Sex+&+Christianity

 ** Sex and Christianity ** By Vince Dixon

**Sex & Christianity** covers a broad span of topics given the many denominations, sects and interpretations within the religion. Discussions of communication about sex and Christianity often focus on biblical teachings, denominational interpretations of these teachings and the influence of religious leaders on followers’ sexual practices. Over time, a variety of stances on sexuality, marriage, self-pleasure and contraceptives have evolved. The way such issues have been interpreted and taught has influenced some Christian’s political and social activities. Others have caused controversy.

=** History **= During the early rise of Christianity in the first and ninth centuries, churches began discussing the idea of celibacy as a solution to sexual urges. While some churches differed in opinion, the ideal became a popular one in the Western Church (Ponzetti, 2006).

By the 12th century the Church made a connection between the relationship between a husband and wife and the relationship between God and humanity. The Church emphasized the emotional, spiritual and relational aspect of marriage and eventually decreed marriage sacred and holy. This ideal was systematized to the point where church leaders began favoring the study of biblical teachings of marriage and sex over the real life experiences of followers (Ponzetti, 2006).

The 16th and 17th centuries introduced the Protestant Reformation in which Christian reformers, led by Martin Luther and John Calvin began rejecting some church doctrines. Of these doctrines was the sacrament of marriage and the idea that celibacy was an even more righteous practice. Instead of viewing celibacy as the preferred solution to sexual urges, the reformers viewed marriage as an unsacred solution (Ponzetti, 2006).

The Enlightenment period brought with it more secular views of sex and marriage. There was less focus on the holy union and more on the individualistic expressions of love. More societies began emphasizing “the exaggerated importance of romantic love, self-gratification, and personal happiness.” This ideal continues to be popular in modern societies where sex and marriage are often seen by secular populations as more civil than holy (Ponzetti, 2006).

= ** The Bible ** = God’s first command to man is to have sex (Gen. 1: 28, New International Version), ordering Adam and Eve to “be fruitful and increase in number.” Many more references encouraging the physical union of man and woman are found in the Bible. In the beginning of the Creation story, God tells Adam and Eve to becom e one in flesh. This contributes to the many sexual themes found in the story and throughout Genesis (Rothstein, 1996). For example, each member of the biblical patriarch, except Isaac, practices polygamy, sometimes marrying several wives under God’s guidance and approval (Rothstein, 1996). Other biblical heroes did the same. The king Solomon, for instance, had 300 wives and 700 concubines (1Kings 11:3). His father David had at least eight (1Chronicles 3: 1-3, New International Version).

Still, the Bible communicates certain ideals on sex and marriage. Fornication and adultery are considered sins with adultery being explicitly banned by God in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:14), while Jesus equates lust with adultery (Matt. 5: 8). The book’s stance on fornication, which is typically defined as sex outside of marriage, is debated by some scholars. These researchers question the translation of the term, originally written in the New Testament as “porneia,” which some scholars question if the definition includes extramarital relations or just illegal relationships with prostitutes (Malina, 1972).

Other scholars cite the book of Song of Songs as being a passionate poem about two unmarried lovers expressing a God-given gift of love and sex (Ellens, 2006). They say the poem suggests that marriage is not the only kind of physical relationship blessed by God (Haffner, 2004). The poem explicitly describes what most consider love-making between a couple.

However, most Christian sects have held that the Bible declares sex to be an expression of love between a married man and woman. Sex and marriage then become physical and relational expressions of the covenant God has with humanity. Married couples are expressing the comapionship, commitment and communion they have with God through matrimony while sex emphasizes the vulnerability and intimacy of the relationship (Ponzetti, 2006). Using this idea and biblical examples like the Song of Songs, many Christians believe God designed the body to be intimately enjoyed by a significant other (Ponzetti, 2006; Haffner, 2004). In short, God communicates and expresses his intimate covenant with humanity through sacred marriage.

= ** Social Issues ** = Christianity has played large roles in the debate and public discourse of several social issues, often times exerting political influence and church-wide stances. For Catholics, the pope declares the Church’s official stance on many of these.

**// Homosexuality //** Christians often cite Bible verses such as Leviticus 18: 22 as stating a sinfulness of homosexuality, calling it an abomination. Some scholars argue that such verses may be culturally misinterpreted. Stories like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities destroyed by God for their sinfulness, suggest that the men of the cities engaged in homosexual, deviant acts that God saw as sinful. While many Christians use the story to denounce homosexuality, some scholars suggest the story’s focus was on the violent nature of the acts rather than the sexuality iplied (Rothstein, 1996).

Christians have still taken strong political stances against homosexuality. In 2008, a proposition to amend the California Constitution was put on the ballot box. The law stated that marriages between only a man and a woman are to be recognized in the state. Several Christian organizations, including the Roman Catholic Church and The Church of Latter Day Saints spoke out in support of the proposition. The California Catholic Conference stated in an open letter that their reasons for supporting the measures were because declaring laws unconstitutional for marriage to be between only a man and a woman “discounts the biological and organic reality of marriage…[and] diminishes the word ‘marriage’ to mean only a ‘partnership’…” (Catholic Conference, 2008). The Church of LDS also encouraged members to donate money to efforts to pass the proposition. The Church of LDS raised and donated millions of dollars to the cause (Pyrah, 2008).

**// Pornography and Masturbation //** Pornography and masturbation involve lust, which the Bible states is an act of sin equal to adultery. Thus some Christians believe pornography’s objectification of human intimacy corrupts the real intimacy God designed humans to feel sexually with one another (Stuthers, 2009; Mier, 2007). The act of stimulating oneself damages the image of God one holds within (Struther, 2009).

Masturbation, being a solitary act, replaces a sacred marital act of intimacy and falls short in the end, Christians believe (Boulton, 2008). It tries to replace real, Godly relationships with isolating substitutes (Struthers, 2009). Some conservative Christians say advocates for pornography and masturbation base such support in moral relativism (Boulton, 2008).

= ** References ** = Boulton, Chris. (2008). Porn and me(n): sexual morality, objectification, and religion at the wheelock anti-pornography conference. //Communication Review//, 11(3), 247-243. California catholic conference, (2008, ). A statement of the catholic bishops of California in     support of proposition 8. Retrieved from Http://www. Cacatholic. Org/index. Php/california-bishops-statements/30-california-bishops-statements/191-a-statement-of-the-catholic-bishops-of-california-in-support-of-proposition-8-. Html.// //  Ellens, J. Harold. (2006).  // Sex in the bible: a new consideration //. Westport Connecticut: Praeger // publishers. //  Haffner, Debra. (2004). Sexuality and scripture  //. Contemporary sexuality//, 38(1), 7-13.// //  Malina, Bruce. (1972). Does porneia mean fornication?. //Novum testamentum//, 14(1), 10-17.// //  Meier, Mindy. (2007).  // Sex and dating: questions you wish you had answers to //. Downers Grove, // Illinois: Intervarsity press. Ponzetti, jr., James j. Mutch, Barbara Horkoff. (2006). Marriage as covenant: tradition as a  //   guide to marriage education in the pastoral context   //. Pastoral psychology //, 54(3), 215-230.// //  Pyrah, Joe. 2008, September 15. Lds donate millions to fight gay marriage. // Daily herald //,. // //  Rothestein (1996). Sex and Love in the Hebrew Bible. // Mysteries of the Bible //. A&E. // //  Struthers, William m. (2009). // Wired for intamacy: how pornography hijacks the male brain //. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity press.


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