The New Morality

The recent flap over The Georgetown University law student and her demand of  a right to free contraceptives has reminded me how far our nation has come in its view of  sex.   Most of us (including me) are repulsed by the rude comments made about her by radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.   Yet this young woman seems to be admitting to sexual behavior that, while widely accepted as normal today, 50 years ago would have been seen by most Americans as immoral.  

The Bible clearly teaches that sex outside of marriage is a sin.  That view of immorality was the standard take in the western world for centuries until the last 50 years.  Gradually we have come to accept premarital intercourse as perfectly normal and acceptable.   Large numbers of people may have engaged in such activity but at least they knew and admitted that it was wrong.  It was a double standard but women who engaged is such activity were considered as being "loose."  Even most unmarried men who were sexually active would not have told their mothers.  No one would have gone before a congressional committee and testified to being promiscuous.  It was both a virtue and considered normal for people to wait until marriage.   Today such a view is thought of as "old-fashioned.".  Most of our churches are filled with couples living together.  Just a few short years ago such behavior was called, "shacking up". and if done, was done in secrecy.  We sure have come a long way!

Sex is a wonderful gift from God.    Unlike my Catholic brothers and sisters I believe that sexual intercourse is meant for both procreation and for pleasure.  But God clearly indented for this powerful act to be done only in a marriage relationship between a man and a woman.  Faithfulness to marriage and in marriage brings the most happiness in people's sex lives.   Sex is fun, otherwise so many people wouldn't be doing it.  But God knows that it is the most fun when restricted to the wedding bed.  And He knows that, when done outside of marriage, sex can be and often is very damaging.  To do things God's way is not old fashioned--it is as up to date as the eternal God of the universe.