Another stab
Submitted by Bach on 2002-12-17 11:24:41, Tuesday
In reply to Re: more in-depth submitted by PlatonicDieci on 2002-12-16 12:27:27, Monday
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Thanks for posting the Scriptural summary. That helps me to know where to anchor ideas. :) If the AF/YF relationship is drawing the partners away from God, that would obviously not be in line with God's will. On the other hand, I doubt very much that the relationship would need to be sexual in nature in order for both persons to be drawn closer to God. In fact, I might be more inclined to favour a "self-sacrificing" perspective which denied the fulfillment of sexual desire. This is where I feel we as BLs are led to justify our self-gratification. Are we really in a place to objectively decide whether the YF would be truly blessed by a sexual contact? I don't think so. The experience is heightened by sexual intimacy, but I'm not convinced that deepening the relationship in this direction is leading the YF to a closer relationship with God. The added intensity may in fact have an opposite effect of creating a stronger dependancy on the AF, drawing the YF away from God. This scenario is by no means absolute. I am trying to envisage a society less bound up by sexual issues, and see if this changes the evaluation... its difficult to see, frankly. Wishing away the sexual hysteria of our society... I would be more open to thinking that because sexual desire is part of who we are as persons created in God's image, the expression of sexual feelings by young people is not outside the Creator's intenions. A young person who is seeking sexual fulfillment with an adult presents certain issues - both in terms of rejection and acceptation: wants, desires, needs. What people want, and what they need are not the same. Herein lies my conflict. I would add verse 31 to your Romans 3:19-24 passage (NIV): 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law. Being led by the Spirit does not entail throwing out the Law. We are compelled to fulfill the Law out of Love, rather than obey the Law out of fear. Walking by the Spirit is about loving your neighbour rather than counting your sins, and theirs. This Romans passage does not give us license to ignore teaching about relationships, which are further outlined in the Galatians passage you included. There's no greater proof that our love is true than when the physical expression and all sexuality are gone but our love is as strong as ever. What about if there never was a fully-fulfilled sexual element, despite the longing the BL had to fulfill his desires? Love your neighbour may mean more to respect that certain choices could have harmful outcomes than it does to give in to our sexual desires (even when the YF seems to want the relationship to turn sexual). I would like to highlight a few verses from the "Freedom in Christ/ Life by the Spirit" passage: Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV) So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. What we want is to have sex with boys. What the Spirit wants is for us to live out that desire before God in a manner which honours Him, and builds up the Kingdom of God. Again, in almost every case I can possibly imagine, that means for me that to engage in sexual activity with a minor would be to lead my YF away from God and His will. "Desire of the flesh" and "sinful nature" are two slightly different translations, the former with a distinctly more sexual overtone. One might argue about desires which are sinful, which or when sexual acts are or are not sinful, etc. We know that we are not immune to the feelings enumerated in Galatians, just as we are not immune to sexual desire. What are appropriate sexual activities for us as BLs and young people as they discover their sexuality? How does God expect us to express our sexuality? Are there models other than marriage? Why do nearly all men live with sexual desire, and yet Paul indicates that it is best not to act on our desires? Peace of Christ, Bach |
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