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Chastity Anyone?

The world has so many varying views on sexuality. What does your religion teach you about it? What is said about intimacy before marriage? How strict are they with 'enforcing' these beliefs among the members (for instance if you broke it, what would happen to your membership)?

Anyone Chastity

Latter-day Saints are instructed not to have any kind of physical intimacy before marriage. We believe that physical intimacy and the feelings it causes are sacred and reserved for the powers of creating life, which should only be used between husband and wife. If members break the law of chastity, depending on the severity of the incident and whether or not the member recognizes that it was a mistake, a member can recieve anything from honest counseling to revocation of membership, also known as excommunication.

Many people outside the church do not fully understand excommunication. I have not been a Latter-Day Saint very long, but this is my understanding of excommunication: A person is excommunicated because they are not willing to keep the covenants they have made in baptism, or simply have not been able to do so in the past. It is a time to step out and examine one's habits. A member who has been excommunicated is encouraged to continue to attend church, to socialize, to recieve counseling from church leaders, and so on. It is not simply a casting off. It is like a rehabilitation period.

But I really like our church's standards for chastity. They are sometimes difficult to understand in a world like ours is today, but I know it is the right thing to do.

Chastity Anyone? Beliefs Religious General

In my religion, or at least my church, which is Baptist, we also do not believe in sex before marriage.We would also offer counselling for anybody who was finding it hard to live the law of chastity.I don't think anybody would be excommunicated for it though. We try to teach the single people or youth of the church, to try not to put themselves into a position of "temptation" but we believe we can only advise, not judge.
I think it must be really hard for the youth of today though, when there is so much immorality going on!

Anyone Chastity

While my church was teaching being a second time virgin, my father was emphasizing chastity until marriage. He bought me a purity ring that went over my ring finger until I was married.

Ultimately, this didn't prevent me having sex until marriage, but it did ensure that my first was my wife, even though we weren't married. I am going to teach my children to abstain until they love the person, but also teach them to protect themselves and that sex is not evil. I don't have those same religious beliefs, but I don't want to teach them its ok to sleep with anyone and everyone.