Hello Joyful people, The answer to the Question is No. Before marriage involving in Sexual activity is a sin. If we see in the context of the Bible, the following verses clearly states that it is a sin. Moreover the society condemns this act but it is a sorry state that in such a situation the woman is brought to fault whereas the men move Scott free.
'Matt 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.' 'Matt 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.' 'Matt 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.' 'Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.' 'Rom 8:7-8 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.' 'Hebrews 12:16 - That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. Comment: There is no record anywhere here that Esau was a sexually +immoral; person (fornicator?) other than the fact that he had contracted marriages that were unlawful.' '1 Cor 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.' '1 Cor 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.' '1 Cor 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.' '1 Cor 6:13 6:13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 1 Cor 6:18 6:18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. '1 Cor 7:2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. '2 Cor 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.' 'Col 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.' 2Co 12:21 - lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced. Re 19:2 - For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her." Dictionary meaning of the word Fornication : an act of sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons: The word fornication had a lowly beginning suitable to what has long been the low moral status of the act to which it refers. The Latin word fornix, from which fornicti, the ancestor of fornication, is derived, meant "a vault, an arch." The term also referred to a vaulted cellar or similar place where prostitutes plied their trade. This sense of fornix in Late Latin yielded the verb fornicr, "to commit fornication," from which is derived fornicti, "whoredom, fornication." CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 1852 There are a great many kinds of sins. Scripture provides several lists of them. The Letter to the Galatians contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit: "Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God."127 1853 Sins can be distinguished according to their objects, as can every human act; or according to the virtues they oppose, by excess or defect; or according to the commandments they violate. They can also be classed according to whether they concern God, neighbor, or oneself; they can be divided into spiritual and carnal sins, or again as sins in thought, word, deed, or omission. The root of sin is in the heart of man, in his free will, according to the teaching of the Lord: "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man."128 But in the heart also resides charity, the source of the good and pure works, which sin wounds. II. The Definition of Sin 1849 Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law."121 1850 Sin is an offense against God: "Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight."122 Sin sets itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from it. Like the first sin, it is disobedience, a revolt against God through the will to become "like gods,"123 knowing and determining good and evil. Sin is thus "love of oneself even to contempt of God."124 In this proud self-exaltation, sin is diametrically opposed to the obedience of Jesus, which achieves our salvation.125 However my personal comments which I have learned through my association with the Church teachings are following. Firstly we need to know what is a Sin. Sin is loss of God's presence in our lives which has an adverse effect on our lives. Also refer above the definition of Sin according to the CCC. The definition of sin however has changed in the modern context but we know our God is the same yesterday, today and forever. And His Laws are same. Then what is Sex. It is a gift of God but then this gift has been misused in this modern world and the consequence of the same is disease like AIDS. God wanted Human beings to be procreators that is to assist Him in the creation of human beings. And this was to be fulfilled in the institution of family. Definitely God wants that every human being should enjoy it but only within the limits of marriage. Now what is Marriage? Marriage is a sacrament where 2 minds, 2 souls and 2 bodies are united where the bond of unity is God. God is not merely a witness but a partner in marriage. So you can image how holy and pure is this Sacrament. And that is why before receiving this Sacrament all couples have to prepare themselves spiritually through confession. If the couples who are getting married have already committed the sin of fornication, then they become impure in the eyes of God. And if this sin is not confessed only because these partners believe that it is not a sin according to them then what happens. We know that God cannot be a part of anything impure...and the consequence of this is that He is outside just a witness to their marriage but not an active partner. Why are so many marriages breaking only after 6 months - 2 years and the reasons being petty misunderstandings? Why are so many couples staying under one roof have distances/ Why are many children going on the wrong path? I guess the answer is the absence of God. Self control is a gift of the Holy Spirit and we should ask God to bless us with this gift. We are human beings and not animals that we should follow our bodily desire and the satan only wants to degrade us because he hates God and he hates His creation and we are the crown of His creation. It is this hatredness that he wants to bring us to the level of animals but we need to realize this and understanding the consequence of our act come back to the Lord with true repentance. God knows our weaknesses and He is ever willing to forgive us because He loves us just too much. God has a beautiful plan for every Family........He wants the children to have a bright future and thus defeat the plan of the evil one where he is only planning the ruin of the future generation. Let us shift our attention from the body to the soul, not follow desires of the flesh but the desire of the soul. Body will tell us that sex before marriage is not sin but our Soul will not agree because our body has become a slave of the evil one cause of the sin of Adam and Eve but our soul belongs to the Lord. Let us listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit Who will tell us the will of God. If we want to enjoy a happy marriage then let us purify ourselves and then come before the Lord and with the Lord begin the journey of matrimony for we all know that the desire of flesh is only temporal and will cease but Love remains permanently. Every married could follow the example of Tobias and Sarah (infact every couple preparing for marriage shud read the book of Tobit) and each one should also remember that not two but Three are united in the sacrament of marriage and if marriage has to be successful then there married couples shud respect their partners body, emotions, feelings, desires, wants as they respect their own. According to me fornication is a sweet poison which will destroy the relationship with Man & God whereas unification of two bodies and minds in the sacrament of marriage is the blessing of God which will build relationship with Man & God. When a man and woman commit the sin of fornication they only disrespect their own selves cause what they call love is only passion for the other's body. For fornicators other's bodies are only object of pleasure. God has given us beautiful bodies and as Paul says our bodies are the temple of the God most high, let us not make it impure through fornication and we know that God cannot reside in impurity. Where God is not present there is confusion, destruction & irreparable loss. Rightfully as Josun mentioned let us not become slaves of our own bodies and erect idols in our lives. Let us pray to God to bless us with patience and self control in this world where being a Virgin is considered fault. Infact I remember seeing a movie and there were some guys in a college who were calling names to 2 brothers calling them both virgins. I at first couldn't understand why were they teased as virgins. Where virginity was considered a boon now it has become a matter of contempt in this modern world. As Josun mentioned rightly there's a time for everything. And in this fast pace world, let us plead before the Lord to bless us with immense patience & self control. And even if we falter let us remind ourselves that we have a God who forgives and our Church has given a very beautiful sacrament of reconciliation through which we can once again purify ourselves and receive God's presence. 003 2:27 PM Subject: [JOYnet] Sex before marriage is permissible? is it Sin? > Hi, > > One of my Hindu friends asked, Sex before marriage is > permissible? is it Sin? if they decided to get marry > later. "He quote as per bible it is permissible" I > surprised. > > I said as per the church and Christian values it is > not permissible and it is sin. Sex is only permitted > in the sacrament of marriage. > > Please put you comments on joint so that everyone can > read. > > bye > > PJ > > ________________________________________________________________________ > > ============================================================================ === > This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. > For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet > To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join > In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ============================================================================ === Contentment comes not from great wealth but from few wants. =============================================================================== This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. 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