Not all people of faith believe that sex (even before marriage) is bad. Sex is a form of commitment, pleasure, intimacy, and strength. Most marriages end because of sex, whether from lack of it, or seeking it elsewhere.
Church Sex Camp is a place f...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
After a long, tiresome first day, it was time to start classes.
Breakfast ran from 7am-9am, then everyone gathered in the main building for the mandatory class.
"What Does the Bible Actually Say About Sex?"
It was the most important lesson, so we always made sure the whole camp attended. Each person had to sign in, and with the additional guests, we were already behind schedule. I hate running late. It's by far my biggest pet peeve.
Once everyone was in their seats, I made sure to let them know we welcomed note taking, whether on paper or on their phones. As long as sound was off and they refrained from playing or texting. Recording was allowed, but no video. Our guests usually prefer to be kept private.
I typically teach this one, but really any of the teachers know the material, I just love kicking things off.
"It's a common miscommunication that sex is taboo in the Bible, especially with regards to sex outside of marriage. Now I'm not saying there aren't several verses explicitly denouncing premarital sex, but it is the context that matters. A lot!"
"When we look at it from a technical standpoint, what can we find? God does not condone adultery! The Bible is quite clear on that one. One of the reasons we are here today, in this beautiful auditorium, talking about sex and love, is because we want everyone here to have the healthiest relationship possible. That is what God is teaching us. Over and over we see the truth, adultery is the problem. Not sex before marriage.... It's there! But we'll get into that in a second."
"Being aware of who wrote what, and why it was written will benefit anyone interested in all biblical teachings. It brings everything into focus, and supplies the context for each verse."
"One of the strongest opponents of sexuality was Saul/Paul. He was Saul before his rebirth. Paul was single and abstained from anything sexual, he makes that very clear in his writing. He explains that sexual immorality is one of the worst sins known to man. He also wrote about half of the New Testament, so his bias was palpable. Most of what we read in the Bible (New Testament especially) are mainly letters he wrote to churches, focusing on the issues they faced. It's interesting to note that all of the letters included in our cannon were put there by an all male group, with documented beliefs that women were only made by God to be submissive to their husbands. They also were not allowed to marry... so..."
The crowd was equal parts uncomfortable and invested. I loved seeing both reactions.
"Let's take a second to look at when the Bible was written...... lets see....a really, really, really long time ago!"
After the laughter died down, I pushed my point.
"During those days, spanning hundreds of years, women were considered inferior. And even though some passages speak highly of women, the majority do not. This has been a monumental hindrance throughout history. Paving the way for a male dominated society. But if you read through scripture with a fundamental understanding of what their society was like, the words on the page take a drastic new meaning. Funneling out all the bias and condemnation of women, we find a hidden truth. That love concurs all. Love is the glue that holds us together. Love has no boundaries or prejudices. And God is love."
