Do you think the Bible presents a positive view or negative view about sex?

Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by Passionate Pastor
In your opinion is the Bible's message about sex mainly positive about sex or negative about sex? In the comment section give reasons for your answers.
All in all I do believe the Bible actually presents a very lovely and uplifted approach to sex. What is negative is the interpretations of the words foisted upon others. This is clearly a no no according to the Bible but it doesn't stop. There are more joyfilled scriptures in the Bible than warnings and judgements but the sad thing is it takes a Pagan, such as myself, to get some people to read them! Seems all that is ever bruted and preached about is the negative...but Church attendance and adherence to 'the Word' increases when the preaching is uplifting and joyful.
12/15/2011
Contributor: leelee leelee
Quote:
Originally posted by Passionate Pastor
In your opinion is the Bible's message about sex mainly positive about sex or negative about sex? In the comment section give reasons for your answers.
I think it's 50 50
02/15/2012
Contributor: jmex83 jmex83
Quote:
Originally posted by Passionate Pastor
In your opinion is the Bible's message about sex mainly positive about sex or negative about sex? In the comment section give reasons for your answers.
i think it depends on what part of the bible we're discussing and who is interpreting it. the bible (mostly) is at the mercy of those reading and interpreting it in their own views/ways. some can see the negative and some can see the positive. Im 50/50 on this one.
03/24/2012
Contributor: Beck Beck
I really don't care about the Bible because I personally think it is a load of crap, but to each their own. However, it does have a pretty negative attitude about sex. Although, I can't really say because it is a book I refuse to follow or read, so I can't really give a good opinion about it.
03/24/2012
Contributor: tiggle biddies tiggle biddies
Quote:
Originally posted by Passionate Pastor
In your opinion is the Bible's message about sex mainly positive about sex or negative about sex? In the comment section give reasons for your answers.
the bible made me feel like a whore by just being born a female
03/25/2012
Contributor: Stinkytofu10 Stinkytofu10
Quote:
Originally posted by SexyTabby
People tend to pull from the Bible what they wish to pull from it and the rest is simply ignored. Everyone just as easily has different opinions of anything to do with sex. Many of these opinions are directly based on religious beliefs. ... more
Agreed. People will pull and quote passages and base them on their own interpretations.
03/25/2012
Contributor: dks210 dks210
Slut-shaming, homophobia, misogyny, forcing a woman to marry her rapist or else have her killed, circumcision, sending your daughters out to allow a crowd to rape her...I'd say the Bible is incredibly negative about sex.
03/25/2012
Contributor: ViVix ViVix
Quote:
Originally posted by Passionate Pastor
In your opinion is the Bible's message about sex mainly positive about sex or negative about sex? In the comment section give reasons for your answers.
The Bible is all about the supremacy of men with the exception of Mary, who was still only a vessel to a more powerful man.
03/27/2012
Contributor: MissCandyland MissCandyland
Sex between a married couple (a man and a woman), it presents it as a positive thing. Anything other than that, negative.
03/27/2012
Contributor: ECU Pirate ECU Pirate
both
03/28/2012
Contributor: PropertyOfPotter PropertyOfPotter
I think it has an equal amount of both.
04/19/2012
Contributor: JadeKitten JadeKitten
I think it is more negative then positive. Mostly because I put masturbation in the sex category.. and in the Bible I have read that masturbation is a sin as well as of course homosexuality. I've even read a part where if I woman is raped the woman has to marry her rapist (I can't remember if this is if she is pregnant or not).
Since I was raped, Negative.
Since I masturbate, Negative.
Since I am a lesbian, Negative.

Also no per-marital sex.. ehhh. Not married (and I used to not be able ot get married) negative.
Then I think there's a part where you aren't supposed to have sex for anything other then procreation.. and never sex during a period and etc.

For me it is negative, for others it can be positive. It all depends on who you are and your life, and how you wish to interpret it. If you take it at face value I believe it is mostly negative.
04/19/2012
Contributor: Hallmar82 Hallmar82
The scripture really doesn't take sides. It doesn't go out of its way to describe how it should or should not be done within the context of marriage (outside of marriage it's very explicit). Sex is what it is. Love is more important as a concept or topic in scripture.
04/19/2012
Contributor: jennifur77 jennifur77
Quote:
Originally posted by null
I think that the Bible has a positive view on sex, however I think most, not all, American Christians show a negative view on sex, using bits of the Bible as evidence. I would like to note that I was raised Pentecostal in the south. I was taught that ... more
I totally agree. It's how it is interpreted. I once attended a church service in Australia and they were very open about sex. And what about these churches who do those "have sex every night for 40 days" kind of programs for the married couples. Depends much on the church.
05/01/2012
Contributor: Sangsara Sangsara
my completely uneducated opinion because I've never read the bible would be negative
05/02/2012
Contributor: Sex Positivity Sex Positivity
Generally, I'd say the perspective is pretty negative toward sex.
05/02/2012
Contributor: MistressDandelion MistressDandelion
I think most interpretations of the bible are very sex-negative and make sex a dirty, shameful thing.
05/08/2012
Contributor: badk1tty badk1tty
Quote:
Originally posted by Passionate Pastor
In your opinion is the Bible's message about sex mainly positive about sex or negative about sex? In the comment section give reasons for your answers.
The bible absolutely gives a horrible view on sex.
05/08/2012
Contributor: sweetpea12 sweetpea12
Quote:
Originally posted by Passionate Pastor
In your opinion is the Bible's message about sex mainly positive about sex or negative about sex? In the comment section give reasons for your answers.
I am definitely sure that the bible puts a negative view on sex if it not used for procreational methods, or involving one heterosexual monogamous couple.
05/15/2012
Contributor: Allison.Wilder Allison.Wilder
I can't say, I've never read it.
05/20/2012
Contributor: cryinglightning86 cryinglightning86
On the whole, I think the Bible gives a horribly negative view on sex. No sex before marriage, no gay sex, if you're a girl that gets raped you will probably have to marry your rapist, no sex on your period (because it's "unclean"), foreskins are "unclean," masturbation is an abomination, desire in the Garden of Eden is evil (Eve eats the apple, feeds it to Adam, and then the first thing they do is look on each other with lust...and they're ashamed), prostitutes are counted as sinners, Mary is emphasized as a virgin (because if she wasn't, there's no way Jesus could be born sinless - sex perpetuates the original sin), Noah is seen as naked by his sons and curses them out of embarrassment, Sodom is punished for its sexual deviance from the biblical norm, and believers on the whole are taught to "flee from temptation" (David, Joseph, Jesus, and several others all have notable stories). I could go on for ages with more examples from both the Old Testament and the New.

The Bible is a big bundle of sex- and body-shaming. Three cheers for that.
07/02/2012
Contributor: gsfanatic gsfanatic
Mostly negative, but there are occasional positive messages. A lot of the scholars who supplemented the Bible with explanations made it more negative
07/03/2012
Contributor: SneakersAndPearls SneakersAndPearls
Well, the Bible doesn't actually talk about masturbation. If those that alluded to that are referring to Onan spilling his "seed," which is what most people quote when they are talking anti-masturbation, the wasn't actually about that. Not even kind of.

As for the behavior of people making it seem like it is sex-negative (it's not), you have to remember two things: one, there are different rules from the Old Testament vs the New Testament; and two, the loudest are generally taking scripture and twisting it to make it fit their own view. You can't judge what the Bible says by what other people think it says without reading it yourself.
07/03/2012
Contributor: Claire-Bear Claire-Bear
I believe it to be positive. It's all about context and how you interpret it.
07/05/2012
Contributor: KRD KRD
Religion is like politics to me. Anytime I'm around people who bring up the topic, it starts heated debates and/or arguments (not with me, but with others). Personally, I'm not very religious. I think the bible has a negative view of sex, as well as many other things. It's also inconsistent, as some have said. Therefore, I don't preach the bible and I hate when religious people try to force their beliefs on you. ugh
07/05/2012
Contributor: <3BF <3BF
Anything that claims to be a higher authority which puts rules on sexual activities and penalties ranging from stonings to burning in eternal hell fires is definitely NOT sending a positive message about sex.
07/05/2012
Contributor: remember.me remember.me
Negative nancy!
07/06/2012
Contributor: kawigrl kawigrl
from my understanding the bible is ok with sex if you're heterosexual and married
07/06/2012
Contributor: hyacinthgirl hyacinthgirl
Actually, the woman marrying her rapist has been interpreted since ancient times by rabbis as this:

A man who rapes a woman has committed a crime that will prevent her from marriage. The rapist therefore must pay her dowry and continue to pay for her for the rest of her life, as well as being unable to divorce her. She does not have to live with him, but he must continue supporting her, and support any children that she bears.

So, it's treated primarily as a crime of property, but that's a pretty huge leap from not being a crime at all.

For the uncleanliness: Sex during periods and anal sex are considered unclean. Consider that these laws were written and handed down to people wandering in the desert, with no soap, few baths, and no condoms. The cleanliness laws are also counted as fulfilled in the New Testament (probably because of the amazing advances in hygiene). Interesting side note, Jews were the only group to largely not die of plagues in medieval Europe, leading them to be accused of witchcraft, because they followed the strictest hygiene practices. Foreskins are also not unclean at all, but the act of cutting one (according to some sources, it was not a complete removal, but a cutting of only the tip of the foreskin) is a sign of devotion to God, and an act of self-sacrifice.

Masturbation is never mentioned. Onan is punished for trying not to get his wife pregnant because of his selfishness. This is another outdated law, where a childless widow would marry her husband's brother in an attempt to have a child, who would be her first husband's legal child. Onan was not happy about this, so he tried to avert the law by practicing coitus interruptus. Apparently he was struck dead for this.

Most mentioned prostitutes are pagan temple prostitutes, making that their particular sin. They are selling sexual services in honor of other gods.

Sodom's crime wasn't sexual deviance. They were already slated for destruction before they started demanding to rape strangers or virgins, because Abraham couldn't find even 10 good men in the entire pair of cities.

Noah cursed his son for seeing him passed out drunk. Being naked was a bonus.

"Temptation" doesn't just refer to sexual temptation. In many cases, the temptation is something else obvious, like riches, fame, or even food. Even the obviously asexual Paul himself admits that sex within a marriage is grand and should be done as often as possible.

So... there are places it is negative (mostly involving Paul, who was almost certainly asexual himself, and didn't understand the whole physical temptation thing), and plenty of places where it's positive (Song of Solomon, which is nothing but erotic poetry). It does need to be read in the context of it's time, and the Old Testament is very helpful with notes from rabbis, rather than evangelical preachers.
07/09/2012
Contributor: g- g-
Quote:
Originally posted by SexyTabby
People tend to pull from the Bible what they wish to pull from it and the rest is simply ignored. Everyone just as easily has different opinions of anything to do with sex. Many of these opinions are directly based on religious beliefs. ... more
I completely agree with Sexy Tabby!!!
07/09/2012