procreative power
Submitted by F.O.D. on May 31 2000 21:49:45
In reply to For F.O.D. submitted by Ford Prefect on May 31 2000 11:04:01
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The discussion with Rex (and most naughty of him to take off without finishing the discussion ;) ) concerned the meaning of sex and the intent of God's words "go forth and multiply". I take those words to be a blessing, meaning "I give you the freedom to make families and bear children, and when you do that it will be good". Rex, on the contrary, was reading those words as an imperative commandment imposed upon mankind "you must go and bear children, and if you do not you will be opposing my will". The difficulty, therefore, that Rex was grappling with, was what the significance of the statement "go forth and multiply" meant for Jesus. If Jesus was supposed to have fulfilled God's will completely, and if God's will was that mankind get married and have babies, then didn't that mean Jesus was obliged to have gotten married and had children? From my perspective, I don't see there is a problem, since I consider the statement to be a blessing, a freedom given to mankind, rather than a command and a burden. Therefore, as I see it, Jesus was not under any "human obligation" to marry and have kids. But if you maintain that it was a command, then I'm not sure where to go from there. One might say that the celibacy of Jesus is logical proof that "go forth and multiply" is not a binding command obligating all humans. As a side issue, this question is related to the question of Jesus' homosexuality. Some gays like to gleefully assert that Jesus was gay (myself, I make no such claim, though I will assert the likelihood of his temptation to sexual relationships, both gay and straight). The people who make this claim are, I believe, completely missing the point. The point of Jesus' "sexuality" is that his perspective and will is far higher and deeper than physical sex. He has bigger fish to fry. His intention is to draw all mankind to himself, as the "church", as the "bride of Christ". It's the marvellous unity with his people, as like the unity of a man with his wife, that Jesus is working towards. John 17:21-23. Jesus marrying some individual woman would forfeit his commitment to the "Bride". Likewise a gay relationship with some boy would also undermine his intent to create New Life with his Chosen. So, to answer your question directly, no doubt I would demonstrated from the life of Jesus that being fruitful is not a command, but a blessing. But the remaining question, if it is a command, relating to the work of Jesus, is this: what then are the "children" that will come from the marriage of the Lamb of God with his Bride?.... Fod |
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