Sex and Sexuality

Key Idea: Sex is a beautiful, natural God given activity but should ideally be confined to the loving stable relationship of marriage.

Sexual Ethics raise questions of sex, sex outside marriage, hetero and homosexuality, and chastity, virginity and celibacy.

Sex

Most healthy human beings have the ability to reproduce. Unlike some other less complex forms of life, we do this sexually - involving the male and female of our species. Without this ability to reproduce there would be no biological survival, we would die out as a species. For humans sex is an emotional and psychological experience as well as a physical one. It is easy to feel under great pressure about sex. Young boys are under great pressure to talk about "sexual conquests", yet girls are called names if they it is believed that they have had sexual relationships. The media and peer pressure make out that it is easy to have "sex without feelings". In order for people to grow up experiencing happy and fulfilled sexual relationships they must learn the value of respecting other human beings not as objects of their own gratification but as other people with the same feelings, emotions and hopes as them.

Sex outside marriage

It has been said that for previous generations sex outside marriage was not as common as it is today because of three fears;

• Fear of detection - getting caught
• Fear of infection - getting ill
• Fear of conception - getting pregnant.

ASex outside marriage, which means premarital (before marriage) and extra-marital (during marriage) has now become more common possibly for the following reasons;

• Virginity is not considered to be so important.
• Contraception has improved and is available.
• Education about contraception has improved.
• Abortions are easier to obtain.
• Sexual permissiveness is encouraged.
• Fewer people follow the teachings of the church.
• Adultery is no longer illegal.
• Medical facilities have improved.
• Sex and romantic love are more closely linked.

However, the consequences have been very serious:

• Sexually transmitted diseases are increasing.
• More children are being born outside marriage.
• Young people are becoming sexually active at a younger age.
• Divorce rates have risen.
• There is a greater risk of diseases such as AIDs

The availability of cheap, reliable contraception has removed the fear of infection and conception from sexual activity and so the church needs to address this issue. Christians would say that sex outside marriage is generally wrong not just because of the problems above but because Jesus spoke out against it. Some Christians would say that sexual relations between couple in stable loving relationships is acceptable. Although sex and fornication are condemned over 30 times in the New Testament (eg: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20) Christianity teaches that;

• Sex is a beautiful gift from God which demands responsibility, commitment and total love.
• It is always wrong to use a person as a thing.
• Sexual Intercourse is a special thing, it can be the start of a new life.
• Sex is the most beautiful expression of a deep, loving life-long union between two people.

Homosexuality

Homosexuality is the emotional, psychological and physical love shared by two people of the same gender. If the church begins to accept that sex is the expression of love as well as for procreation then it needs to look at the traditional attitudes to homosexuality.

"No-one who is guilty of homosexual perversion shall enter the kingdom of God"
[1 Corinthians 6:9-10]

A homosexual relationship can be as loving and caring as any heterosexual one. Most Christian churches now accept the concept of homosexuality love while finding the sexual act more difficult.

Chastity, Celibacy and Virginity

In the Roman Catholic church priests must be both celibate (not married) and chaste (sexually pure). This allows them to dedicate themselves to their work without distraction. In most other churches the leader is allowed to marry. The Christian ideal is that a person should be a virgin until they marry. The important thing is that sex should be an important issue that should not be taken lightly.