Immoral Sex And Scripture

[Miles]

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Under what interpretation of scripture is masturbation, oral sex, or anal sex, other than male-male, deemed immoral?


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[AgnosticBoy]

As someone who has dallied in that, and enjoyed it, I'm all for it (though as an atheist, I hardly care if the Bible forbids it). Just have to get my husband comfortable with the idea of polyamory. ;P

Polyamory? Just tell him to read the Old Testament and he'll find plenty of examples of polyamorous marriages.

[Kylie]

As someone who has dallied in that, and enjoyed it, I'm all for it (though as an atheist, I hardly care if the Bible forbids it). Just have to get my husband comfortable with the idea of polyamory. ;P

Polyamory? Just tell him to read the Old Testament and he'll find plenty of examples of polyamorous marriages.

I'm not sure if he'd go for something like that unless it lead to threesomes, and that's not quite my thing.

[Miles]

Under what interpretation of scripture is masturbation, oral sex, or anal sex, other than male-male, deemed immoral?

I don't find that it would be immoral between married couples. However, I see some room for calling it immoral between a male and female who are engaging in that outside of marriage. It all has to do with the distinction between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Technically oral and anal sex may not be against the letter of the law since the law does not cover it between an unmarried hetero couple, but it does go against the spirit of the law.

Just what form does this "spirit of the law" take?

So while the Bible may just speak about sexual intercourse being for marriage, but the Christian might say that the intent or reason behind that rule is that sexual pleasure was meant to be an expression of romantic love or something along those lines (maybe a Christian will offer another explanation here).

So if this is the case I ask Christians here, why would god find romantic love or something along those lines to be verboten?

If so, by implication, that would make anal and oral sex immoral among [romantic] unmarried hetero couples.

If so, then anal and oral sex and masturbation outside of romantic love should be acceptable.

But why would god be against sexual pleasure? Romantic kissing can very well be considered a sexual pleasure, as could even holding hands, yet again, no condemnation of either. What I can't figure out is why god would find a harmless pleasure, no matter what it may be, to be a sin or at least verboten.

Thing is, god goes out of his way to specifically identify one form of sexual pleasure, vaginal intercourse between man and woman outside of marriage, to be a no-no, yet doesn't address any other form of sexual pleasure a such, so I see no reason to assume oral and anal sex, and masturbation carry any kind of onus.


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[AgnosticBoy]

I don't find that it would be immoral between married couples. However, I see some room for calling it immoral between a male and female who are engaging in that outside of marriage. It all has to do with the distinction between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. Technically oral and anal sex may not be against the letter of the law since the law does not cover it between an unmarried hetero couple, but it does go against the spirit of the law.

Just what form does this "spirit of the law" take?

Well it can be in the form of an intent or rationale. However, finding the intent or rationale can get speculative since they are oftentimes implied and not explicitly stated.

I think I skipped a step in my reasoning. Before I can say that sex is only for marriage, I'd first want to know what sex is (beyond just sexual intercourse) by biblical standards. Perhaps that can be answered by pointing out that such acts are implied by the rules on sexual intercourse. I'd want to know if oral sex, anal sex, and other potentially sexually stimulating behaviors (kissing and nudity as you brought up) is even considered sex by biblical standards. If not, then can we say that it is moral for a single guy to kiss a married woman?

I might do my own research and respond here if there are no responses from Christians.