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RELIGION/m^e C(tbitte $otit
Thursday, January 22, 2004
What religions say regarding premarital sex
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buddhism
Buddhists believe that sex
before marriage is not
immoral if there is love and
consent between the two
parties involved. According
to Buddhist precepts, as long
as the act of sex does not
cause harm to you or anoth
er person in any way,- it is
permissible.
Paganism
According to
WitchVox.com, pagans have
no set rules against homo
sexuality, nudity or premari
tal sex. However, sex is
viewed as “the generative
force in nature and is seen by
most pagans as something
utterly sacred. The physical
act of love is to be
approached with great
respect and responsibility.”
Hinduism
Hinduism’s received moral
traditions about premarital
sex are rooted in its concept
of the stages of life. One of
these stages is the life of the
ceUbate student, which pre
cedes the stage of the mar
ried householder. Celibacy is
considered the appropriate
behavior for both male and
female students (or unmar
ried singles who have left
school). Hinduism holds this
view not because it regards
sex as inherently sinful, but
because of this belief in cer
tain life stages.
Judaism
According to Jewish law,
sex and other acts that may
lead to sex are only allowed
within the context of a mar
riage. Sex is not only a
means of physical gratifica
tion, but an important act
that “requires commitment
and responsibility. The
requirement of marriage
before sex ensures that
sense of commitment and
responsibility.”
Islam
According to the Qur’an,
“the believers are... those
who protect their sexual
organs except from their
spouses... Therefore, whoso
ever seeks more beyond that
[in sexual gratification], then
they are the transgressors.”
(23:5-6). Muslim scholars
say this statement “makes it
very clear that any sexual
gratification outside mar
riage is considered a trans
gression of the law of Glod.”
Christianity
American Baptist
According to the American
Baptists, “Christian disci
ples choices about singlfe-
ness, marriage, parenthood,
and living in covenantal,
intentional family arrange
ments are to be made sober
ly, with prayer, and as inte
gral parts of the Christian’s
response to God’s call in
Jesus Christ. We affirm the
competence of the individual
soul to determine God’s will
in such matters through the
reading and interpreting of
Scripture, through dialogue
with God, by considering the
teaching and counsel of the
Christian community, and
by seeking and testing the
wisdom of sisters and broth
ers in Christ.”
Catholic
The Catholic church teach
es that situations where sex
occurs outside of marriage
“offend against the dignity of
marriage; they destroy the
veiy idea of the family; they
weaken the sense of fidelity.
They are contrary to the
moral law. ’The sexual act
must take place exclusively
within marriage. Outside of
marriage it always consti
tutes a grave sin and
excludes one from sacramen
tal communion.”
Eastern Orthodoxy
According to the Greek
Orthodox Archdiocese of
America, “the Orthodox
Church remains faithful to
the biblical and traditional
norms regarding premarital
sexual relations between
men and women. The only
appropriate and morally fit
ting place for the exercise of
sexual relations, according
to the teachings of the
Church, is marriage.”
Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America
'The ELCA church’s posi
tion on promiscuity states
that “having casual sexual
relations is sinful because
this does not proceed from or
contribute to respect, intima
cy, and care of the other.
Promiscuity is inconsistent
with our identity as Chris
tians (1 Cor. 6:12-20). Being
sexually active in order to be
popular or only to gratify
sexual desire is morally
wrong.”
Latter-Day Saints
Mormons believe that sex
ual relations are permitted
only with one’s spouse of
legal marriage. In addition,
chastity emcompasses more
than sex itself According to
Mormon policy statements,
“the most common sexual
sins our young people com
mit are necking and petting.
Not only do these improper
relations often lead to forni
cation, [unwed] pregnancy,
and abortions—all ugly
sins—but in and of them
selves they are pernicious
evils, and it is often difficult
for youth to distinguish
where one ends and another
begins.”
More LDS views
Presbyterian Church
(USA)
'The teachings of Presby
terian Church (USA) state
that “total intimacy should
happen in a relationship of
total commitment, which
marriage is intended to be.
We advocate responsible
behavior, understood as sex
ual expression that matches
the seriousness and perma
nence of the relationship,”
Southern Baptist
Convention
According to the Southern
Baptist Convention’s Faith
and Message, “Procreation is
a gift from God, a precious
trust reserved for marriage.”
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist
Church’s policy on sexuality
states that “sexual relations
are only clearly affirmed in
the marriage bond. Sex may
become exploitative within
as well as outside marriage.
We reject all sexual expres
sions that damage or destroy
the humanity God has given
us as birthright, and we
affirm only that sexual
expression that enhances
that same humanity.”
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THE PROPHET’S COLUMN INC,
9626 FELDBANK DRIVE
CHARLOTTE, NC, 28216-2131
“GOD REPROBATING A SINNER’ - FIRST PART
J. M. LITTLE - TEACHER
I’ll never cease to praise and thank my blessed heavenly Father for electing me
to salvation in Christ before the foundation of the world. We find that great truth in
Ephesians 1:4; ‘According as he hath dKisen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:"
Get this truth if you can; ‘every sinner who has ever been saved, or ever wll
be saved, was chosen by my heavenly Father and given to the Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ before ttw foundation of foe world." That is God’s election. Our
subject at this time is not election but “GOD'S REPROBATION, OR GOD
REPROBATING A SINNER." 1 was asked the’ question some years ago; “is God
still reprobating people today?" My frank answer was; "right before my eyes.” My
friends, these two great truths are taught throughout God’s Word. I am not to
blame for your ignorance in not seeing them. One day I was blinded and on the
road to hell just like you and i could not see them. &jt when foe blessed Holy
Spirit opened my heart (Acts 16:14) as He did Lydia’s heart, He began to teach
me all about my totally depraved and hell-deserving condition. And He taught me
the truth of every sinner’s saivation, that is: “Christ died for sinners and Christ
alone could be my Salvation. And He taught me my vile, helpless, hopeless,
rotten and hell-deserving condition, letting me see that if God did not choose to
save me. I never would be saved. The trouble wifo you who argue against the
doctrine of God’s Reprobation is that you have never seen under Holy Spirit
conviction (John 16:7-11) that God is Sovereign and you, the sinner, are at the
disposal of the Sovereign God of the Universe. You'll never ieam these taiths
and that God does not have to save you as long as you go on in Satan's syrup,
the religious syrup of “I accepted Jesus as mv Saviour.*} would you could see
these great truths I am setting forth, but I know you nevw will unless the Holy
Spirit awakens you to your lost condilion.
Obituaries
Grier Euneral Service
Theodore E. .Johnson of 3021 Tuckaseegee Road died
Dec. 16,2003 at his residence. Graveside service was held
Dec. 30 at Oaklawn Cemetery.
Elijah Moore of 1930 W. Sugar Creek
Road died Dec. 17, 2003 at Saturn Nursing '**^®-
Home. Funeral seivice was held Dec. 20 at
St. Luke Baptist Church. Burial at North.
Pinewood Cemetery.
Louise Rakestraw of 2616 East Fifth St.
died Dec. 22, 2003 at Beverly Health Care
Nursing Home. Funeral service was held
Jan. 2,2004 at A.S. Grier Memorial Chapel.
Burial followed at Oaklawn Cemetery.
Miss Rosebud Junious of 3509 Archer Ave. died
Dec. 30, 2003 at University Hospital. Funeral was held
Jan. 4, 2003 at First United Presbyterian Church.
John Weaver of 2761 Mayflower Road died Dec. 30,
2003 at his residence. Funeral was held Jan. 6 at A.S.
Grier Memorial Chapel. Burial at Beatties Ford Memori
al Garden.
Thelma Proctor of 4911 Lakeview Road died Jan. 2,
2004 at University Ho.spital. Funeral was held Jan. 7 at
Memorial Presbyterian Church. Burial at York Memorial
Park.
Lois Brown Fryer of 1720 Camden Road died Dec. 31,
2003 at her residence. Funeral was held Jan. 8, 2004 at
Grace Covenant Church. Burial at Forest l.awn Cemetery.
Willie J. Parker of 33(X) Avalon Ave. died Jan. 5,2004 at
his residence. Funeral was held Jan. 10 at A.S. Grier
Memorial Chapel. Burial at Beatties Ford Memorial Gar
den.
r .J
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