Personal Responsibility

Celibacy - Lack of participation in sexual relations

Chastity - Keeping sex within marriage and engaging only in dignified sexual behaviour or completely refraining from sex

Christian views on commitment, sex and marriage

Christians believe that sex is a part of the commitment made when a couple marry. The two main aspects of sex is the union (they will become one flesh)  and the procreative (go forth and multiply) side. For this reason sex outside of marriage, homosexuality and artificial contraception are generally frowned upon.

Sex should be about love rather than lust

Earlier on in the faith some Christians believe being celibate was right as Jesus did not marry

“it is better to marry than to burn with passion” - St Paul. Marriage is necessary for controlling sexuality
Sex is more than a recreational act, it unites couples at a deep, emotional level. Catholics only consider a couple married after the newlyweds have had sex
NOTE: Oral sex, masturbation, homosexual sex and artificial contraception is wrong as does not accept “go foth and multiply”
NOTE: Sex is meant to be procreative, therefore contraception is looked down upon
NOTE: Adultery is looked down upon “Do not commit adultery” (commandment) and “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”

Contraception

Conservative:

• God designed our sex organs for reproduction
• “Go forth and multiply”
• Unnatural

Liberal:

• Contraception could control the worlds ever increasing population of family size (catholic believe to use natural contraception for this)
• More emphasis should be on the unitive side of sex so that couples can share their love and not just as the way children are created
• The latest forms of contraception do not interfere with the act of making love
• Good to limit size of family or delay family for reasons such as financial issues
• Protestants agree with using contraceptives to help limiting size of families or delay starting a family for financial reasons

Sex before marriage

Conservative:

• “for it is better to marry than to burn with passion” which suggests that sex belongs in marriage only
• Should be procreative and therefore has to be carried out responsibly as the best environment for a child is a stable family
• Should be unitive and therefore should take place between couples who are committed to each other
• Would be great reduction is STD’s if sex was always within marriage

Liberal:

• The second and third view above can be justified if the couple live together and are loving and committed

Sex outside of Marriage 

• “You shall not commit adultery” (7th commandment)
• Adultery is a betrayal of trust and commitment
• “You should avoid sexual immorality” “Flee from sexual immorality”
• “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”
• Leads to social issues “love thy neighbour”
• Breaks the marriage vows made before God

Homosexuality 

• Roman Catholics believe that we cannot decide how we are so homosexuals should be treated with resect however they should remain celibate as homosexual acts are sinful
• Salvation army also agree that “we are not responsible for who we are”
• General belief is love the sinner but hate the sin
• Church of England allows homosexual vicars but celibate ones

Homosexuality vs Hetrosexuality

Homo:

• As long as they do not engage in sexual acts, it is fine (however marriage should have sex)
• Loving faithful committed homosexual relations are as good as heterosexual ones
• God made homosexuals in a certain way for a reason

Hetro:

• Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve
• Go forth and multiply which Homo can’t do
• “A man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife”

Drug Use

• Drugs should be used for therapeutic reasons primarily

Conservative

• “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil”
• “Do not get drunk in wine, which leads to debauchery”
• “Your body is the temple of the Holy spirit”
• Drug abuse is an abuse of God given Free-Will
• Leaves to social issues (love thy neighbour)

Liberal

• We should have free will

How to help

• Hope UK and Amethyst are Christian organisation who help raise awareness of drugs and train young people to make informed decisions
• Churches can help
• Care, Counselling and Rehabilitation available which provide safe and supportive environment which helps break dependencies

Medical Drug use

• Good to preserve life
• We have been given intelligence from God to produce these medications
• “love thy neighbour” by using the treatment we have
- Doctors can only help minister to others however they cannot play God as God decides when we die
We should be free to do what we want if it does not harm, right?

Agree 

God gave people free will / consensual sexual relationships outside marriage can be
loving and bring deep joy / Paul’s teaching against sex before marriage related to
particular circumstances / taking some illegal drugs less harmful to others than
alcohol.

Other views 

New Testament and Church teaching encourage chastity and self-control / casual sex
devalues God’s precious gift, misusing God’s temple and harming oneself / risks to
oneself and others from taking tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs / freedom not the
same as licence.