Premarital Sex and Religion Essay

The Bible does not forbid premarital sex. There is no passage of the Bible that references premarital sex as a sin against God. The association between sin and premarital sex is a new Christian idea. The only possible reference to premarital sex being a sin in the Bible is in the New Testament. This premise although, is generally dismissed by theologians because the Greek word pornei, or sexual immorality is commonly incorrectly translated into the English word fornication.

The Natural Law approach to pre-marital sex is relatively simple: sex is strictly for married couples only. This is because Natural Law is

Growing up as a Catholic I was educated in the spirit of living a pure life, learning many aspects about what I should not do. My parents and the entire Catholic community in which I grew up praised a restrictive life, wherein most of the pleasures in life were forbidden. Sex has been always a taboo subject for Catholics. My parents taught me that sexual relationships are only allowed after marriage. People who were known to be engaged in sexual relationships without being married were regarded as sinners and they were not respected within our community. Being raised in this spirit of considering sexuality a sin, I had become to despise the idea of sex, considering it impure and vulgar. As a child I could not imagine myself ever being married and desiring to be involved in sexual relationships, because I was inculcated with the idea that sexuality is

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 is a great example of how a married couple should fulfill each other’s sexual needs, so sex was made to be a great thing. In verse nine of the same chapter it states that “it’s better to marry than to burn with lust”, which goes back to stating that sex is to be enjoyed in marriage so if someone feels like that they can’t control their sexual urges than they should just get married. The church has preached about this for many years and yet many Christian singles still engage in multiple sexual relationships, watch porn and masturbate and see it as a normal thing. There is an interesting article on Relevant Magazine’s website called “The Secret Sexual Revolution” where they mentioned a surprising statistic of the number of young adult Christians having premarital sex is at eighty percent. What I found most interesting about this article is this

of the church taught that sexual relations should be avoided if possible and indulged in

It says in the bible that “Each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.” (Corinthians 7:2-7:3) This is implying that premarital sex is wrong, in the eyes of religious law. Maya explicitly goes against this law in chapter 35, by having sex with a boy on the street.

We live in a society today that tolerates and accepts many things Catholics would classify as “gravely sinful” or “morally wrong”. The act of fornification and homosexual acts are both mortal sins that most Catholics commit. At a very young age, the principle of marital sex between a husband and wife is instilled into the minds of children. Growing up in a religious home, I was taught that sex is an important and sacred matter that only married couples could partake in. Like many others, I rejected and frowned upon pre-marital sex. However, after reading an article about a person’s experiences, I finally understood that no one should dictate your life – specifically, what you do with your body.

In the Catholic Church adultery is a grave sin. “Christ condemns even adultery of pure desire.” He denounces even the thought of it. By the two lovers doing this they are defying the Catholic Church and ultimately Christ who founded it, for selfish reasons of their own. “He does injury to the sign of the covenant which the marriage bond is, transgressing the rights of the other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which it was based.”

Also, the Church excludes all forms of premarital actions, which occurs either before, during or after sexual intercourse, which specifically is expected to prevent procreation, ‘whether as an end or as a means’.

Although there is no clear directive about the sanctity of marriage in the New Testament, many councils based their decisions on celibacy from the gospel writers. Paul, for example, "counseled a moderate approach. Stopping short of suggesting that sexual relations within marriage were in any way defiling, Paul portrayed marriage, like much human activity, as a distraction from prayer." He saw that individuals who are unmarried have more time to focus on the Lord. Paul also made a distinction between married and unmarried women. He states that "there is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband." Unlike in the Old Testament, the New Testament emphasizes how relationships can make a person unfocused instead of unclean. Celibacy also has its origins in Jesus' position, as no text reveals that he got married. The Second Vatican Council, for instance, saw priests who took up celibacy as an imitation of Christ. Jesus stated that "if any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." In the Middle Ages, priests would act as Christ's disciples, and thus the Roman

Sex is not a dirty word as some may define it, but a pleasurable experience. Women must learn to embrace their sexuality and enjoy it. They should embark on a journey by touching themselves to find out what is pleasurable, and then teach their partners how they want to be touched. A person’s religion or spirituality plays an important part on how they view sex. Abstinence before marriage is the religion world view on sex. Sex outside of marriage is labeled as sin, and called fornication according

I was not supposed to have sex until I got married; but I disobeyed God anyway. I allowed the devil to convince me that disobeying God was not all that bad. I was convinced just like Eve was convinced. I allowed lust to influence my decision to disobey God and it cost me! It cost me big time--because I knew better! I knew what the word of God says, but yet I chose to do my own thing. I was a hearer of the word, but not a doer of the word. I knew the way of holiness, but I chose to walk contrary to the word of God. This is what the bible says: “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” (2 Peter 2:21) It is a sad thing to know to do

Twenty years ago, when the sexual revolution was really strong, many argued that it would liberate men and women from the brutal view of sexuality persistent in the society. Many argue that Christianity is the foundation of sexual repression, but the Christian opinion of sex focuses more on wisdom and knowledge. Christians no longer need to offer apologies for their persistence upon sexual morality, for their insistence upon keeping sex for marriage. Some in high public places are now launching advice on abstinence before marriage and to worship faithful monogamous marriages. They have initiated to see these as practices of great practical wisdom and knowledge.

For thousands of years people have been using methods of contraception. Dating back to prehistoric times people would use things such as linens, wool, and even animal skins as barrier methods. Christians have stood out from others because they refused to use any methods of contraception. They believe that the use of contraception goes against God’s will and the Catholic Churches teaching. The use of contraception is wrong because it is a deliberate violation of the natural law that God gave us.

Christian Marriage, also called Matrimony is a sacrament in which a man and a woman publicly declare their love and fidelity in front of witnesses, a priest or minister and God. The It is seen by all Christian churches as both a physical and spiritual fulfillment. Christianity emphasises that the sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a lifetime commitment. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate."' —Matthew 19:6.