The Bible s Teachings On Sex - 1266 Words

Growing up in a conservative Christian church, I was taught that the gospel was one, complete, and indestructible whole — particularly as it applied to human sexuality. But it’s not that simple. The idea that is still taught in some churches today is that the Christian sexual ethic came to earth fully formed, straight from heaven, about 2,000 years ago. Throughout all that time, there was exactly one way for Christians to express their sexuality — by staying abstinent until they got married to a person of the opposite gender. And then, you could have at it all you wanted. But what I wasn’t taught in Sunday School is that the Bible’s teachings on sex have been interpreted in many different ways. I didn’t know that the early Christians†¦show more content†¦St. Paul, a celibate Christian leader who wrote most of the New Testament, thought of practicing celibacy as taking the higher road towards God, since it allows Christians to concentrate wholly on things of the spirit. The second coming didn’t happen, but the emphasis on celibacy stayed. Couples in the second century were expected to stop having sex altogether after producing several children. 3. For the first 1,000 years of Christianity (that’s at least HALF of its existence, people), many Christians wouldn’t have considered getting married in a church. Marriages in the West were originally just economic alliances made between two families, with both the church and the state staying out of the proceedings. This meant that weddings didn’t require the presence of a priest. The church got involved in regulating marriage much later on, as its influence began to increase in Western Europe. It wasn’t until 1215 that the Church formally put a claim on marriage and hashed out rules about what made children legitimate. 4. For much of the church’s history, sex within a marriage was only tolerated because it produced children. Christian leaders didn’t just disapprove of premarital sex. Sexual desire itself was seen as the problem. After St. Paul, one of the most prominent Christian early church leaders who had an impact on the way Christians view sexShow MoreRelatedPremarital Sex Essay1571 Words   |  7 PagesPremarital Sex Premarital sex is defined as when two people begin to engage in sexual intercourse before marriage. In todays society premarital sex has become part of the norm and has been accepted. Many young adults are living together before marriage and engaging in sexual activity. It has become apparent that more people are involving themselves in premarital sex and do not acknowledge that it is an immoral act. Sex has become a symbol for pleasure and is no longer considered sacred in today’sRead MorePremarital Sex1646 Words   |  7 PagesResearch on Premarital Sex Research Paper on Premarital Sex Arenas, Jhonar L. Social Dimensions of Education Mr. Joey Semilla SEPTEMBER 2012 Jhonar L. Arenas Sir Semilla Educ. 3 29 September 2012   Premarital Sex Premarital sex is sexual intercourse engaged in by  persons who are unmarried. It is generally used in reference to individuals who  are presumed not yet of marriageable age or between adults who will presumably marry eventually, but who  are engaging in sexual activity prior toRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Across The Whole World1507 Words   |  7 Pagesdebate regarding same-sex marriage across the whole world. Many religious institutions as well as the people under each denomination, still firmly oppose it even after it’s legalization. â€Å"Religious denominations play a strong role in structuring attitudes about the morality of homosexuality, and support for specific policies of toleration and nondiscrimination† (Sherkat, Mattias de Vries and Creek 81). Religion continues to be a major factor towards the society’s views in same-sex marriage. It also determinesRead MorePre-Marital Sex803 Words   |  4 PagesI. Supports premarital sex A. Engaged Couple The most prominent argument for premarital sex among Christians is the marital argument, which says, We are in love and plan to marry soon. Why should we wait? (Williams: 2010). If both participants are willing, care deeply for each other, and use protection, premarital sex is fine. This experience will bring two people closer together. (Zeolla: 2011) Others practice premarital sex because they are engaged and will be marrying each other soonRead MoreMarriage, Divorce and Celibacy1459 Words   |  6 PagesMarriage, Divorce and Celibacy The Apostle Paul’s Teachings on Marriage, Divorce and Celibacy MS Mid-America Christian University BINT3813-PSY1207 Foundations of Ethics: The Life and Teachings of Paul Lawrence Kirk Marriage, Divorce and Celibacy Abstract This paper explores the Apostle Paul’s teachings on marriage, divorce, remarrying and celibacy. This teaching on marriage is found in 1 Corinthians 7. In his teachings Paul gives advice to the unmarried in, he gives adviceRead MoreArguments For Same Sex Marriage1483 Words   |  6 PagesWhile seventeen states have already granted couples the right to marry whom they love regardless of gender, the rest of the country continues to forbid same-sex couples to marry (Ahuja) and in doing so, infringe upon one of the most basic freedoms we are allowed. Arguments for same-sex marriage, despite being backed up with hard legal evidence and Supreme Court rulings, continue to face opposition on the grounds of religious beliefs and personal values. Often cited by Catholics is an interpretationRead MorePremarital Sex And Its Effects1069 Words   |  5 Pagespremarital sex; the gender disparity may have been caused by cultural double standards regarding the admission of sexual activity. Starting in the 1920s, and especially after World War II, premarital sex became more common; this was especially prevalent among women. By the end of the 20th century, between 75 and 80 percent of Americans had sex before the age of 19. During the colonial period, premarital sex was publicly frowned upon but privately condoned to an extent. Even though premarital sex was somewhatRead MoreSocial Imagination579 Words   |  3 PagesSocial Imagination and Same Sex marriage and society. To me social imagination is the ability to remove yourself from a given situation whether it affects your life or not personally and try to imagine the situation or conflict from a different perspective or more global view. It’s the personal aspect that affects our judgments, opinions and actions in a particular situation. Removal of the personal viewpoint gives us a much fairer and unbiased way to make a decision that is fair. Removing ourRead MoreSexual Morality And The Catholic Church1180 Words   |  5 Pageswithin many as well. In early Abrahamic faiths, sex was commemorated as a source of holiness and sanctification when used in a proper manner. These proper manners consist of three points: 1. Only between man and woman (condemns homosexual partnerships) 2. The transmission of human life (condemns contraceptives) and 3. Solely within a lawful marriage. Therefore, it would be a struggle and somewhat contradicting to attempt in separating religion from sex. Christian f undamentalists argue that the actRead MoreEssay about Gender Issues in Religion1633 Words   |  7 Pagesyears ago, or even a lot less, these different perspectives did not exist, as they were often considered unimportant, as King noted until recently little attention has been paid to gender differences and their impact on religious teaching and practice.[1] With some religions, their scriptures are considered to be infallible and therefore not to be questioned. So the question itself are religions sexist is a fairly new one. Some religions are thought of as being more