"All sexual relations - regardless of the details - are a barrier stopping you from a closer relationship with God."

[Phos]

All sexual relations - regardless of the details - are a barrier stopping you from a closer relationship with God.

RPGHQ member @Decline has put forward this thesis. What do you guys think about it?

[Breathe]

Well women can certainly be a barrier to devotion to god, but creating a baby is the closest to godly a person can get.

[Oyster Sauce]

This especially applies to romances in CRPGs

[Wretch]

People think this because the modern understanding of sex is inherently flawed. There is no such thing as sex, only marital relations and fornication/adultery. The Sacrament of Marriage isn’t the blessing or service but the actual Consummation of the Marriage. Marital relations in a loving Marriage bring grace and healing, drawing the two closer together. These acts outside of Marriage are akin to someone who is sneaking into the Communion line to steal a Sacrament. These acts outside of Marriage are also one of the ultimate forms of self will and self worship, which is the root of Satanism. Masturbation and especially porn addition is the same. Most people get psyopped from a young age into committing these sins and they then become a passion, that is to say a habitual addiction akin to a heroin addiction. The more people pursue and make excuses for these behaviors the more they distance themselves from God and his protecting Grace. Once distanced from God they become the plaything of the demons, slowly dehumanizing themselves more and more and losing the ability to connect with others. For the majority of people harmed by porn and western “morality” on relationships the only path to healing is ceasing all harmful actions, and a long road of prayer and fasting to slowly heal and regain the ability to Love again. The reward for those who complete the path with be a closeness to God and Joy that cannot be removed from them and even those only beginning the path in earnest will be rewarded and given the strength to see it to completion.

[Theta]

Am I allowed to question which God you are referring to? Zeus may have a different opinion.

[WhiteShark]

Thesis in the OP is silly. There have been a multitude of married saints. Marriage is considered, in fact, to be one of the two primary paths to salvation, the other being monasticism. It was God himself who said, "Be fruitful and multiply."

[Decline]

People think this because the modern understanding of sex is inherently flawed. There is no such thing as sex, only marital relations and fornication/adultery. The Sacrament of Marriage isn’t the blessing or service but the actual Consummation of the Marriage. Marital relations in a loving Marriage bring grace and healing, drawing the two closer together. These acts outside of Marriage are akin to someone who is sneaking into the Communion line to steal a Sacrament. These acts outside of Marriage are also one of the ultimate forms of self will and self worship, which is the root of Satanism. Masturbation and especially porn addition is the same. Most people get psyopped from a young age into committing these sins and they then become a passion, that is to say a habitual addiction akin to a heroin addiction. The more people pursue and make excuses for these behaviors the more they distance themselves from God and his protecting Grace. Once distanced from God they become the plaything of the demons, slowly dehumanizing themselves more and more and losing the ability to connect with others. For the majority of people harmed by porn and western “morality” on relationships the only path to healing is ceasing all harmful actions, and a long road of prayer and fasting to slowly heal and regain the ability to Love again. The reward for those who complete the path with be a closeness to God and Joy that cannot be removed from them and even those only beginning the path in earnest will be rewarded and given the strength to see it to completion.

I gave this a weak 'Agree' rating because it is mostly truthful. However I want to emphasize that (heterosexual, monogamous) marriage is permitted by the lord as His device of the replenishment of the earth and the furnishing of it. It is however not a good thing in itself.

Celibacy however is divine and therefore strictly preferable.

[Wretch]

People think this because the modern understanding of sex is inherently flawed. There is no such thing as sex, only marital relations and fornication/adultery. The Sacrament of Marriage isn’t the blessing or service but the actual Consummation of the Marriage. Marital relations in a loving Marriage bring grace and healing, drawing the two closer together. These acts outside of Marriage are akin to someone who is sneaking into the Communion line to steal a Sacrament. These acts outside of Marriage are also one of the ultimate forms of self will and self worship, which is the root of Satanism. Masturbation and especially porn addition is the same. Most people get psyopped from a young age into committing these sins and they then become a passion, that is to say a habitual addiction akin to a heroin addiction. The more people pursue and make excuses for these behaviors the more they distance themselves from God and his protecting Grace. Once distanced from God they become the plaything of the demons, slowly dehumanizing themselves more and more and losing the ability to connect with others. For the majority of people harmed by porn and western “morality” on relationships the only path to healing is ceasing all harmful actions, and a long road of prayer and fasting to slowly heal and regain the ability to Love again. The reward for those who complete the path with be a closeness to God and Joy that cannot be removed from them and even those only beginning the path in earnest will be rewarded and given the strength to see it to completion.

I gave this a weak 'Agree' rating because it is mostly truthful. However I want to emphasize that (heterosexual, monogamous) marriage is permitted by the lord as His device of the replenishment of the earth and the furnishing of it. It is however not a good thing in itself.

Celibacy however is divine and therefore strictly preferable.

One of the first things monastics are taught is that if they begin to hate Marriage they have fallen into delusion.

Celibacy is a Godly thing in the same way that fasting from meats and food is good. That doesn’t make food evil, nor does it take away from the Sanctity of Marriage. Marriage isn’t “permitted” It’s celebrated by God. So much so in fact that the first miracle Christ did, revealing Himself to the world, was to help a wedding.

[Ratcatcher]

Celibacy however is divine and therefore strictly preferable

Absolutely not. Traditonally, celibacy has been the target of two kind of individuals: those deemed not bright enough to seek enlightment any other way (eg simpletons) and those that, having experienced the worldly delight had to swear 'mondo tu per me più non sei' (the world I know exists no more).

It's a deliberate choice, usually taken by those that think their sins too despicable or their souls too compromised, for them to be part of God's herd (do note that such judgment is subjective, personal, not what others think of the aspiring monk).

Anything else, people forced to take vows while barely adolescent, or even worse, are just the corruption of monastic vows to a social compass that's precisely what the monks tried to disjoin themselves from. Not that in rare cases God's call cannot be heard by the younger, but it should be deemed exceedingly unnatural for a young man to choose a path of celibacy without knowing what he leaves behind. And those who do so, would never dare to puth their path above the sacred duty of the herd, which is to reproduce.

[rusty_shackleford]

And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.

[Vergil]

It depends on what he means by that. If he means casual pre-marital sex sure but if he's one of those "e-monastics" who think you should only be allowed to sleep with your wife every third Tuesday on a full moon with the lights off and your eyes closed fully clothed than its' retarded.

[Emphyrio]

sex is gross

[Phos]

And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.

According to Jesus, it's not that simple, though:

Matthew 19

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 11 He said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, and some who were made eunuchs by others, and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

[Decline]

Absolutely not.

Absolutely so. Apostolic authority is very clear on the issue as is The Bible. It is only possible to hold the opposite opinion if one has neither read the bible or the apostles.

And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.

According to Jesus, it's not that simple, though:

Matthew 19

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” 11 He said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, and some who were made eunuchs by others, and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

The "go forth and multiply" is a command from the Old Testament, which has clearly been superseded by Jesus Christ, not just in Matthews 19:10 but in 1 Corinthians 7:9 he constructs a hierarchy:

9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Celibacy > Marriage > Fornication

[Ratcatcher]

No. You're clearly injecting your vision into sacred texts. In no shape or form in the passage you quote this is presented as preferable. The sole idea that celibacy should be preferable and as such widespread is so riducule and risible it's not even worth arguing.

You're explictily cherry picking phrases, ignoring the message as a whole, accusing other people of ignoring scriptures AND what you cite doesn't exactly present your thesis.

[Atlantico]

All sexual relations - regardless of the details - are a barrier stopping you from a closer relationship with God.

RPGHQ member @Decline has put forward this thesis. I'm inclined to agree to with him. What do you guys think about it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers

Protestardism

[maidenhaver]

All sexual relations - regardless of the details - are a barrier stopping you from a closer relationship with God.

RPGHQ member @Decline has put forward this thesis. I'm inclined to agree to with him. What do you guys think about it?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers

Protestardism

The only long lasting anti-marriage cult like that to exist got rid of the anti-marriage part after their leader died and turned the commune into a business.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmony_Society

[Phos]

Let's quote again from St. Paul's first letter to the Corinthians - this time with more context:

[quote]
1 Corinthians 7
Now with regard to the issues you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of immoralities, each man should have relations with his own wife and each woman with her own husband. 3 A husband should fulfill his marital responsibility to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. 4 It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife. 5 Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement for a specified time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then resume your relationship, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7 I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that.
8 To the unmarried and widows I say that it is best for them to remain as I am. 9 But if they do not have self-control, let them get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire.

[Phos]

And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.

Interesting.

[Decline]

No. You're clearly injecting your vision into sacred texts.

29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage;d they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’b?e He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.f

Marriage is an earthly reality that does not exist in heaven, however celibacy (angles are celibate) is divine.

You are just repeating the cheap trickery of the Sadducees at this point. How many more scripture does need to be quoted before you realize that your word is in contradiction to The Word, Jesus Christ?

When they were expelled from the Garden, they lost access to the Tree of Life and were no longer immortal. God had to come up with something new (i.e. sex in order to procreate), however it should be clear that this was never intended from the beginning.

Not only is it not intended, the act of birth itself is meant as a punishment for our sins. Angles are sinless and therefore divine and therefore are created, whereas man has free will, therefore he is sinful therefore he is born. We inherited our sinfulness in straight line from Adam & Eve through the act of being born, basically the non-divine (human) act of creation (procreation).

[Vergil]

Calling having children a punishment and a non-divine act that spreads sin sounds like you've managed to find a backdoor route to becoming a reddit anti-natalist.

[Decline]

Calling having children a punishment and a non-divine act that spreads sin sounds like you've managed to find a backdoor route to becoming a reddit anti-natalist.

So you are saying Jesus Christ is a liar?

[Vergil]

No, I'm saying your interpretation is wrong. I don't think you're a liar either but I do think you're retarded.

[Decline]

No, I'm saying your interpretation is wrong.

Where exactly is it wrong? Please cite The Bible or Apostolic/Pauline Authority on the matter. I have given clear evidence and you just come in here and go LOLNOURWRONG. Very dishonest behavior.

[Atlantico]

God first created only Adam

No. Read Genesis. Don't waste our time with this bullshit.

[Vergil]

The Church is very clear that monasticism and marriage are two different holy sacraments that people are called to with neither being held as better or "more correct" path to take. Some people are called to monasticism and some are called to marriage both are functions to help achieve Theosis. There are plenty of Saints who were married and plenty of people who took up monastic life that ended up being excommunicated. I'm frankly tired of seeing the 99999th internet theologian try to lecture people on why they're lesser for not upholding to regulations they are not called to and no actual priest would admonish them for not following. The Church does not condemn sex in marriage and the Church views marriage (again including sex) as a holy sacrament whose functions bring Christians closer to God and I trust the Church and Saints a lot more than the millionth lay person on the internet who is neither a monk nor married person explaining why they REALLY knows what's up about both.

[Decline]

God first created only Adam

No. Read Genesis. Don't waste our time with this bullshit.

Then the Lord God formed a man[c] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7

Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib[h] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

Genesis 2:22

Approximately one verse in Genesis relates to one act of creation. So we can approximately say there were 15 acts of creation between Man and Woman. Please substantiate your understanding of 'before' if what Phos said isn't true.

[Decline]

The Church is very clear that monasticism and marriage are two different holy sacraments that people are called to with neither being held as better or "more correct" path to take.

This isn't true. Both the Bible and Apostolic/Pauline Authority clearly established a hierarchy, namely that celibacy is preferable to marriage. And again you give no authoritative source for your outrageous claims.

Also, because the post was eaten up by the forum (again), no, giving birth to a baby is not a godly act unto itself. Claiming that two humans can create something divine is pure arrogance. Only when the child grows up to be deliberate in his faithfulness it could be said that the person is godly, but even this does not make the baby 'godly' retroactively.

[Vergil]

You ask for authoritative sources in response to me explaining how the ultimate earthly authority (the Church) does not teach things as you state them. No religious authority I know personally or have seen speak talks about these things in terms you do. I wonder, like so many others who take this borderline gnostic anti-human hard-line stance, if there's not some ulterior motive or pre-existing inclination that's being masked as religiosity. There's definitely some common characteristics I've seen among the kind of people who act this way...

[Decline]

You ask for authoritative sources in response to me explaining how the ultimate earthly authority (the Church) does not teach things as you state them.

But it does. Perhaps not the Anglican or other protestant heresies, they just teach something without any authority and I find it hard to care about them.

Look, either you believe in the Word of God as given in The Bible or through Pauline Authority and therefore are a Christian or you believe anything what you want and just call yourself Christian: It is your decision; it is your free will. It is that simple.

gnostic

Do you even understand the meaning of the word or did you just throw it in for good measure?