One challenge of writing about sex education is that we Christians are a diverse bunch! (At least, I’m assuming you are a Christian. What I write may not make much sense to non-Christians who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. In addition, they probably don’t believe that the Bible is the Word of God and has authority to direct us in how we live our lives.)
Contrary to how outsiders see us, we have wide-ranging views on sexually related topics, including modesty, dating, and contraception, to name just a few.
I think this range of viewpoints is extremely healthy, since it shows we have exercised our God-given reasoning to draw our own conclusions about what the Bible says and how it applies to all these topics. No one is forcing us to think a certain way or accept a certain dogma without question.
Based on what the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 8, the early Church wrestled intellectually and emotionally with the issue of eating meat that had been offered to idols. Some Christians thought eating that meat was fine; others considered it dishonoring and sinful.
Paul explains it like this:
So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
(1 Corinthians 8:4-13, NIV)
Based on this passage, I draw the following conclusion that for many issues like these where there is no clear Biblical mandate one way or the other (e.g. nowhere does the Bible command “Thou shalt not eat meat sacrificed to idols”), we Christians have the liberty to decide for ourselves whether our conscience is “defiled” by that issue.
For example, a certain movie may have so many troublesome qualities that a sincere Christian may decide they would be sinning if they chose to watch it. That same movie may not be as troublesome for another Christian because they can “filter” through the problematic aspects and focus instead on some other redeeming quality.
But watching or not watching the movie does not make us stronger or weaker Christians – “we are no worse if we do not [watch], and no better if we do.” Our only concern should be that the exercise of this right does not become a “stumbling block” to other Christians who believe that watching this movie is sinful.
What are your thoughts on defining a Christian sex education? Let us know in a comment or private message!
