Making sense of sex and the bible

by Leander 15 Replies latest jw friends

  • Leander
    Leander

    The bible clearly states that fornicators will not inherit God's Kingdom, but the question is "what is a fornicator"?

    If I remember correctly the word fornication is derived from the greek word "porneia". The problem is there are different defintions of that word porneia. Some say that porneia would include any type of sexual activity outside of the marital arrangement and certain types of sexual activity within in the marital bond. (masturbation, sodomy, adultrey, bestiality, homosexuality, incest) However others say that porneia refers to sexual practices that are extreme, bizarre or harmful. The only way to know for sure is to closely examine the Greek terminology as it was used during that time.

    Another interesting view about sex in the bible is that incest and adultrey are mentioned without any negative views. For example Abraham and other bibical figures were known to have sexual relations with their concubines despite the fact that they already had wives. It is said this was done so that the nation of Israel could multiply their numbers quickly, but this practice was continued even after the nation of Israel had numbered into the millions.

    Then there is the issue of certain incestual relationships. Sarah was Abraham's half sister but yet they were married and even had offspring together. If I remember correctly Noahs daughters intoxicated him and then had relations with him, of course this was said to have occured so that their line would continue.

    Another interesting aspect about sex in the bible is that angels at one point had materialized into fleshly bodies on earth so that they could have relations with the daughters of men. I find that account to be amazing, imagine an angel being so infatuated over a human female that they would leave heaven to pursue a physical relationship. If powerful and perfect angels can be tempted like that imagine what the lowly imperfect man must be going through.

    Kinda interesting when you think about it

  • bboyneko
    bboyneko

    I'm tired of all this sex in the bible. Even with the large font EZ-read bible versions that are the size of encyclopedias I keep on falling off.

  • willy_think
    willy_think

    i can't find anytihin in the bible to say a man need have only one wife. the only placy i found it is in church Tradition. if you found it in your research about sex can you give me the chapter and verse?

  • bboyneko
    bboyneko

    Willy-Think,

    Here ya go:

    Titus 1: 6
    An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

    1 Timothy 3: 12
    A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.

    Also remember that the bible also says 'for this reason a man will leave his home..bla bla bla and the TWO will become ONE. The bible is contradictory in showing men of god with like 50 wives and then saying you should have only one.

  • D wiltshire
    D wiltshire

    willy_think,

    I think your right:

    i can't find anytihin in the bible to say a man need have only one wife. the only placy i found it is in church Tradition.

    Although I wouldn't do so, I have no desire to have more than one wife.
    Way too much work, I can bearly keep up with the needs of my one wife of 25 years. It would seem to be alot of work to have more than one.
    I don't fault anybody who has more than one as long as they take good care of them.

    If someone lived a trillion X longer than you, and had a billion X more reasoning ability would he come to the same conclusions as you?
  • peaceloveharmony
    peaceloveharmony

    hey leander, i think it was Lot's daughters that got him drunk and then seduced him. just clarifying

    good questions

    love
    harmony

    Most people think, Great God will come from the skies, Take away everything And make everybody feel high. But if you know what life is worth, You will look for yours on earth: And now you see the light, You stand up for your rights.~~Bob Marley

  • JanH
    JanH
    Although I wouldn't do so, I have no desire to have more than one wife.

    And we know the penalty for bigamy: two mother-in-laws!

    Btw, it was Lot, not Noah, who had sex with his daughters. This was obviously a story created to give two of Israel's enemy nations a bad rap, justifying hatred towards them.

    The view of sexual relations in the OT seems to be dominated by two concerns:

    1) the wife was the man's property. extramarital sex was a violation of the husband's (or father's) ownership.

    2) the yahweh cult competed with the ba'al cult and other fertility cults. some of the sex laws were targeted at these religious practices that were not condoned by the new yahwist priestly elite.

    It is worth noting as well that since Israelite religion had no afterlife beliefs, a man's offspring was in many ways the most important. To secure his wife's faithfulness assured that he did not waste his resources bringing up another man's children. If a man was unfaithful (unless with another man's "property"), that was of no concern. note Judah did not vilate any principles by having sex with Tamar, who he thought to be prostitute. It was also of no concern that Samson had such relations. It was common.

    - Jan
    --
    "Doctor how can you diagnose someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and then act like I had some choice about barging in here right now?" -- As Good As It Gets

  • willy_think
    willy_think

    bboyneko hi,
    thanks for geting back to me. i found:

    Titus 1: 6
    An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

    1 Timothy 3: 12
    A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.

    but you will notece it does not say a man must have only one wife. it says an elder and a deacon. these are not people these are poitions. if no man may have more then one wife why would you need to say anything more?
    but this is not anything "more" is it, it is realy only elders and deacons. the "more" must be men who are not elders and deacons.

    "TWO will become ONE." isn't that sex?

  • peaceloveharmony
    peaceloveharmony

    my 2 cents:

    before contraceptives were easily available, sex usually resulted in children so to me it makes sense that religious leaders would stress the no sex before marriage thing.

    harmony

    Most people think, Great God will come from the skies, Take away everything And make everybody feel high. But if you know what life is worth, You will look for yours on earth: And now you see the light, You stand up for your rights.~~Bob Marley

  • Leander
    Leander

    I guess the reason I bring all of this up is because we all know sex is an extremely powerful urge for most people. In fact I would venture to say that if sex was allowable between non-married people within the Society then there would far more witnesses presently in the organization. Also think about how many people who married simply because they could'nt go through life being celibate.

    It always seemed odd to me that one of the most pleasurable activities that a person can engage in was also one of the more regulated activities as well.

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