Is premarital sex really a sin?

[Henrique Aguiar]

I think we should stop putting words in Jesus' mouth and pay attention to what he actually taught. Jesus never said anything about premarital sex, virginity or any kind of prejudice. While we pay attention to futilities, we are forgetting the real essence of any religion: peace, love and equality. The purpose of religion is to facilitate our lives, not complicate them. Remember we are just humans, not gods.

 

[roger1440]

Anytime when we leave out our partners mind, spirit, or heart during sex, we are simply using them as a device for masturbation.

 

[e.r.m.]

I think we should stop putting words in Jesus' mouth and pay attention to what he actually taught. Jesus never said anything about premarital sex, virginity or any kind of prejudice. While we pay attention to futilities, we are forgetting the real essence of any religion: peace, love and equality. The purpose of religion is to facilitate our lives, not complicate them. Remember we are just humans, not gods.

That's absurd.
Jesus did not accept anything regarding becoming one flesh other than what was at the beginning, marriage.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, if people on this forum in the past have tried to justify same sex copulation (not you specifically) that they would also try to justify sex before marriage.

Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

How is a guy going to have sex with a woman before marriage without looking at her lustfully?

 

[CynthiaCypher]

In my tradition once you have sex with a person you are bonded in the flesh and spirit with them, it is an act of sacred worship to me.

So I don't know. Is it a sin to have sex with a person just to have sex? Doesn't that render the sacredness of the act meaningless?

 

[Henrique Aguiar]

That's absurd.
Jesus did not accept anything regarding becoming one flesh othrr than what was at the beginning, marriage.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, if people on this forum in the past have tried to justify same sex copulation (not you specifically) that they would also try to justify sex before marriage.

I'd like you to point out when Jesus said that premarital sex is forbidden.

 

[e.r.m.]

In my tradition once you have sex with a person you are bonded in the flesh and spirit with them, it is an act of sacred worship to me.

So I don't know. Is it a sin to have sex with a person just to have sex? Doesn't that render the sacredness of the act meaningless?

Your tradition is outside Judeo-Christianity.

 

[e.r.m.]

I'd like you to point out when Jesus said that premarital sex is forbidden.

Look at the last thing I posted on my last reply. I didn't get it in on time before you replied.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Your tradition is outside Judeo-Christianity.

There is no such entity as Judeo-Christianity.

 

[e.r.m.]

There is no such entity as Judeo-Christianity.

There is. Jews generally don't accept Jesus as the Son of God, but Christians accept their Judaic heritage. In Christianity, it is the same lineage.

 

[e.r.m.]

Hmm. And does he only pick Mormons?

No prophet in the Bible ever advocated sex before marriage.

 

[Sunstone]

My conclusion does follow my premise, that sex before marriage is a gross deviation from God's original plan, and therefore a sin. The Scriptures offered show that any level of impurity was strictly forbidden all throughout the New Testament. Mary's disgrace would have carried over from Old Testament law.

Interesting interpretation, but it strikes me as weak.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Fornication historically: 'Fornication' in Paul's writings and in Jesus time perhaps refers less to a sexual act and more to having children out of wedlock. It might only refer to the second thing. Modern Catholicism seems not to view it that way seeing the sex itself as sinful. That is why the dictionary defines fornication as sex, but what fornication meant in the past may have been different. Its hard to tell.

Using only the Bible and trying to figure out what by fornication is meant, one of the verses that strikes me as particularly ambiguous is I Corinthians 7:1-2 "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." The verse itself doesn't describe what fornication is. You're just supposed to know already. Moving backwards in time to the laws there is no law against sex that I can see, but there are laws about having sex with a married person or with family members.

There is an interesting article about the word 'Fornication' in the Jewish encyclopedia. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6238-fornication

 

[McBell]

My conclusion does follow my premise, that sex before marriage is a gross deviation from God's original plan, and therefore a sin. The Scriptures offered show that any level of impurity was strictly forbidden all throughout the New Testament. Mary's disgrace would have carried over from Old Testament law.

Huh?
The scriptures you presented say absolutely nothing about sex before marriage.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Is premarital sex really a sin? The Bible condemns sexual immorality but not premarital sex. I personally do not believe that premarital sex is a sin. What do you believe?

First define what was 'sex' to the biblical writers. From my understanding, only sexual intercourse involving the male and female sexual anatomy was considered sex. Everything else we consider sex nowadays, dildo strap-ons, oral sex, sex involving female breasts, etc, etc weren't classified as 'sex'. That may explain why the Bible is silent on girl-girl sex acts, since those acts weren't considered sex acts. So I would say it's okay to engage in premarital NON-sexual intercourse. If I were a Christian then I wouldn't advise it since it's hard to restrict those acts and the thoughts and feelings accompanying from not wanting to also engage in sexual intercourse. You're playing with fire at that point, in other words.

In the Bible, it was expected that if you have sex with a woman, you have to marry her, otherwise you'd have to pay for it. Christians would consider that to be 'fornication'

 

[s2a]

Is premarital sex really a sin? The Bible condemns sexual immorality but not premarital sex. I personally do not believe that premarital sex is a sin. What do you believe?

Are you coming on to me for a "first" date?

 

[Muffled]

It all depends. It is a sin if you want to follow a certain religion that doesn't allow sex without marriage. If you have no religion, then how can it be a sin for you?

Wouldn't you say that if someone is without God that the most important thing is that he does accept and believe God? After the person accepts God, then we get into the rules and regulations of our prescribed religion and/or denomination. That is something that a lot of people don't seem to realize.
Let us use Jesus as an example to this: He did not go up to known 'sinners' and tell them they are doomed, He taught them and healed them. He instead blasted the people who were already religious and followed their religion (the Pharisees). Sometimes people like the pharisees become so wrapped up in following rules that they forget who they are supposed to worshiping and they forget that it does not make them a better person.
I rambled on too long on, forgive me.

I believe a sin is still a sin whether the person is aware that it is or not. If a person believes he can jump off a tall building and live, he will die just as fast as a person who knows better.

 

[Muffled]

I don't believe it is a sin. The way I see it pre marital sex is a sin only if you follow a religion that says it is. Every religion has certain rules and guidelines one must follow those in order to be part of that religion. If your religion says you should not have sex before marriage then to do so would go against your religion. And since (ideally) your religion is a part of you it would also be going against yourself. So I don't believe it is a sin but then my religion says only "an it harm none do as ye will" and provided it's concentual and the right precautions are taken and your ready for it premarital sex won't harm harm. However if you are part of a religion that says to wait or for some other reason you feel you should wait then wait. What most people seem to forget is that the rules listed in the bible are meant to be followed by those who follow either Jewish(OT) or Christian(NT) traditions. Why should you follow the rules of a particular religion if you don't follow that particular religion?

I believe since God says that the wages of sin is death then sin always does harm.

I believe this is not true. There are all kinds of harm besides the easy ones that can be removed and there are some that can never be removed. A virgin will only become a woman for the first time once in her life.

 

[Muffled]

I agree with you. Personally, I answered the question based on the author of the OP having a cross as her avatar and her religion listed as Methodist which of course is Christian.

I don't see how those who are not Christian or religious in general can be held to the same 'rules' the religious follow.

I might not be used to the culture of Tesas but if a Texan tells me I shouldn't go into the country without wearing boots so the rattlesanakes can't bite my ankles I would be wise to lister to him.

 

[ChristineES]

I believe a sin is still a sin whether the person is aware that it is or not. If a person believes he can jump off a tall building and live, he will die just as fast as a person who knows better.

Well, yes, it's a sin within our faith. People who don't follow the faith aren't going to be concerned about that.

 

[McBell]

I believe a sin is still a sin whether the person is aware that it is or not. If a person believes he can jump off a tall building and live, he will die just as fast as a person who knows better.

The problem here is that sin is not like gravity.

Gravity applies to everyone the exact same way.

Sin is subjective based not only on your acceptance of something being a sin, but also on what your favoured deity wishes/wills.