract, and covenant. Not as a condemnation of being human.

Actually, STD rates among senior citizens are rapidly growing. Largely it is due to the fact that seniors are not as adept at or used to using condoms for sex as, say, 20-somethings, since they have been with the same partner for the majority of their lives, and they haven't been educated much on that topic. After their life-long partner dies, they begin to have sex with new partner(s), who may have also begun sleeping around a bit.

This is not to suggest that seniors are suddenly extremely promiscuous, but having two or three partners who have also had two or three partners significantly increases chances of getting an STD, particularly as it only takes one exposure to get it. (This is especially true among seniors, who tend to have weaker immune sysems.)