The attitude of the Church toward sex has seldom been helpful. Often silent about the socially destructive sins that men commit with impunity, she has spoken loudly on the misuses of sex to the point where many regard such offenses as the worst a Christian can commit. It is true that in theory she has extolled sex as a positive value, indeed a gift from God, but in practice her overall record on sex has been negative, one of uncertainty and fear, not open, thankful acceptance. Until Freud came along she seemed Manichaean on the subject. His sexual theories undoubtedly shocked her, but at least they forced her to work on a more understanable philosophy and theology of sex.