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History shows us that at certain times the Church and indeed society have had a repressive and negative attitude to sex. Some of those views are still around today, even though today’s Western Society is saturated with sexual stimulation in films, television, in glossy magazines and as a vehicle for advertising many products from toiletries to cars.
In the Middle Ages, Yves of Chartres taught that complete abstinence from sexual relationships had to be maintained on five out of seven days a week, on Thursday in memory of the arrest of our Lord, on Fridays in honour of his death, on Saturdays in honour of the Virgin Mary, on Sundays in commemoration of the resurrection and on Mondays out of respect for the faithful departed!
How far this view is from that which we receive from the Bible, which affirms our sexuality; God made us “male and female” (Genesis 1:27) and has blessed us with the gift of sex.
C. S. Lewis, a modern Christian writer, points out ”Pleasure is God’s idea, not the Devil’s”. God is not looking down from heaven and saying, “Goodness, gracious, whatever will they get up to next”. Sex is God’s idea and his gift to us, but like all gifts we need to receive it joyfully and use it responsibly.
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