Wed Nov 13 13:41:45 1996

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From: "Kevin W. Woodruff" 
Subject: Re: Question on God and Sex
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Dear Sari:

On the contrary, the Bible has a great deal to say in the realm of sex.
Unfortunately there is much that is taught by negative example. I must take
issue with your Ruth reference. A careful reading of the text does not say
that Ruth "seduced" Boaz, but that she approached him to remind him of his
duty as the _goel_/ the kinsman-redeemer. The Books of Proverbs has a
lengthy section dealing with the proper and improper aspects of sex. The
Song of Songs/Canticles/Song of Solomon is a magnificent (almost erotic)
paean to the glory of sexual  love within the bounds of marriage. The New
Testament has much to say about the sexual relationship in both  positive
praise and negative warnings about the misuse/abuse of love. The book of
Hebrews tells us that the "marriage is honorable before all men, and that
the bed is undelfiled". for those who are willing to read the Bible has much
to say about this beautiful and sacred aspect of God's plan for mankind.


At 10:57 AM 11/13/96 -0500, you wrote:
>At 08:33 AM 11/13/96 -0500, you wrote:
>>I think your best tactic would be to explore the biblical theology of sex in
>>general, the purpose, the scope, etc. and then by contrast show how
>>advertising perverts God's plan for sex and basically appeals to lust, not
>>biblical sexual love
>
>        I don't read much sexual "love" in the bible.  There is not a great
>deal of affection between humans or between humans and any other creature,
>for that matter.  Most of what is sexual in the OT is verging on the
>pornographic (a couple of the more graphic prophets!), or is about rape and
>violence or incest (Lot's daughters, Dinah, the concubine in Judges 19,
>Amnon's rape of Tamar, his half-sister) or is about what women, men and
>animals a man cannot have sex with (mainly Leviticus), or is about a woman
>seducing a man so that she can conceive to carry on "his line" (Ruth,
>Tamar/Judah).
>
>        Of course there's a good deal of carrying on about "whoring."
>
>        If the deity has a plan for sex, it is not terribly well
>fleshed-out.  Given his own solitary bachelorhood, widowhood or state of
>permanent divorce, it is not surprising.
>
>- Sari Slater 
>
>
>

Kevin W. Woodruff
Reference Librarian
Cierpke Memorial Library
Temple Baptist Seminary
Tennessee Temple University
1815 Union Ave.
Chattanooga, TN 37404
423/493-4252 (phone) 423/493-4497 (FAX)
Cierpke@utc.campus.mci.net

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