Christianity: New Teachings for a New Way of Life

Christianity: New Teachings for a New Way of Life

The Christian vision of Human Sexuality compared to many religions is seen as quite restrictive. Religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism do not put near as much effort in restricting human sexuality as Christians do. Particularly in Hinduism, sex is seen as a good thing and is even celebrated. Even more, some Hindu's practice the teachings of the Kama Sutra "which provides the details of erotic method...presenting the particulars of various types of positions, caresses, and embraces" (LoPresti 25). These views of sexuality in Hinduism are significantly different to the views of Christianity. "How would you characterize the Christian vision of human sexuality, as relatively positive and affirming or more cautious and restrictive?" (LoPresti 137)

One issue of Human Sexuality in Christianity is the idea of contraception. "Until 1930, when the Anglican Communion modified its teaching, Christians around the world had been unanimous in their condemnation of artificial means of birth control" (LoPresti 132). For centuries, procreation has been the primary purpose of marriage. Now with the advancements of a reliable birth control, sex has taken on a whole new consciousness. Sex now can be seen as fun and pleasurable and independent of procreation. The idea of sex separate from procreation is highly debatable especially in the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church "continues to hold that each and every act of intercourse must remain open to the transmission of new life" (LoPresti 133). This argument is the source of much heated debate due to the steady rise of the Aids Epidemic. The Aids epidemic in the world today is the source of a huge problem. Millions are infected and will continue to infect others without the proper means of contraception. Since there is no cure for Aids, the condom is the catalyst in attempting to control the Aids virus. Since the issue of contraception is in direct contradiction with the Roman Catholic Church, many Catholics find themselves torn between religion and health. So the question for Catholics becomes: Do we follow our catholic teaching or do we try and eradicate this disease? Although most devout Catholics would be opposed to disregarding the teachings of the church, the issue of saving millions of life's around the world is far more important. Therefore, the issue of contraception in the Catholic Church is far more restricting than it is relatively positive or affirming.

A second issue that surrounds Christianity today is the issue of nonmarital sex. A majority of Christians would argue "that marriage is the only acceptable environment for full sexual expression" (LoPresti 129). For centuries, nonmarital sex has been seen by Christians as sinful and against the teachings of the church. This notion still holds true today, yet seems to bear little significance to the youth of America. Sex is deeply engrained in American culture today through many different forms primarily because people are so intrigued with it. Sex is seen on TV, movies, books, magazines, and virtually any other possible outlet it can be sold. This is where the term "Sex Sells" is most evident. Popular TV shows like Cheaters, and Desperate Housewives are just a couple of examples of how attractive sex is to Americans. In all of this, Americans are becoming more desensitized on a sexual basis. TV and movies have always come up with new ways to push sex onto new levels. For example, the new hit TV show Desperate Housewives is based around a group of women who seek to fulfill their sexual urges. These urges are fulfilled in acts of nonmarital sex, and adultery and given a comedic tone. This shows how with comedic tone, most of anything can be seen as ok and funny. This is a perfect example of how issues in the church are in high conflict with everyday life. The Christian church has always warned against such acts saying that "each day the broken hearts of abandoned spouses, the children born out of wedlock, the families torn by divorce.....all cry out to us that sexual expression outside of God's plan is a mistake...the price is far too great" (LoPresti 130).