Sex Before Marriage: Does God Approve?

[Mr. Smith]

The great hazard to the, "Sex is a sin, sex is a sin, sex is a sin, sex is a sin" approach is, many religious people grow up thinking sex is dirty. For many, it never really makes the transition from "Sex is dirty" to, "Sex is beautiful" in marriage. The result for many is a lifetime of sexual dysfunction that displays symptoms in so many different ways.

I remember my younger years when TV was 100% equal with Lucifer. As a result, I would spend every shopping trip in the TV section, every visit to friends' houses in front of their TV, and the list goes on and on.

I think the same thing often happens with sex. It's presented as such an awful thing that it becomes incredibly enticing and twisted to the point it's irresistible. It's tough enough, as it is, to walk away from, much less come up against the way religion often presents it.

[iceniez]

So now a Question what does 1 Cor 7:36 mean ?

[Twisp]

Originally Posted by Mr. Smith

The great hazard to the, "Sex is a sin, sex is a sin, sex is a sin, sex is a sin" approach is, many religious people grow up thinking sex is dirty. For many, it never really makes the transition from "Sex is dirty" to, "Sex is beautiful" in marriage. The result for many is a lifetime of sexual dysfunction that displays symptoms in so many different ways.

I remember my younger years when TV was 100% equal with Lucifer. As a result, I would spend every shopping trip in the TV section, every visit to friends' houses in front of their TV, and the list goes on and on.

I think the same thing often happens with sex. It's presented as such an awful thing that it becomes incredibly enticing and twisted to the point it's irresistible. It's tough enough, as it is, to walk away from, much less come up against the way religion often presents it.

Nurture sure can screw up nature sometimes, can't it?

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by iceniez

So now a Question what does 1 Cor 7:36 mean ?

Couple of explanations:

1 Corinthians 7:36 (The Message)

36-38If a man has a woman friend to whom he is loyal but never intended to marry, having decided to serve God as a "single," and then changes his mind, deciding he should marry her, he should go ahead and marry. It's no sin; it's not even a "step down" from celibacy, as some say. On the other hand, if a man is comfortable in his decision for a single life in service to God and it's entirely his own conviction and not imposed on him by others, he ought to stick with it. Marriage is spiritually and morally right and not inferior to singleness in any way, although as I indicated earlier, because of the times we live in, I do have pastoral reasons for encouraging singleness.


1 Corinthians 7:36 (New Living Translation)

36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin.

[iceniez]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

Couple of explanations:

1 Corinthians 7:36 (The Message)

36-38If a man has a woman friend to whom he is loyal but never intended to marry, having decided to serve God as a "single," and then changes his mind, deciding he should marry her, he should go ahead and marry. It's no sin; it's not even a "step down" from celibacy, as some say. On the other hand, if a man is comfortable in his decision for a single life in service to God and it's entirely his own conviction and not imposed on him by others, he ought to stick with it. Marriage is spiritually and morally right and not inferior to singleness in any way, although as I indicated earlier, because of the times we live in, I do have pastoral reasons for encouraging singleness.


1 Corinthians 7:36 (New Living Translation)

36 But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin.

Good, an older saint told me that it meant that if a man and woman had premarital sex that they have not sinned as long as they marry .

[allstate1]

Originally Posted by iceniez

Good, an older saint told me that it meant that if a man and woman had premarital sex that they have not sinned as long as they marry .

I have heard the same quite a lot. The reasoning behind my earlier post about young couples "forced" to marry if caught!

[BeenThinkin]

What about the Texas law, "Common Law Marriage"? Does God accept the couple as married who chose to go the route of "Common Law Marriage?" Just wondering what others would think about this.

BT

[Charnock]

Originally Posted by Maximilian

Is this keeping you awake at night?

Yeah, so?

[whoami]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I've heard of devout ulta-ultra-ultra conservative Christians who "marry" privately without government involvement. While I think this opens them up for loosing out on the legal benefits of marriage... is this something God recognizes?

I think the issue is simple. It's a sin, and sin has consequences. The guilt, shame, insecurity, and perhaps ultimate pain of heartache (not to mention Hell) are the results of this sin. Legal marriage is still a haven of safety.

Just courious... has everyone here waited until marriage? Just curious.

I have a lot of friends (mostly who follow Michael Pearl's teaching) who do the private 'covenant marriages'.

I did not wait till marriage. I lost my virginity to my UPCI Pastor's son as a teenager. lol

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by whoami

I have a lot of friends (mostly who follow Michael Pearl's teaching) who do the private 'covenant marriages'.

I've heard of that, but I consider it to be kind of a cop out to just get the big church wedding. If you need to get married THAT badly, then put on a nice suit and heels and go to the justice of the peace. Have a nice reception later instead of a big wedding.

I did not wait till marriage. I lost my virginity to my UPCI Pastor's son as a teenager. lol

Where you a UPCI church kid when that happened?