Fornication

[corrector]

There was recently some discussion about Christianity and premarital sex. When it comes to the Bible, a lot depends on how you interpret it. I'm sure many hardcore Fundamentalist types would declare it a sin, no discussion invited. But this is a pretty good article explaining the other side:

http://www.thechristianleftblog.org/blog-home/premarital-sex-is-it-a-sin-or-not

Most of the "it's a sin" view comes from the New Testament. Many of the Old Testament patriarchs kept multiple wives and concubines.

I think it's important to remember that sex in those days was a far more serious business. We've only had effective birth control for less than a century. Pregnancy aside, the medical field wasn't what it is now, so STDs were more serious as well. Even with our modern advances, there are posters here who have had STDs or caused unwanted pregnancies. Sin or no sin, DJ or no DJ, I don't think sex is something that anyone should take lightly.

This is often the type of article that I would look at if I wanted to feel better about looking at some types of softcore porn. (i.e. if pre-maritial sex is okay, then so is lusting after women, etc....) However, the issue is that when you become a born-again believer, your spirit is changed on the inside and that spirit becomes incompatible towards illicit sex. When you unite with someone then you develop a soul-tie and the whole thing can be defiling and the sense of the presence or conviction of God on your life can be compromised.

Now, if you do not know God in the first place or not saved then what I just wrote would sound like nonsense and you'll just be looking at whether this has any good sense like having a health benefit as an unintended by-product. Of course it would because of the STDs that are around. However, even if you make yourself S.T.D. - proof (i.e. only engage in "outercourse style fornication rather than the more riskier intercourse", then there are still other consequences). No true Christian would feel comfortable engaging in a lifestyle that includes fornication (i.e. including pre-maritial sex) and then try to justify it by saying the Bible says nothing about it. The question would be more like, is this making me a good witness for Jesus to the world? What makes me, as a Christian, different than someone else in the world who is not, if I partake of the same things that other people in the world do, such as fornication, and am okay with that? Where is the convicting power of that type of Christianity?

 

[zekko]

This is often the type of article that I would look at if I wanted to feel better about looking at some types of softcore porn. (i.e. if pre-maritial sex is okay, then so is lusting after women, etc....) However, the issue is that when you become a born-again believer, your spirit is changed on the inside and that spirit becomes incompatible towards illicit sex. When you unite with someone then you develop a soul-tie and the whole thing can be defiling and the sense of the presence or conviction of God on your life can be compromised.

Now, if you do not know God in the first place or not saved then what I just wrote would sound like nonsense and you'll just be looking at whether this has any good sense like having a health benefit as an unintended by-product. Of course it would because of the STDs that are around. However, even if you make yourself S.T.D. - proof (i.e. only engage in "outercourse style fornication rather than the more riskier intercourse", then there are still other consequences). No true Christian would feel comfortable engaging in a lifestyle that includes fornication (i.e. including pre-maritial sex) and then try to justify it by saying the Bible says nothing about it.

History is full of people and cults who have made the claim "I am close to God, I know God, and this is what he wants". This is an easy thing to say because it eliminates the need to have scripture to back it up. That, along with different interpretations, is the reason why we have so many different denominations.

I would also say that not all premarital sex is created equal. I don't claim to know where the line is, but I can see that some of it may be innocent, and some of it might be perverse.

 

[Atom Smasher]

In my experience, I've found that virtually everyone I've met who adheres tightly to a denomination is basically biblically illiterate and only has a vague idea what the bible says. Their denomination becomes their authority, rather than the scripture itself.

It is very dangerous to receive spiritual (Christian) teaching without going directly to scripture and proving out what has been taught. I teach the bible in my church, and I constantly admonish everyone to check out everything I say against scripture. I do not want them to just swallow my teaching at face value because it "feels" good.

"As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."
Acts 17:10-11

Ignorance of the scripture is the foundation of constant bickering and petty arguing because people tend to argue points based on vague memories of something they've heard by some pastor or other teacher.

There is a surprising consensus among those who actually read and internalize the scripture. They may differ on small side issues that God didn't fully reveal to us, but there is true consensus about the core doctrines.

The ONLY protection one has against false teaching is familiarity with the scriptures.

This is not directed at anyone personally here. It's just my observation in life.

 

[Bible_Belt]

I teach the bible in my church

I hope you have a Zondervan NIV:
https://www.amazon.com/Study-Bible-Personal-Paperback-Letter/dp/0310437334/

It's well-worth the money for the sake of the footnotes, which are very detailed and academic in nature. The few times I have been dragged to church by a girl, I can learn everything the preacher says all morning from reading one paragraph of footnotes.