Sex in the Bible
Is It Really in There?
Although most people think of the Bible as a family-friendly book, the reality is very different. If a person truly looked at the amount of sex in the Bible, he would be shocked! If filmed from cover to cover, the Scriptures would receive an NC-17 rating because of all the sexual activity.
There are a lot of more negative examples of sex in the Bible. Not because the writers of the Bible approved of sexual exploits, but because, in many cases, the Bible simply records facts.
Most of the sex stories are records of sinful behavior. One notable example is King David's adultery with Bathsheba. Although the Bible records this incident, it also emphasizes that David is punished severely for it (although God still considers David a good person).
Other weird examples of sex include King David, when he was very advanced in age, taking on a young wife to keep him warm at night, although the claim was that they never actually had sex (1 Kings 1:1-3). Also, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah revolves around sex, and the cities are punished for it.
There are also positive examples of sex in the Bible too, because in a proper context it is a good thing, as Pope John Paul II reminded us in his "Theology of the Body." The first command of God to Adam and Eve is to be fruitful and multiply.
The entire book of Song of Solomon shows the love between a man and a woman, expressed in romantic poetry. However, in both Judaism and Christianity there has been a tendency to find symbolic meaning in this poem, because some religious authorities have been uncomfortable with the sexual nature of it.
In general, however, the Bible is positive about sex within marriage, while other forms of sex in the Bible, like homosexuality, bestiality, and fornication, are generally condemned.
Updated 08-14-201