Does Catholicism elevate or reduce the meaning of sex?

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SuperJude

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I’m a new Catholic and still trying to wrap my head around the theology of the body. All the books and videos point out that Catholic teaching isn’t anti-sex. It’s pro-sex to the point of seeing it as a deep spiritual union between man and wife. Yet as I look into that deep spiritual meaning, I can’t help but to feel that the Church’s teaching reduces the nature of sex. All of it’s spiritual importance, at least of any lasting significance, seems to be in that it’s a symbol of man’s union to God. I understand how that is indeed profound, but it still reduces the spiritual meaning of sex to just a temporary icon of something else to come. In and of itself, sex then is just a physical means to bonding and procreation for married couples. I’m having trouble making peace with the spirituality of sex being only a temporary icon. If I’m misunderstanding any part, or if there’s another angle or aspect that I’m missing, please let me know.
 
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please explain by what you mean by “sex is a temporary icon?”

In fact. if you read those documents thoroughly, you’ll see that the church ELEVATES sex.
 
SuperJude said:
All the books and videos point out that Catholic teaching isn’t anti-sex. It’s pro-sex to the point of seeing it as a deep spiritual union between man and wife.
Click to expand...
It’s not the Church teaching that’s the problem, it’s Catholics who won’t use common sense when applying it, that is the problem. On CAF you find lot’s of high and mighty statements that have little resemblance to the way Catholicism is really practiced in most Churches. Jesus was far less sex obsessed than many CAF members so I’d start with his teachings if i were new and take it one step at a time.
 
The Church hasn’t always had to be always so obsessed with sex, but changes within our society in the last 75 years have required us to up our defences.

Sex is the cornerstone of the family (in most cases)
the family is the cornerstone of society
If sex becomes warped, so goes the family, society, and then the world.
 
Sex is a union whereby those bound by marriage “become one” physically and give their whole to each other in love to create life. This is an act that should be very holy, something to not profane as it is an act mimicking God.
 
I’ll second Clare’s and Joys comments.

The Church elevates sex, in so doing, it elevates the sanctity of life.

The alternative? Objectifying life, sex, and humans, both men and women. We see this in today’s society. Nothing special here. Use that lady or gentleman for your own purposes. Goodness!

Blessings,
Stephie
 
The Catholic Church teaches that sex is sacred, so the Church elevates sex.

I highly suggest watching this keynote video from Dr. Scott Hahn at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia (2015).

This talk will shed great light on Church teaching regarding your question.

I attended this in person, and it was amazing!


God Bless
 
An aspect of the discussion that has come to me as I’ve grown in my Catholic Faith. God’s greatest attribute is that He is Creator. He creates, makes from nothing. Man on the other hand can only manufacture; that is make something new from existing elements.
Now the two “seeds” that combine to make/create a new human being are so small that they can only be seen with something like an electron scanning microscope. They are “almost nothing.” Yet when they combine they bring about a miracle, a new human life, eternally loved by the Creator, God, Himself. And in our partnering with God in this marvelous act of “creation” God shares with us, as closely as possible, His great attribute of Creator.
We are graced with the great gift of sharing with the Creator in whose image and likeness we are made.
This act of “creation” is not something to be taken casually as far as the church teaches. It is the obligation of the church, given by Christ Himself, to guard and defend the great dignity and worth of human sexual expression. Otherwise, we’d be nothing more than Rover and Fifi on the front lawn.
My two cents.

Edited to add. When a man and woman, join with the Creator, with God, to bring new life to the world, they partner is a sacred act. Man and Woman create the body, God infuses the eternal soul. That such an act involves the action of the Almighty Himself, how can human sexual expression be anything by sacred?
The Church elevates sex, or maybe, simply recognizes the immense sacred dignity in its expression.
 
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How does Church teaching reduce the nature of sex exactly?

You are quite allowed to love your partner!
You don’t have to think of God during the act.

But maybe think about where all life and love and beauty originates from - if this the creature, how much more the Creator.
 
Excellent explanation. Also, all of us came from the sexual union of a man and a woman. No other activity can result in new life, not eating, working, doing chores, exercise, shopping.
 
I’m going to suggest - it really is okay if sex with your spouse is ‘just’ sweaty, enthusiastic fun without spiritualizing the activity.
 
Perhaps the “temporary” language comes from the fact that once time gives way to eternity for each of us, there will no more sex. We will not need it in heaven.
 
Not really, such an attitude suggests heaven would presently be boring for you.
Maybe you need to start changing attitudes now otherwise it will be too late and heaven will end up being perpetual hell for you!
 
I should change my attitude about sex with my wife being a licit pleasure to be enjoyed?
 
Elevates. Sex is the best thing in the world when it is in marriage and not you or your partner is using contraceptives. People who have pre-marital sex often will often think the church lessens the meaning of sex because they 1. probably watch a crud ton of porn and they think no porn=no satisfaction 2. don’t realize how much value sex in marriage really is (because they do the act with so many people)

Just to be clear if you are catholic and doing your best to avoid sex outside marriage but give into temptation, I am not attacking you (as long as you sincerely try to stop the habit), it’s the people outside the Church who straight up don’t give a word I am referencing to.
 
Years ago when my wife and myself were involved with Marriage Encounter, our sharing group was awed when we all agreed that sex had become beyond what we knew before Christ came into our marriage and we were sharing love as God had designed.

Sex outside of the sacredness of Marriage, was nothing compared as when it’s done as the Church teaches.

Jim
 
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