catholics and pre-marital sex?
603876
Yes, this belief is thousands of years old going back to the ancient Jews.\n\nThe Catholic Church recognizes the power of sex when it teaches, "Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person in the unity of his body and soul."\n\nFornication, sex between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman, is contrary to their human dignity and the dignity of human sexuality. \n\nChastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person. A chaste person's body and spirit lives in unity and opposes any behavior that would impair that unity.\n\nWith love in Christ.
525170
The Catholic faith does not permit premarital sex.
112429
Although I am answering from a Catholic perspective, the theology is fairly universal.\n\nJesus forbade divorce, except in cases of adultery. However, a divorce also implies that there was a marriage. This tends to be the angle that the Catholic church approaches the breakdown of a legal marriage, and that is, "was it even a marriage?"\n\nMarriage is, as Jesus puts it, "when two become one flesh", people whom God himself has "joined together." A sacramental moment of that magnitude requires that people enter it with full consent, and that consent requires both the personal maturity to give that consent as well as having all the information needed to make that consent. \n\nTake abuse, for instance - abuse implies a kind of marital fraud. Nobody would knowingly start dating someone who they knew was going to beat them, right? An abusive person is always going to put their best foot forward at first and hide that aspect of themselves until a time when they feel safe to let it out. This is a fraud - and if a person marries such a person, they aren't doing it with that full consent of the will necessary for a marriage to truly exist.\n\nSo a civil divorce may not always be a wrong thing to do, if it really is more of an annulment of a marriage that never truly was.\n\nAlso - the other thing to keep in mind, is that what Jesus specifically condemned was divorce and remarriage, not divorce alone. So even if the marriage was valid in the eyes of God - i.e. abuse, lies, fraud, alcoholism weren't part of the breakdown, it was a valid marriage - it is only remarriage that he's actually condemned.\n\nAn aside: marriage was not created by the state. It long predates the state. Marriage was deeded to the state by religion...
189656
Yes.  Genetic engineering is troublesome for the Catholic Church on two levels . . . first, the "playing God" factor.  But secondly, the Catholic Church has a very strong stance on marital relationships and procreation . . . sex is an activity that occurs between a husband and wife for the procreation of children and the unification of the couple.  "Sex" without either of these components is sinful.  From this ideology comes the Catholic Church's position against artifical insemination (there is no intercourse, no unification of the couple).  As I understand genetic engineering for babies, this is something that is done outside normal martial relations, so the Church would oppose it on those grounds as well.
121052
It's actually from St. Paul. In his letters, Paul describes celibacy as the ideal human existance, but leaves a clause for those who are too weak to maintain a celibate lifestyle. Thus, in the early Church, many people chose to remain unmarried, even those who were not ordained ministers.\n\nOnly much later, when it became clear that if Christianity was going to survive, it needed to start making Christian BABIES, did married-and-family life take on the sacramental tone that it has today.\n\nYet the belief that sex BEFORE marriage is evil is rooted in that early belief that sex is AT BEST a forgivable evil. Today, we adopt a more holistic theology - that sex is part of the blessing of human relationships, which are most fulfilling in the covenant bond of marriage.
892315
Sex before marriage is a total no-no for me. Virginity is the most prized possesion for a women and the most deserving man can get the most prized possesion.
525305
Sex before marriage is NOT allowed before marriage if you are a Christian.(which I am) and people that are not following Gods no sex before marriage rule are not real Christians. God does NOT force us not to have sex before marriage. You CAN do what ever you want. But if you are a real Christian you will follow Gods rules. But God IS NOT forcing you to do it. but if you do you are not a real Christian. just because someone or everyone does something bad does not mean you should. hope this helps and I hope you make the right decision and follow Jesus.
831184
I'm a Catholic. I know of a regional priest here who left the Church to marry a woman. He's now an Episcopal priest. As the media is all too happy to inform us, there are also a number of gay priests out there. I suppose that some priests find the Church's demands for a  celibate clergy too much to live up to. That may be the real issue, with the gay-vs-straight issue being something of a smokescreen (gay or straight, celibacy isn't for everyone). I know that celibacy was certainly a concern of mine when I was considering becoming a monk (a move that would've required me to emotionally and physically abandon my girlfriend). What people aren't concentrating on is the vast majority of priests who handle it just fine and are doing their jobs efficiently.
316117
you got it. Its a cultural thing. Its a sin to indulge in pre marital sex. for 18 or more years they are told its wrong to have sex before marriage. You cannot convince them over a few months to change such an instilled value. Unless they agree on their own. And don't you dare go on forcing yourself on them because its not your right to do so.
697089
In the bible it says that sex before marriage is wrong if there is no commitment between two people. "Marriage" as referred to in the bible is symbolic for a relationship/connection/love/commitment.\n\nThus you don't need to be married (literally) to have sex but you need to be committed.\n\nI feel that it is all about morals and there is no right or wrong. it's your own decision. Personally I believe that sex before commitment/love is wrong
87000
love before sex- definately
211612
Yes, of course I do. I don't particularly agree with marriage so it would make no sense for me to disagree with premarital sex.\nWhatever floats your boat.
1080109
I don't think it's that big of a deal either. Whether Jesus was married or not changes nothing for me. And it seems to make more sense that he was with Mary all the time if she was his wife, I always found it odd that he hung out with a prostitute. I think Catholics see sex as "sinful" so Jesus can't have any part of that. But then why is called Holy Matrimony? How is it wrong with your spouse? i don't care either way, there are more important issues for people to argue over!
965077
Jesus never condoned sex outside of marriage and is believed to have been celibate for his entire unmarried life. I think he would be closer to the viewpoint of the Catholic Church.\n\nThe Catholic Church believes there is nothing sinful about being homosexual. But homosexuals like all unmarried people are called to celibacy.\n\nThe Church specifically says that homosexuals "must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided."\n\nWith love in Christ.
1092473
Never. Unless they are married. God gave us sex as an intimate expression of love between husband and wife and for procreation. Sex solidifies the bond between husband and wife. It's not supposed to be a casual thing between unmarried people.
877188
Hi. I am a Christian woman. I am married now, but did have sex before marriage. I was not a Christian at that time, but did struggle with temptations as a Christian before marriage. I give all glory and credit to Jesus for giving my husband and I the strength to resist temptation before marriage. Our first kiss as a couple was at the altar.\nI think that a vast majority of people who claim Christianity as their religion either do not understand their claim well enough for it to be true and sincere in them or they are too caught up in the temptations of life and not caught up in the focus and strength of Christianity - namely Jesus Christ and His accomplishments in life, death, and the resurrection.\n\nIt is disturbing the number of people who claim allegiance to Christ and then fail to follow Him in His commands. None of us is perfect. Biblically we are all sinners in need of our Savior, Christ, and this issue is yet further proof that becoming a Christian isn't an instant fix of flaws. Christianity is meant to be a process of growing in relationship with the Savior who saved us once from eternal damnation in hell and is saving us daily from our own weakness toward sin which brings death into our lives (although some sins bring death of emotional, relational, social, spiritual, etc. not just the regular physical death you think of.) Those people who are truly "saved" and living daily in a relationship with Jesus Christ through His presence in our lives will WANT to or be motivated to "do the right thing" because we want to please Him. Those who claim Christianity as only a Sunday service or social lifestyle simply will not find the strength or reason, when it comes down to temptation, to do the right thing, or they do it for the wrong reason only to give in later. The reason is that they have not really "meet" Jesus Christ and confronted their need for salvation in a sincere way or they have, but they choose the religious box over the relationship that changes a life.\n\nI hope that helps a little. I applaud you in your stand for No Sex Before Marriage. That is an honorable decision that is too foreign in today's society.
387326
Yes, they are "rub away."\n\nAnd Christians don't believe in sex after marriage.  YOU do.  Lighten up and maybe you'll get a boyfriend who doesn't live in his parents' basement.