Why are Christians obsessed with sex?

[Poindexter]

Fareed Zakaria:

I am not a Christian. But growing up in India, I was immersed in Christianity. I attended Catholic and Anglican schools from ages 5 to 18, where we would sing hymns, recite prayers and study the Scriptures. The words and actions of Pope Francis have reminded me what I, as an outsider, have always admired deeply about Christianity, that its central message is simple and powerful: Be nice to the poor.

When I came to the United States in the 1980s, I remember being surprised to see what “Christian values” had come to mean in American culture and politics — heated debates over abortion, abstinence, contraception and gays. In 13 years of reading, reciting and studying the Bible, I didn’t recall seeing much about these topics.

That’s because there is very little in there about them. As Garry Wills points out in his perceptive new book, “The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis,” “Many of the most prominent and contested stands taken by Catholic authorities (most of them dealing with sex) have nothing to do with the Gospel.”

The church’s positions on these matters were arrived at through interpretations of “natural law,” which is not based on anything in the Bible. But because those grounds looked weak, conservative clergy sought to bolster their views with biblical sanction. So contraception was condemned by Pope Pius XI, Wills notes, through a pretty tortuous interpretation of a couple of lines in Genesis that say Onan “spilled his seed on the ground” — since it involves ejaculation without the intent of conception.

The ban of women in the Catholic clergy is a similar stretch. When the Anglicans decided to ordain female priests in 1976, Pope Paul VI presented a theological reason not to follow that path. Women could not be priests, he decreed, because Jesus never ordained a female priest. “True enough,” Wills writes. “But neither did he ordain any men. There are no priests (other than the Jewish ones) in the four Gospels. Peter and Paul and their fellows neither call themselves priests nor are called priests by others.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... story.html

[GordonH]

^^^ I could careless how obsessed christians are with their own sex/sexuality, anyway its none of my business.
Just as its none of anyone else's business what people do in privacy of there bedrooms or in their personal life. So in other words bugger off noisy christian's everywhere.

Added: Once you find something in that bible you all profess to read, about being able poke your nose into someone else's business. Come back and point that out to me. Oh 1 last thing, before you bring a verse just remember that book was never broken down with chapters & verses that came hundreds of years later. Makes it easier to take quoting completely out of context

[I Think]

"Sex is boring, everybody has got one"
Kingsly Amis.

(sorry, had to do that)

[John-the-Ranger]

are we talking about born again christians ore catholics?

[Farmmaa]

Mormons have taken the obsession one step further - if that was even possible.
Touting pornography as the New Drug.
Selling merchandise with the phrase Porn Kills Love.
( because, porn and masturbation are sins next to murder )
http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/about/

[JayByrd]

Mormons have taken the obsession one step further - if that was even possible.
Touting pornography as the New Drug.
Selling merchandise with the phrase Porn Kills Love.
( because, porn and masturbation are sins next to murder )
http://www.fightthenewdrug.org/about/

Do you really disagree? If you think pornography is not addictive or harmful, then you don't understand the way it effects the brain. And I admit that I didn't scour that entire website, but is "sins next to murder" their words or yours?

[Farmmaa]

Do you really disagree? If you think pornography is not addictive or harmful, then you don't understand the way it effects the brain. And I admit that I didn't scour that entire website, but is "sins next to murder" their words or yours?

No, I don't agree at all - at least not in the context that many churches portray 'pornography' or addiction .
True addiction is a habit that affects all aspects of your life - that takes over from being able to successfully function in society without that 'drug'.

Someone who can not have sex without being aroused by porn first, has a problem.
Someone who occasionally views porn for fun, does not.

The LDS church does not differentiate between the two. If you view any material that you find even slightly sexually arousing - you are a porn addict ad need serious help.

Defining pornography is a challenge. While so-called hardcore pornography — written or visual images obviously intended to incite sexual arousal — is fairly easy to identify, many struggle with how they should respond to more subtle and subdued materials.

The LDS reference guide "True to the Faith" offers this definition:[b] “Pornography is any material depicting or describing the human body or sexual conduct in a way that arouses sexual feelings.”[/b]

Lexie Kite, a doctoral student in media studies and co-founder of BeautyRedefined.net, recently told an LDS group in Utah, “In my studies, I research how pornography has quietly and powerfully infiltrated our lives. During the last decade, sexually degrading media has become the norm — a new ‘normal’ we rarely question… When we understand that pornography includes all of the depictions, in images or words, that are meant to invite a sexualized interpretation and incite sexual feelings, then we see that otherwise ‘mainstream’ media choices are actually working as gateway drugs to more secret, addictive forms of pornography.”

President Thomas S. Monson, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has also noted such subtle shifts in societal values, calling them “pernicious permissiveness.”

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/8655 ... tml?pg=all

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/ ... y?lang=eng

Let us all improve our personal behavior and redouble our efforts to protect our loved ones and our environment from the onslaught of pornography
Now the corrupting influence of pornography, produced and disseminated for commercial gain, is sweeping over our society like an avalanche of evil.
Finally, do not patronize pornography. Do not use your purchasing power to support moral degradation. And young women, please understand that if you dress immodestly, you are magnifying this problem by becoming pornography to some of the men who see you.

( Thus why Mormon females are not permitted to wear tank tops or sleeveless tops or dresses...porn shoulders )

We are talking here about television, anything but G rated movies, advertising, women in bathing suits...anything and everything that may evoke feelings of sexual desire or lust.

As for the sin next only to murder - sure as hell not my words !!!
The law of chastity envelops ALL sexually deviant behavior - adultery, pre-marital sex ( including kissing, touching of sacred body parts..with or without clothing on ), pornography, masturbation.

"We desire with holy zeal to emphasize the enormity of sexual sins. We hold that sexual sin is second only to the shedding of innocent blood in the category of personal crimes. Though often regarded as insignificant by those not knowing the will of God, they are, in his eyes an abomination, and if we are to remain his favored people they must be shunned as the gates of hell. The evil results of these sins are so patent in vice, crime, misery and disease that it would appear that all, young and old, must perceive and sense them. They are destroying the world. If we are to be preserved we must abhor them, shun them, not practice the least of them, for they weaken and enervate, they kill man spiritually, they make him unfit for the company of the righteous and the presence of God.
- Prophet Joseph F. Smith, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith, 18: Chastity and Purity, From the Life of Joseph F. Smith Lesson Manual, page 155, Published and taught during 2000-2001 Church-wide Priesthood and Relief Society classes

The prophet Alma grieved because one of his sons had broken the law of chastity. Alma said to his son Corianton, “Know ye not, my son, that these things are an abomination in the sight of the Lord; yea, most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost?” (Alma 39:5). Unchastity is next to murder in seriousness.

https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-princ ... y?lang=eng

So, yeah, I disagree with most of it.

[Poindexter]

The churches position on masturbation and birth control required some creative interpretation of a couple lines in Genesis.

The church’s positions on these matters were arrived at through interpretations of “natural law,” which is not based on anything in the Bible. But because those grounds looked weak, conservative clergy sought to bolster their views with biblical sanction. So contraception was condemned by Pope Pius XI, Wills notes, through a pretty tortuous interpretation of a couple of lines in Genesis that say Onan “spilled his seed on the ground” — since it involves ejaculation without the intent of conception.

Sing along'

Every sperm is sacred,
every sperm is great,
if a sperm is wasted,
god gets quite irate.

[I Think]

An Ovary is a wonderous reproduction gland
that sends the little eggies for manly sperm to land
we must not waste a single chance
in the human reproductive dance.
three times each day we shall make love,
so we can please the god above.

[Farmmaa]

You think that being married means no holds barred in the bedroom ?

I mean, you lived your whole life following the laws of chastity, saved yourself for marriage, never masturbated or looked at porn....so now comes the fun part...right ?
Nope.

If one wants to follow the lord...there will be absolutely no unclean, unholy acts taking place in the bedrooms of married members.
No oral sex. No talking dirty. No dirty movies. No handcuffs....nothing but wholesome vanilla sex for procreation.
The lord is disgusted with anything else...apparently.

http://www.i4m.com/think/sexuality/mormon_oral_sex.htm

[Glacier]

Why are men obsessed with sex?
~ the ladies of the world

[Donald G]

Since everything about religion is dreamed up mythology by men it follows that it has to reflect the many views of mankind. Whether they are true or make sense is another matter entirely.

Only mankind, who dreamed up the whole charade due to human ignorance, ever claimed that anything about any religion was written, spoken or otherwise ordained by any (mythical) god.

The gods Aten, Baal and Ra told me that in a dream ...

[I Think]

No handcuffs

WHAAAAT?

[Farmmaa]

WHAAAAT?

I know...right ?!

As if banning bjs wasn't bad enough. Yeesh.

[Donald G]

I think Christians are preoccupied with their sex because they do not want to use the wrong bathroom or wear the wrong clothing. That might be why Christians have mirrors in their bathrooms as a final check.

Not too intelligent a comment but about par for this string.