Thread by @JoLuehmann

The last installment of “we don’t let anybody used the Bible as a weapon” is here.

Let’s talk about fornication and sex positivity.

A thread:
(1)

As always we begin by putting verses in context. Matt 15:19-20.

This is the same instance of Jesus talking to some scribes and Pharisees about his disciples not washing his hands. Religious leaders want to know why he doesn’t ask them to keep w/the traditions of the elders.
(2)

Jesus tells them they break the commandments of God w/their commitment to tradition.

Quick pause here – Jesus also said all commandments are summarizes in two “Love God and love others as yourself”
(3)

He calls the religious leaders hypocrites for being so committed to tradition that they fail to love God and love others, and reminds them their worship is in vain (because using the Lord’s name in vain is about using religion to oppress others, not saying God damn).
(4)

Jesus then says it isn’t what goes into a man’s mouth what defiles a man, but what comes out of his heart. So it’s not about doing the “right” things, but having the correct motivations.
(5)

Good ol’ Peter asks Jesus to explain what he meant, and Jesus says to Peter “you still don’t get it either bro?” (my own paraphrase). And then he basically says that whatever goes into your mouth goes into the belly and ends up in the toilet. But out of your heart come:
(6)

•Evil thoughts
•Murder
•Adultery
•Fornication
•Theft
•False witness
•Blasphemies

Before we get into the word used here to speak of fornication, please look at that list and notice how every single one of those acts (except fornication as we understand it today)...
(7)

actively harms another human being. There is no denying that any one of those (again, except fornication), is not aligned with “love God, love others.”

We could look at each of them and what they meant in the original and they all actively and clearly harm another person!
(8)

So now let’s look at the word used here for fornication. It is the word Πορνεία – porneia – which literally means illicit sexual intercourse.

Fornication however means voluntary sexual intercourse between two consenting unmarried adults.

Not quite the same thing right?

(9)

So now we have to ask, what is illicit sexual intercourse?

Depend who you ask. Per Levitical sexual ethics (Lev 18), illicit sexual intercourse or violations entail: incest, intercourse during menstruation, adultery, child sacrifice, male-male anal rape, and bestiality.
(10)

A reminder that ancient ppl only mention sex that leads to procreation as marriage. Procreation and virginity mattered a great deal in ancient times. Not because of sex, because of possessions and maintaining wealth and land. A highlight on that on instagram.com/joluehmann
(11)

Does that mean that other sex not mentioned was not ok or didn’t happen? Well no, it simply means it wasn’t relevant to the conversations they were having, it simply didn’t affect anybody. Nobody cared if two people were having consensual sex if they couldn’t procreate. (12)

The obsession w/policing women’s sexuality and bodies had everything to do with protecting an inheritance, and very little to do w/sexuality. The obsession with ensuring men had sex had everything to do with passing down an inheritance, and very little to do with sexuality.
(13)

Nowadays we have a lot more information about biology, sexuality, gender, anthropology, sociology and ethics. So we don’t have to rely on the Bible for our sexual ethics, we can use more reliable sources.
(14)

Specially considering the Bible allows for awful things: raping women (Deut 21:10-14, Deut 22:28-29, 2 Sam 11), the stoning of a woman who’s raped (Deut 22:23-29), sex slavery (Ex 21:7-8, Num 31:18), non-consensual polygamy (a lot of Genesis, 2 Sam 5:13, 1 Kings 11:1-3)...
(15)

Sex positivity advocates for all consensual sex as holy. It promotes the understanding that sexuality is both healthy and absolutely natural. Shame, fear and guilt surrounding sex and sexuality hasn’t served anybody throughout history.
(16)

In fact, those attitudes toward sex have caused greater trauma around sexuality, and an inability to advocate for, and even understand, what healthy, appropriate sexuality is.
(17)

So I am a Christian and I am sex-positive and I’d argue that’s the only way to approach sexuality where “love God, love others” is your actual, honest stance. (18)

Here is part 5 that connects to all other parts too.

https://twitter.com/JoLuehmann/status/1277385958757822468