Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Sexual stimuli are all around us and are used to sell or promote practically everything. The undue emphasis on sex to which we are exposed leads us to believe that sex is more important than it is and leaves some longing for a sexual fantasyland that does not and cannot exist. A subtle but even more destructive message, however, is that sex and romance can be separated from any underlying human relationship. 

Trying to separate sex from an underlying human relationship is something we see in our conversations in the non-commercial realm too. Sex is often discussed in purely clinical or biological terms, for example, in some forms of “sex education.” When teens are advised to simply undertake certain precautions to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections, they are ill-advised. There is more to sex than just the physical act.

Parents and others with a moral compass can offer a much-needed corrective by changing the conversation to include moral and spiritual dimensions. The moral and sexual education of children, after all, is first and foremost the responsibility of parents. When they have “The Talk” with their children, they should address not just biology but also the non-material aspects of sex: its meaning, its purpose, and how our culture has debased it.

Throughout the Bible, sex is not just about the individuals involved but rather community, beginning with Genesis, where the first couple was commanded to “be fruitful and multiply.” The biblical community-based understanding of sex and relationships is the opposite of the “disposable” view.