Ryzo

The belief that pre-marital sex is a sin is pretty common across christian denominations. What is the biblical basis for this and do any jews also consider pre-marital sex a sin?

David B

Might it be that taboos against premarital sex are a fairly general part of the human condition, over time ans space.

Perhaps based on marrying a virgin means a cut in likelyhood of a man raising in a cuckoo in the nest, the value of virgin girls in particular for cementing alliences between families or tribes, stuff like that.

I don't mean to assert that this is the case - just to put it forward for consideration, and for comment from people better versed in anthropology and Ev Psych than myself.

If that were the case, then perhaps any scriptural basis for such taboos might reflect something deeper in the human condition's history, and perhaps reinforce it, rather than just being the driver of such taboos.

Any anthropologists in the house?

David B

ModernHeretic

I think that pre-marital sex is generally thrown in with 'fornication', which is a word that seems to be used to describe almost any form of sexual immorality.

As for Judaism, I have heard that it is considered OK for Jewish people to have pre-marital sex if they are engaged.

1Cr 7:2 Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.

Splarnst

I think there are several secular reasons for opposing fornication, some especially in less technologically advanced societies:

(1) It causes unwanted pregnancies.
(2) It causes questions about paternity.
(3) It spreads STDs.

Bradshaw

I'm not sure what you mean with reason number two, however, the other two reasons are ruled out simply by the use of a condom. Safe sex is a much better alternative to abstinence, particularly because you don't go insane over sex cravings.

Toto

The Bible and Cohabitation gives biblical references for fornication.

Ryzo

I'm only asking for religious, specifically biblical reasons.

What exactly is meant by fornication? You say sexual immorality, but what exactly is that defined as? I can guess that sexual immorality, includes adultery and homosexuality, but is that all?

That's helpful and I'm reading it right now, but I'm still not sure precisely what fornication is.

David B

Condoms have not been an option during the time when sexual mores were becoming established, and perhaps enshrined in scripture. Well - in 18 century Britain there were sheathes made from lambs intestines (or something like that) and I seem to recall something about crocodile dung in Egypt.

David B

Toto

Wikipedia tells you everything about fornication (use with caution).simple definition

Splarnst

If a woman has sex with more than one man and she gets pregnant, she is not always sure who the father is. Women who only have sex with one many never have this question.

The other two questions are not fully ruled out. Condoms do fail sometimes. And in the past, they were less reliable when even available or existent.