Sexuality
Refers to our basic orientation as male or female.
Sex
Refers to one's gender or having sex, the biological component.
Making Love
The total sharing of oneself with another person for the good of that person and for the glory of God. God's example: In marriage, husbands and wives submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21-33).
Sexuality: God's Idea from the Beginning
God created us male and female to become "one flesh"; God saw what he made and it was good (Gen. 1:31, Gen 2:24, Matt. 19:5) Sexuality is an important part of the total oneness which God desires for man and woman within a marriage relationship. A union that is physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Humans VS. Animals
Humans are different from animals in that human sexuality depends on attitudes, values, and what the individual thinks, rather than just biology.
Human Sexuality Is:
Pervasive, involving humans pscyhologically as well as physicologically. Under conscious control, rahter than instinct Affected by learning and social factors, therefore more variable within the species Largely directed by an individuals beliefs, values, and attitudes. Less directly attached to reproduction Able to serve other purposes such as communication and bonding More a source of pleasure
Tarnished By Sin
Satan is the root of all evil; blame is not to be placed on the "world" or "culture" Satan took God's creation and distorted it so that there are evil sexual practices to the detriment of individuals and families Sin includes attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts to contrary to God's will and separates us from Christ. Through Jesus Christ we are united again to God. (James 1:13-27)
God Guides Us on How to Use His Gift
Misguided sexual behavior causes pain and emotional/social frustrationGod gave us the proper context for complete sexual expression and fulfillment
Reasons for the Boundary of Marriage
Companionship (Gen. 2:20-24) Procreation (Gen. 1:27-28) To avoid promiscuity (1 Cor. 7:1-5)
Boundaries: Physical Love in Marriage
Sexual expression of love is to be in a marraige relationship and honored. Researchers agree with the value of marriage to society and to individuals as a basis for sexual expression
Boundaries: Physical Love for Procreation
"Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it" Gen. 1:27-28 Marriage is the culmination of commitment on the part of two people that are emotionallyand psychologically prepared to raise and nurture children. Therefore marriage is a civil insitution representing society's interest in procreative acts and a means of regulating the manner and place into which children come into being and are reared.
Boundaries: Promiscuity
In marriage we belong to each other. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife and likewise the wife to her husband.
Authentic Sexuality is...
Meant to be congruent, integral part of one's total being God ordained and was intended to be a real, genuine, believable and trustworthy part of ourselves. Created as God's perfect design but is also affected by the consequences of sin
Human Sexuality must be understood in light of a variety of influences:
Biological Sociological Psychological Theological
Sociocultural Aspects
Encompasses all life experiences--psychological, social, and cultural A person doesn't learn the meaning of sexual behavior in a vacuum, but rahter through a sociological context and messages can vary widely.
Cultural Level
There are prevailing cultural attitudes and past attitudes that influence our beliefs and values about sexuality. The current cultural climate reflects the tension between sexual repression and sexual liberation
Social Psychological Level
Well-defined "feminine" and "masculine" roles Females: less sexual, greater sexual restraints Males: less restrictive, more freedom, encouraged to make sexual advances, conditioned to be sexually active. A movement toward defining gender roles
3 Elements of the Social Structure
Marital jealousy- boundary maintenance mechanism Gender role power- usually those in power have control over what the society views as important Ideology- societal beliefs about normality and human nature
Balswick & Balswick Summarize
Upholding marriage as the place to engage in sexual intercourse and bear children organizes and provides stablitiy in a society While biological factors are most crucial in establishing sexuality early in life; sociocultural factors become increasingly significant as the child maturesThe formation of any individual's sexuality is due to a wide range of socicultural and biological considerations. At the same time God takes a direct role through biblical teachings that help us live out authentic sexuality in our heart's desires, minds, and attitudes, and through our behavior.
Outside of church, people think of God as the _______ _____ of human sexuality.
great spoilsport
Surveys reveal little difference between attenders/nonattenders in the rates of _____ _______ and cohabitation
premarital intercourse
As if by _______, the most "primitive" of human recognize in sex something beyond a merely phsical act.
instinct
Only in ________ _________ ________ do people sex to an act of pleasure we perform like any other animal.
technologically advanced cultures
In what ways are humans over-equipped for sex?
The human male has the largest penis of any primate, and the female is the only mammal whose breasts develop before her firsst pregnancy
________ is key.
Relationship
The author describes the modern view of sexuality as schizophrenic. The root cause of this is the ________________________________________.
attempt to reduce sex between humans to a purely physical act.
Why did the U.S. Supreme Court not outlaw "virutal child porn" in 2002?
Because no one gets harmed in its manufacture.
In commenting on the differences between modern cities' fixation on sex, Jacques Ellul suggested ________________.
that it is the symptom of a breakdown of intimacy
When a society loses _____ ___ ______, lesser powers arise to take God's place.
faith in God
The word sex means _______________.
To cutoff or severe.
Freud diagnosed deep pain within as longing for union w/parent; Jung diagnosed a longing for union w/opposite sex; the Christain sees a deeper longing for union with ______________________.
the God who created us
What contributed to the Church's reputation as an implacable enemy of sex?
Every society sets boundaries (taboos) around sexuality, and in Western civilization Christianity was the main force to set those boundaires.
The ________ _________ brought about a shift in attitudes toward sex. Thanks to Luther who helped reshape thought. Yet, in England and America, ___________ brought back an ethic of repression.
Protestant Reformation; Victorians
Jesus treated those who had fallen into sexual sins with __________ and __________.
compassion; forgiveness
Uptight Christians forget the fundamental fact that God ____________ sex.
created
In the scripture, "do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone..." Jesus affirms that sexual desire affect the _______________, whether or not anything takes place externally.
inside of a person
What were Vanier's findings of sexual studies on the profoundly retarded?
They still have sexual desires with another human
According to Vanier, a commitment to purity is a sign of hope, an effort to bring personal order into a disordered world. Purity can be sought as a _______________ or ______________.
a celibate single person; as a married person
If ___________ serves as your religion, then sex becomes and act of worship.
humanity
If sex is saved for marriage, "it lures us into a relationship that offers to teach us what we need far more ---- _______________.
Sacrificial love
Over the years, the church has... given a periodical shout from the pulpit "________."
Thou shalt not
Our sexuality reflects the very _____ of God.
image
The phrase, "one flesh" indicates that they were in union ______________, ___________and ___________.
physically, emotionally, sprititually
The magnet of sex for so many is not simply excitement, but the __________.
longing for greater closeness
Sex is a wonderful ________ of intimacy. But as we know, _____________ can be empty of real meaning.
symbol; symbols
Because of the fall of man into sin, _____________ has been damaged, including the areas of sexuality, sex, and "making love."
every are of human existance.
The Good News it that though our first parents broke their relationship with God, God did not ________________.
abandon them
No other area causes more pain and emotional/social frustration than __________ sexual behavior.
misguided
The word marriage bed in the Greek New Testament is actually coitus, another word for _______________.
Sexual Intercourse
True sexual satisfaction only takes place in a relationship where there is a _____________ of a man and woman in marriage for life.
full and total commitment
The rate of divorce for those who have cohabited and then marry is ________ than those mentally, and emotionally toward sexual cohabitation.
50%
Studies have shown that most men and women are ____________ motivated physically, mentally , and emotionally twoard sexual cohabitation.
equally
When deciding on frequency of sexual activity, couples must be careful not to use _________ to determine toward sexual cohabitation.
national averages
Agape is ______ love-- it is what God wants married love to look like.
God-given