An Abomination unto Nuggan

What a simple title, huh?

Basically, what is the Christian line on sex - I don't mean the pre-marital virginity stuff, but rather the purpose. Is enjoyment a factor? What about eroticism even within marital confines?

There is an awful lot of prudery associated with Christianity and accusations of Paul's mysogyny ... What are the bases (is that the plural of 'basis'?) of these accusations?

Ratel

Well, the first part of the Bible says you can have multiple wives and concubines, the second part suggests (only a suggestion) we become "eunuchs" for the kingdom of heaven's sake.

Paul in Corinthians tell us that it is better not to touch a woman at all, but if you can't control yourself than you should marry in order to have someone to release your lusts with.

One of the later epistles (Timothy?) restricts bishopships to those with only one wife, the only place in the bible that I am aware of that promotes monogamy.

blues runner

Ha, ha. Most of the Christians I know make prudish faces when they hear anything sex-related they think they're not supposed to talk about or listen to. But, I can easily see their judgmental attitudes vanishing when they know no one's looking. Some (in my experience) have been scornful of hearing about sex conducted in any way other than the missionary position, and the word masturbation makes them recoil. They have to fit the profile of their respective doctrines, you know? I wonder what they really do, however (not that I typically think about this, mind you).

I just watched Kinsey again last night; this thread's kind of a coincidence.

Wallener

After Moshe wandered O Sole Mio into the moutains and kicked the bucket, Joshua sent a couple of spies into Jericho in preparation for the assualt. And what's the first thing these spies do?

Visit a harlot.

Who are the only Jerichonians saved?

The harlot and her family.

How one gets from this to Origen castrating himself for the greater glory of Jesus is...a mystery.

Anat

Wallener, you mean Rahab was a harlot? And generations of Israeli 4th graders have been told that 'zonah' is not what they think, but a vendor of food (mazon). (Later when we relearned Joshua in 8th grade we were taught about the tactical wisdom of sending the spies to that particular house).

Anat

More seriously, the HB's attitude to the role of sex in the human life cycle can be found in Genesis 2:24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh."

The two halves that were separated during creation find each other again and complete the cycle, which will be repeated in the next generation.

fta

Revelation 14:1-5: Jesus's favorite people are the 144,000 who are "not defiled with women, for they are virgins."