Additionally, they also refrain from extra-marital sex because it breaks a promise that was made at the marriage ceremony before their partner, God, the vicar/priest, and any invited guests. It also goes against the seventh commandment – “Do not commit adultery”- Genesis 20:14 and Matthew 5:27-28: “Jesus said, <You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But now I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart.>” Breaking a promise to somebody is a terrible thing to do as it betrays their trust and would make them upset, which is particularly a bad thing as trust is one of the major foundations that keeps a marriage from collapsing. Sex within a marriage ensures that it is controlled; some Christians view sex as a “legal contract” and a commitment that helps to strengthen the couple’s relationship further.
As well as this, Christians are against the misuse of sex; this includes child trafficking, pornography, rape and prostitution. This is because it is taking the gift that God has given and abusing it for personal gain and satisfaction. 1 Corinthians 6:15-19 states: “Paul said, <You know that your bodies are parts of the body of Christ. Shall I take a part of Christ’s body and make it part of the body of a prostitute. Impossible...... Avoid immorality. Any other sin a man commits does not affect his body. Don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives within you?>” St. Paul had very strong views against misuse of sex, as many other Christians will too. He believed that people should keep their bodies as a “temple of the Holy Spirit” because God created human beings and breathed the breath of life into them. Therefore, Christians believe that it is important to keep their bodies as pure as God made them, including being sexually moral. Keeping your body as a “temple of the Holy Spirit” may refer to God’s breath of life as well as refraining from sin to the body, which St. Paul believed sex outside the marriage and misuse of sex to be. Some Christians (not all though) extend misuse of sex to homosexuality, because to them it goes against what is natural. They draw their views from the Bible teaching of Romans 1:27 – “Paul said, <Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received the due penalty for their perversion>” and 1 Corinthians 6:10 – “Paul said, <Those who are sexually immoral, including homosexuals, will not inherit the Kingdom of God.>”
Other Christians, though they share most of the above opinions with other Christians, are a bit more lenient on their views. They accept that some people may be homosexual and therefore try to be understanding about it and don’t condemn them: “Jesus said, <Do not judge others, or you will be judged by God>”- Matthew 7:1. Also, they believe that pre-marital sex is morally acceptable if the couple are truly in love and intend on staying together, “Paul talked about the qualities of love, that love was the greatest gift and would never fail”- 1 Corinthians 13.
The different Christian denominations hold differing views on sex and what it is about. The Roman Catholic Church believes sex is mainly for procreation (the creation of a baby): “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are son’s born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them”- Psalm 127. Therefore, they believe that any form of artificial contraception is wrong because it prevents the creation of a baby. They also believe that homosexual relationships are wrong because they disobey Natural Law; “If a man lies with another man, both of them have done what is detestable, they must be put to death”- Leviticus 20:13.
The Anglican Church is a bit more divided about homosexuality than the Roman Catholic Church, though the majority do not think it is right – “There is a wide range of beliefs within the Anglican Communion regarding homosexuality. However, it is true to say that the overwhelming majority of followers believe in the superiority of heterosexuality, even where they urge tolerance towards others.”-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_and_Anglicanism. The Anglican Church “accepts contraception as a means of enabling a couple to enjoy sex and to take responsibility for the size of their family”- .
The Methodist Church shares the same views as the Anglican Church regarding contraception; the couple can choose to use it if they wish. They believe that homosexuality is not right but nevertheless have some tolerance for it: “Politically, the Methodist church has supported civil rights for gays, although it is unclear whether that support extends to same-sex marriage.”-
The Baptist Church believes that homosexuality is wrong, with the exception of the very few: “To this date this denomination has never appointed a minister whom they knew to be homosexual.”- As for contraception, the Baptist Church believe that it is up to the couple whether they choose to use contraception or not.
Christians’ views on sex and what it is about differ considerably regarding some aspects such as contraception and homosexuality, but agree on others, such as that sex is a gift from God and should take place in a loving relationship, “Jesus said, <Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends>”- John 15:12-13. The views that individual Christians hold depends on their upbringing, experiences and which denomination they belong to – because there are so many different denominations and branches within denominations, there will always be some controversy about what is right.
Njeri Chege
