Human Sexuality

A Divine Fire Within…

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What does it mean to be a sexual being?

gift given by God (male of female) – is God a sexual being? Does God have a body?

– What does it mean for a male or female to be made in the image of God?

character (personality)—core, self-worth, self image, self-esteem relationship (self, others, God)—choice. sacred act—sexual intercourse, “physical act”, reproduction.

Where does this gift of sexuality come from?

• • • • God God is both relational and social in and of Himself. The love of the Trinity is so strong that it has to create.

Thus, love and sex should always be connected.

Quote from the Song of Songs:

• “The Song, in other words, makes a connection between conjugal love and sex—a very important and very biblical connection to make. There are some who would eliminate sex when they speak of love, supposing that they are making it more holy. Others, when they think of sex, never think of love. The Song proclaims an integrated wholeness that is at the center of Christian teaching on committed, wedded love for a world that seems to specialize in loveless sex.”

What is love?

Genuine love vs. infatuation.

• • • • • 1 Cor. 13. Love is patient. It is a verb not a feeling.

Yielding—putting dreams on hold for the sake of the other Forgiving—goes beyond justice and fairness “I will give my all to you and to you alone for all my life.” If you can’t say this then you shouldn’t be having sex with that person because it is unfair to them and yourself.

Marriage

Marriage

• • • • Two purposes: Procreative and unitive Contraception—lack of openness to life We will talk about this further in class.

Potential Marital Conflicts:

• • • • • Goals Communication Children (philosophies on raising kids) Finances Sexual activity

Some Quotes to Ponder:

• “We will be happy in this life, depending upon whether or not we have a healthy sexuality… One of the fundamental tasks of spirituality, therefore, is to help us to understand and channel our sexuality correctly (193).” “Sex is the energy inside of us that works incessantly against our being alone… Indeed, some theologians see in sexual encounter a foretaste of the eternal life of heaven and many of the classical mystics use the image of sexual encounter to describe our ultimate union with God and creation (The Holy Longing, Rolheiser, 195).”

More…

• • • Sex is “an aching loneliness, an irrational longing, a madness from the gods (as the Greeks put it). But this madness is also a great energy; in fact, it is the greatest energy of all inside us. It is the engine that drives everything else, body and spirit (194).” Untwisting the lies to reveal the truth. Men are called to sacrifice their bodies just as Christ did. Pornography and lustful thoughts are fakes, cheap, imitations, because they don’t require real sacrifice and commitment as Christ gave for the Church.

We will discuss PORN and its effects later on…

• • • “I believe it is in harnessing sexual passion that will allow culture to flourish again. There is so much energy and creativity that could be released (April 8, 2003).” “If you reject aesthetic satisfactions, you will fall into sensual satisfaction.” (C.S. Lewis, p.450) Mr. Snyman’s story

Sex: Virtues and Vices

• • • • Virtues: Chastity—is the virtue that helps us control our sexual desires and use them appropriately according to our situation in life.

Abstinence—is the positive choice not to engage in sexual intercourse outside of marriage.

See table on The Choice of When to have Sex

Song of Songs Investigation

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Vices: Offenses Against the Sixth and Ninth Commandment

Masturbation—the deliberate stimulation of the genitals to obtain solitary sexual pleasure Fornication—is sexual intercourse engaged in by unmarried people. (p.237, discussion on boundaries) Pornography—movies, magazines, and websites whose motive is to depict human sex acts in a way that causes sexual arousal.

Prostitution—involves engaging in intercourse or other sexual activities for money or some other advantage.

Rape—forcing another to have sex.

Homosexual activity—sexual activity between members of the same sex. (diff. b/w orientation and action)

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Homosexuality: Nature/nurture debate

Social scientists have proposed many theories to explain sexual orientation, but none have been conclusive. The following have been recognized as the major causes for a homosexual orientation: genetics prenatal hormonal factors postnatal hormonal factors psychological factors

An Important Note:

• Not all males display fully male characteristics. Neither do all females display fully female characteristics. Thus, sexual expression must be understood as a continuum between male and female.

So what does the Church say?

• “The word should not be taken to mean a psychological or even a moral disorder, since the letter makes clear that the homosexual condition is not a sin. Within the framework of the pope’s theology, however, homosexuality is the result of sin. God simply could not, would not, and did not create homosexuals as such. The homosexual condition is a result of the first sin, an aspect or form of the concupiscence that is the condition of us all (96).”

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Separation of sexual orientation and sexual intent:

In view of this the Church states that homosexual orientation is not a sin, but that the intent or activity absolutely is.

The Church also teaches against any discrimination of persons with a homosexual orientation.

The Church’s failures Jesus’ call to the woman caught in adultery (John 8)