Jesus and Sex, Part Five: True Love Waits? Premarital Sex and Eternal Bonds

So far, I have defied Catholic and Orthodox teaching by saying that the primary purpose of sex is conjugal love (rather than procreation); and I have gone further than most Protestants are willing to go by saying that gay and lesbian relationships can be a faithful expression of this love. No current discussion of sexuality […]

Jesus and Sex, Part Four: “Male and Female He Created Them?” Gender Identity in 21st Century Christianity

In my last post, I talked about one of the biggest questions facing the church in America today: whether gay and lesbian relationships should be affirmed as a faithful expression of God’s love. I concluded that the Bible can be read more than one way, and that neither of the traditional objections to homosexual activity […]

Jesus and Sex, Part Three: Holy Homosexuality? Gay and Lesbian Relationships and the Church

Of all the “hot button” issues facing the Christian church today, some of the hottest (at least in the American church) are those related to the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. While the majority of Americans support same-sex romantic relationships (as evidenced by the legalization of gay marriage in 2015), and […]

Jesus and Sex, Part Two: Procreation or Pleasure? The Purpose(s) of Sexuality

In my last post, I showed how the church has an ambivalent relationship with sexuality – sometimes seeing it as a gift from God, other times seeing it as dirty or sinful. Similarly, the church is divided about what it considers the primary purpose of sex – whether it’s mostly for the creation and raising […]

Jesus and Sex: The Good News About Romance, Sexuality and Spirituality (Part One: Introduction)

“What did you talk about in Sunday school today?” the mother asked her young son. “Sex,” the boy replied. “Really?” said the mother, blushing a bit. “What did you learn?” “I learned that sex is dirty and sinful,” the boy said, “and that we should save it for someone we love enough to marry.” This […]

Oddkin's Thoughts

My reflections on God, theology, spirituality, sexuality, morality, politics, liberation, music, food, and more; some if it serious, some of it silly, all of it spiritual -because everything is spiritual.