Sex outside of marriage and the Bible

[lochinvar]

This thread is begun as an offshoot of another discussion in the Politics folder--funny how religion and politics keep getting tangled up with each other, isn't it?

Specifically, I would like to ask what are the Biblical citations which indicate that sex outside of marriage is unacceptable.

We will specifically exclude the case of adultery, since everyone pretty much agrees that's wrong. Rather, I would like to hear/see some support for the argument that consenting sex between two unmarried people is immoral or against the will of God.

Let me state at the outset that I have no intention of debating said citations/arguments, as I am not a Biblical scholar and didn't start this thread to change anyone's mind.

I simply want to understand your understanding of the religious basis for the assertion that sex outside of marriage is wrong.

[Moonitic]

Well, first we'll have to start with fornication (which is different from adultry, in that it is the act of fornication when at least one party is married). The dictionary's definition of "fornicate" is: consumate a love affair when not married. [The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary New Third Edition, copyright 1995].

Several passages of the Bible speak against fornication. Here are two:

1 Corinthians 6:13 "The body is not for fornication/sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord, for the body."

1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee fornication/sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body."

Note: In these two verse, it depends on which version you're reading from to see the words fornication or sexual immorality. "Fornication" is found in the KJV (King James Version), while "sexual immorality" is found in the NIV (New International Version).

My views about premarital sex were formed before I became Christian. The Biblical teaching on premarital sex merely strengthened my view. And no, I hadn't had intercourse prior to marriage.

[Soldier]

The Old Testament teachings are pretty clear, including usually penalties of death. To clarify, however, we use the word "adultery" rather differently than it was in the Bible - Biblically, "adultery" is any sex outside of marriage.

As Moonitic pointed out above, the New Testament reaffirms the immorality of this, though without the harsh penalties.

[jBirch]

All these are from KJV:

2 Chronicles 21
Ezekial 16
Acts 15
Matthew 5:32 "But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."
Matthew 19:9 " And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."
1 Corinthians 10:8 "Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand."
Ephesians 5:3 "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
"
1 Thessalonians 4:3
"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: "

[LUDICROUS]

Well, im atheist (Even if God did exist, I still wouldn't believe) and I definitely plan to get laid before I get married, to put it in a crass fashion.

[TooLoftheDeviL]

Well, im atheist (Even if God did exist, I still wouldn't believe) and I definitely plan to get laid before I get married, to put it in a crass fashion.

Even if God existed.... you still wouldn't believe?

Do what now?

[Black Jeebus]

It is as hard to convince an atheist there is a god as to convince a- what word would you use for someone who believes in some sort of god; whatever they are- there isn't a god.

As far as the no fornicating thing, I think that is one of those rules that made much more sense back in the day. Before birth control you didn't want people not ready to raise a family (ie un-married) having kids cause that was nothing but a drain on society. I know a lot of Jews who eat pork, and a lot of Catholics who eat meat on Fridays- even during Lent. Now though those things get ignored by a lot of people simply cause the social situation that spawned them is gone.

[Black Jeebus]

Have any of you seen the list of things the Catholic Church makes kids swear they won't do.

My favorite thing from the First Penance Mass is when they make second graders say they are sorry for anytime they may have "touched themselves inappropiately".

[cornflower]

Have any of you seen the list of things the Catholic Church makes kids swear they won't do.

My favorite thing from the First Penance Mass is when they make second graders say they are sorry for anytime they may have "touched themselves inappropiately".

WTF? They actually do that?! How embarrassing!

[cowpaste]

Guess I wouldn't make a good Catholic. :P I happen to think fornication is a good thing too.

[Moonitic]

The "no fornication" thing makes a lot of sense today as well. Two virgins who wait until marriage (assuming that neither have had tainted blood transfusions or have injected drugs, etc.) are far less likely to contract HIV or other sexually transmitted disease than people who are not. Not to mention the emotional trouble that one could have to cope with by having sex at the wrong time.

In a Biblical sense, the body is a temple of the Lord. Sexual immorality, as stated in the passages above, taints the body. Marriage is supposed to be viewed as something sacred, & the consumation of marriage is sacred as well. The fact that far too many do not take marriage that seriously now is a contributing factor for divorce. Marriage, of course, is not entirely about sex. It's the icing on the proverbial cake.

I chose to wait because I didn't want to have to worry about the possibility of pregnancy or disease, knowing that no protection is 100% safe (I know 6 kids...two couples...all were "oopsie!" babies using several different forms of birth control...correctly). There is also an emotional attachment (for me, at least), & I didn't want to risk that with the possibility of a break up or a "use her/him & lose her/him." I'd have lost something precious to me - & my future spouse - if I chose to have premarital sex. That white dress & the symbolism (purity) meant something to me.

Laugh if you wish, but realize this: I will not lower myself to calling you names for your choices, or laugh at you. I respect that you have a right to believe as you wish. Whatever you do in the privacy of your own home, so long as it's legal (I really don't want a meth lab next door to my house), is none of my business. Please show me & others who believe like me the same respect. We're not weird. We're not crazy. We just have a differing opinion. A question was asked, & answered. Thank you.

[Black Jeebus]

I still consider myself more or less a part of the Catholic community, even though I have lost any faith in anything resembling god or some great holy figure in the great beyond...

[Prometheus]

what word would you use for someone who believes in some sort of god

A "theist"

[Black Jeebus]

A "theist"

See- now I feel like an idiot...

[Soldier]

Well, im atheist (Even if God did exist, I still wouldn't believe) and I definitely plan to get laid before I get married, to put it in a crass fashion.

Gee, thanks for sharing. The thread clearly has "...and the Bible" in the title; why do you bother, if you're a complete athiest?

[lochinvar]

Thanks, Moonitic and jBirch for your citations. As I said, I'm neither a Biblical scholar nor a theologian, but I do find these quesitions fascinating and I appreciate the input.

As for Ludicrous--well, the name says it all...

[Epictetus]

WTF? They actually do that?! How embarrassing!

A joke could be made here about...

But no.

Just, no.

Sorry I brought it up

[noodle]

i'd like to point out the obvious real quick:
the stereotypical southern christian sorority girl seems to be the .. eh. .. fornicating-est... yeah... of all stereotypes here at college.

Well, im atheist (Even if God did exist, I still wouldn't believe) and I definitely plan to get laid before I get married, to put it in a crass fashion.

and this makes no sense, sorry. well, it does but it would indicate mental illness if it actually came to pass.

[Inquartata]

So everything seems to turn upon the meaning of the word "fornication"...which, considering the long history of translation and retranslation from the original Aramaic to Hebrew to Greek to Latin to English would seem to be asking for confusion. For instance, from

http://education.yahoo.com/reference...ry/fornication

WORD HISTORY:
The word fornication had a lowly beginning suitable to what has long been the low moral status of the act to which it refers. The Latin word fornix, from which fornicti, the ancestor of fornication, is derived, meant "a vault, an arch." The term also referred to a vaulted cellar or similar place where prostitutes plied their trade. This sense of fornix in Late Latin yielded the verb fornicr, "to commit fornication," from which is derived fornicti, "*****dom, fornication." Our word is first recorded in Middle English about 1303.

So does the word now mean what the authors of the Bible intended to convey? It doesn't even appear to mean what it was meant to convey a thouand years ago, much less two thousand...

Meanwhile, from Wiktionary:

Fornication

English


Noun

fornication

1. Unlawful sexual intercourse,especially on the part of an unmarried person; the act of such illicit sexual intercourse between a man and a woman as does not by law amount to adultery.

2. Adultery.

3. Incest.

4. Idolatry.

Which of those did it mean to the ancients of Palestine? All? None?

[dunastor]

Which of those did it mean to the ancients of Palestine? All? None?

I'm afraid we'll never know....