Back By Popular Demand...Sex!

I received SO MANY emails from my "One Thing About Sex" post, and I LIKE getting LOTS of emails, so I thought I'd make another shameless try for everyone's attention!

Let me say this - I should have laid down better ground work for that posting. Having not done that, let me make a couple of points to give that post some context.

1) I believe that unhealthy, shame-based teachings on sex has caused damage both to believers and non-believers in our society. Remember, it wasn't so long ago that we covered the legs of the piano so as not to be immodest. The effect of this has been that many believers have strange hang-ups about sex, basing their value and the value of others on morality in this area. The second effect of these shame-based teachings (I believe) have been an opposite "rebellious" reaction by society so that now you can't even watch commercials without watching "soft porn".

2) Some of you may question my "finger-pointing" at the church when it comes to our crazy sex-driven society. The short of it is this - we are suppose to be salt and light - obviously, we're doing something wrong.

3) The "bottom line" of this shame based teaching rests on a statement that goes something like this, "The Bible says that sex outside of marriage is a sin." Well...no it doesn't, not that I know of anyway (feel free to write in and give me the verse if you find it). People who say this will quote the pauline passages concerning "sexual immorality". I believe this is a problem for this reason. Prior to the reformation, the "masses" did not often have access to Scriptures. The reasoning went something like this - the Bible is very important and in order to understand it, a person should have some basic education. Whatever you think of this, using "sexual immorality" to translate "sex outside of marriage" misses a GREAT BIG POINT that Paul was making...which is an example of misunderstanding the Bible due to lack of education. All I'm saying is this - and this should be somebody's slogan - "Please quote the Bible responsibly!"

It is these three points that I am raging against, so to speak, in my post, "One Thing About Sex".

Let me briefly sketch my thoughts on the subject in a less "raging" fashion.

1) People are vastly complex and (should be) growing all their lives.
2) People long to be known. It is the way we "become".
3) Sex is a form of deep knowing and vulnerability.
4) If you know someone deeply and then walk away from them, you make a very hurtful statement about their value - whether you intend to or not.
5) We should be VERY responsible with the deep things of people we love.
6) Therefore, sex outside of marriage is a big gamble - and I personally wouldn't put any money down.
7) Most people who are over a certain age (say 25), live in this sex-crazed society and have not have sex are, more often than not, relationally disfunctional more so than morally responsible.
8) God loves us and is amazingly merciful and a wonderful healer and lover. On this, I bank my whole existence.

So, I love all of you! Blessings on your day! And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for entering - and continuing - this conversation with me!

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 4/30/2004 02:52:00 PM