Debunking the Evangelical Obsession with Virginity

I got this in my email today. Take a look and tell me if I am misunderstanding the writer.

https://us-mg205.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.partner=sbc&.rand=c095llmf6m5ks#mail

We were taught from day one the importance of being virgins, keeping yourself free from sexual involvement until marriage and then it is blessed. My parents and others and others before them never knew about pop culture and their fixation on the issue. My faith forbears were concerned about the WORD and what it had to say.

What say, saints? Am I understanding the writer to say that virginity is over emphasized?

ginnyrose

greetings ginnyrose

I tried the link but just an email login page comes up for AT&T. I did not get to read the email maybe try to copy and paste the email here that might work.

God bless
mj

Here it is: (don't know if I am violating any copyright laws in posting it -may have to remove it, but please share your take on it.)
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hermeneutics newsletter
Thursday, April 10, 2014

Debunking the Evangelical Obsession with Virginity

You've probably heard criticism of so-called purity culture and the church's hyper-emphasis on virginity. We've certainly written about it before.

This time, though, Karen Swallow Prior reviews the veneration of virginity through history and pop culture, instead of focusing only on the church. When I first read her article, I was delighted at the breadth of the piece, from Vestal Virgins to My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, the Cult of the Virgin Mary to Madonna's "Like a Virgin."

Her argument: Idolizing virginity is not an evangelical thing. It's human thing.

In fact, "The value placed on virginity across human cultures, including the church, reflects the universal human desire for that innocence that was lost in the fall," she concludes. "But rather than fixate on the virgin state as the pagan cultures did, the church is called to weave the whole of human sexuality into the grand story of creation, fall, and redemption."

While Karen reminds us about the cultural context for what many see as a church issue, another post does the reverse: pointing out the church's historical involvement in an issue deemed modern-day and secular. Dallas Theological Seminary professor Sandra Glahn writes about the early push for gender equality coming out of the church.

While many consider Betty Friedan and second-wave feminists as the beginning of the "woman movement," she highlights to pro-woman, pro-justice Christians dating back to a 7th-century abbess. Check out her piece, which concludes our six-week series on Women's History.

And I can't end this newsletter before recommending Megan Hill's article on the relationship between overprotective parenting and our faith. Parents, Christians, Christian parents: don't miss it.

Thanks for reading! For more from Her.meneutics, be sure to sign up for Her.Say, a biweekly roundup of some of our favorite essays, articles, and quotes.

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[Previous Post Obsolete]

I believe that the author is saying that the entire culture emphasizes virginity, not just Christians.

ACtually, in a fornication-obsessed society, virginity is UNDERemphasized. People feel guilty nowadays to be a virgin. The older individuals that discussed these good values: "We were taught from day one the importance of being virgins, keeping yourself free from sexual involvement until marriage and then it is blessed." People actually encourage you to fornicate in modern times and mock those that haven't "scored" or "fornicated". People don't teach this as much as before...IF a person fornicates, God forgives. We have to try not to fornicate with the intent of having God's forgiveness... Well enjoy your night.

PS People want you to lie.

SPEAK unto US SMOOTH THINGS
by David Wilkerson

A man recently wrote the following to our ministry: "I don´t know
who put me on your mailing list, but please remove my name
immediately. I can´t stand your gloomy gospel and your hammering
against sin. None of us is perfect, not even you. I´ve had it with
your King James gospel of doom."

Isaiah spoke of this kind of response: "This is a rebellious people,
lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which
say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto
us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Get you out of the way" (Isaiah 30:9-11).

The word "smooth" in this verse means "nice, flattery." The people
of Israel were saying, in short, "Don't tell us any more bad stuff.
Describe how we´re going to prosper, how great things lie ahead
of us. If not, then get out of our faces."

No believer who hides sin in his heart ever wants to hear a holy,
sin-exposing word. That person will always flee the Holy Spirit´s
voice of truth. And he´ll turn to some preacher who is soft on sin,
offering smooth talk and flattering prophecies.

So, you ask, what hard message did God´s voice deliver to His
people on Mount Sinai? He said simply this: "I am the Lord thy
God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house
of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou
shalt not make thee any graven image. . . . Thou shalt not bow
down thyself unto them, nor serve them" (Deuteronomy 5:6-9).

Here was the pure, unadulterated word of the Lord, coming directly
from His mouth. It should have sent the people flying to their tents
to smash their graven images. It should have stirred their hearts
and brought them to their knees. But instead they cried, "No more
thunder, fire, shaking. Give
us a spokesman who is like us, and let him speak to us. Then
we´ll hear and obey."

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/node/27275

© 2012 World Chal

leftbehind, so you are understanding the writer to mean that moral purity is not important? That it is irrelevant for our day and times?

I agree leftbehind. Our culture is obsessed with immorality.

greetings Ginnyrose

After reading over what you posted I would say the author is trying to walk a line where they are saying that Christians put to much importance on being a virgin before marriage but not going so far as saying its ok to fornicate.

After reading another article linked from the first it became more clear that there is an attitude that diminishes the importance for men/woman to remain chaste until they are married being put forth. In the article "virginity isn't the holy grail" the author writes: "God's purity standard is effectively impossible to meet." Its this attitude that plagues many churches and youth groups today. The notion that the standard is to high and no one can live up to it. This is a lie from the enemy of course, while the standard maybe high, JESUS gives us all that we need to meet it! Sadly there is no emphasis on living a righteous life unto GOD instead its all about doing what ever you want when you want, with whomever you want. I have even heard Christians claim that its better for people to sleep together first before they marry so they know if they will be compatible or not.

The only thing I will agree with is that I believe strongly that teaching to remain pure and chaste before marriage needs to be taught to both young men/women as HIS truth. The idea that some how its more shameful for a woman to commit the sin of fornication then it is for men is completely wrong!!

God bless
mj

Thanks, MJ for your input.

I was horribly shocked that "Christianity Today" would stoop so low to promote this philosophy.

For around 25 years we got this magazine. I learned a lot reading it, developed a lot of respect for it. We quit when it went liberal but still looked to it (via emails) for news and other interesting articles. Anyhow, I was wondering if something escaped me in the reading of it where I was not understanding it as per the author's intent.

Who, what is next? It is just like mama27 told me, "the remnant must be smaller then I thought it was."

Am I missing something from the original article? What a yawn. There is no substance in the article, no passion, no appeal to reason, no persuasion!

Like life itself, virginity is once. It is precious in God's eyes, its holiness is a prime target of satanic forces as a delicious victory against righteousness because virginity doesn't renew. (Well, it does in the Orient by the hands of local surgeons- ugh- what people will do for money!)

Satan has a surprisingly small bag of tricks. He doesn't have to be too creative, he gets so many to fall into the age old traps. The world is full of ignorant Esau's willing to sell out their birthrights, and their virginity for trinkets and small change.

We should give these merchants of moral death no quarter!

leftbehind, so you are understanding the writer to mean that moral purity is not important? That it is irrelevant for our day and times?

Yes ma'am. Holiness and purity is being considered to be irrelevant for our times.I agree with your statement.

To be fair, the "article" posted by ginnyrose on page one is not the actual article. This appears to be an editor for Christianity Today sort of previewing 2 different articles by two different authors in the Hermeneutics newsletter, one discussing the virginity issue and one discussing the issue of women in the church.

We cannot make any conclusions about what either article says without reading the actual entire article.

It would be great if someone could get a link to them so we could actually read what the authors have to say. Never safe to jump to conclusions.

Greetings TMK

I did read one of the articles and mentioned it in my post that is what I based my first post on. The author of that article does not go so far as to say that its alright to commit fornication but she does not emphasize the importance of being chaste until marriage. There is a tone to the article of "yes fornication is sin but then we are all sinners" while this statement is true it does not support the reality that we are called by GOD to live in all righteousness or the fact that HE gives us what we need to do so.

The second article titled:Don't Blame Evangelicals for the Cult of the Virgin

does go into detail where some cults have come from that seem to worship or idolize virginity and has valid points one of which I agreed with in my other post, "that men are just as responsible to remain chaste until marriage as women." While I do believe it is important for the church to teach forgiveness of all sin when repented of and turned from, I do not agree that the church system of today goes to far in teaching the importance physically, emotionally, and spiritually to remaining chaste until marriage. To many see fornication as no big deal and some have even come to embrace it and make it a good thing. The church turns a blind on many times to those who are living together outside the bonds of marriage and the results is a weakening of the family. GOD does have a plan for us marriage and procreation is a part of that plan but it must be done HIS way and that is not really being taught today.

God bless
maryjane