A New Christian Sexual Ethic
Debates over questions of polyamory, non-monogamy, and open relationships already shows signs of getting stuck in the historical and false dichotomy of licentiousness or celibacy, which has plagued theology since the early days of the church.
Then, somebody disagreed with me over a post I made on Facebook. I still don’t know who they are, but…conversations were had about me – without me, until a heart-felt and sad moment when I learned what the church leaders had decided must be done.
Jesus reinterpreted Old Testament teachings on divorce, claiming it was not intended in the original divine plan. He taught that unless a wife had acted immorally (porneia), divorcing her was tantamount to adultery. Therefore, marriage should not be dissolved arbitrarily, as was common in those times. His teachings marked a significant shift in viewing divorce as a breach of covenant, thus equalizing the relational responsibility of men and women. This concept and its implications call for deeper investigation.