Yes, it is sexual intercourse outside of marriage. In the case of a married person engaging in sex with someone not their spouse, it would be the sin of adultery.
Just on an anecdotal basis, it would seem that heterosexual fornication is a much greater problem in our society than homosexual behaviors. Indeed, I would say that it is casual unmarried sex that has caused the huge decline in the institution of marriage. One might look on it as pre-marital adultery; what is meant for one’s future spouse is given freely to others. Christians can be casual about it only by ignoring scripture.
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Just on an anecdotal basis, it would seem that heterosexual fornication is a much greater problem in our society than homosexual behaviors.
I’m glad you made this point which needs to be addressed more readily in the Catholic Church than is presently seen. There is much on the topic of Sexual Ethics in the Church that rarely comes to the forefront when discussing fornication as merely a topic for Marriage.
Paraphilia/Sexual Deviancy under Fornication
The definition of sodomy was expanded in the 14th century by the Catholic church to include masturbation, oral sex, and any “sex between the legs and from behind” by same-sex male couples. Thomas Aquinas expanded the definition of sodomy even further to include lesbian sex and any sexual act where the woman was not in the bottom submissive position. (a)
As the Catholic church expanded the definition of sodomy to include everything but the “missionary position” on the one hand, it allowed the practice of prostitution during this era to flourish on the other. It was believed that straight men needed an outlet to release their sexual tension or they would commit acts of adultery, rape or homosexuality. The Catholic church and Thomas Aquinas saw prostitution as a “necessary evil.” (a)
It was also during this period as well that the Catholic church decreed that all priests had to be and remain celibate for the priesthood. They believed that wives and women were a hindrance to church mission. (a)
This puts Luther’s views about priests, celibacy and marriage into context; Martin Luther knew that Catholic doctrine had changed based on the desire of its leaders. And there wasn’t anything written in scripture to back their new-found doctrine. As a matter of fact, the Bible speaks about the latter days when people will be forbidden to marry.
It’s important for us to note that the Truth does not change over time - God is Truth and does not change, according to the old and new testaments. But, as we see, what changes are definitions, sexual acceptance, and church doctrines. Therefore, the truth is and will always be that sodomy is sex from the backside. Period. Regardless, of gender, age, race, nationality, or religious affiliation the definition of sodomy is the same for all; there is no discrimination.
Furthermore, the Bible makes no mention of masturbation, oral sex, or same-sex sex. I believe that God created us to experience pleasure in sex. Biological evidence suggest this is in fact true. Case in point: God created women to have two pleasurable spots. One pleasurable spot has absolutely nothing to do with penetration; and neither require ovulation to occur before orgasm. This is highly suggestive that sex is not just for pro-creation.
Even Paul eludes to sex as more than an act of pro-creation in I Corinthians 7. Speaking about sex between couples Paul’s opinion was this (I Cor 7:5-6): “Defraud ye not one another, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for you incontinency (failure to restrain sexual appetite - Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary; 10th edition).
See, in maintaining a marriage according to the principles of the Bible, we keep ourselves from sexual temptation and are thus able to restrain our sexual appetite. That’s another reason why Paul says it is “better to marry than to burn.” It’s not that marriage is a sacrament, it’s that marriage keeps us from temptation of the flesh - in this case, a temptation that can be but isn’t always sexual in nature: lust.
God created us to enjoy the pleasures of sex in the context of a committed relationship. Sex is not a duty for offspring; it’s an intimate act to bring two people to the closest bond humanly possible. This bond, as Paul states, is an example of the type of bond we can expect to have with Christ our Lord for eternity on the new earth. Like marriage is suppose to represent the bond that is created by God which cannot be broken. “What God hath put together let no man put asunder” because “the twain shall be one flesh” - “but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” And this applies equally to all.
When I look at scripture I see liberty in Christ’s doctrine and God’s word. I see the freedom that God gave me to marry whomever I choose, even someone of the same sex; and the liberty to enjoy that union and all the pleasure of sex it brings. In God’s word I am truly free to be happy.
Sexual perversions are conditions in which sexual excitement or orgasm is associated with acts or imagery that are considered unusual within the culture. To avoid problems associated with the stigmatization of labels, the neutral term “paraphilia,” derived from Greek roots meaning “alongside of” and “love,” is used to describe what used to be called sexual perversions. A paraphilia is a condition in which a person’s sexual arousal and gratification depend on a fantasy theme of an unusual situation or object that becomes the principal focus of sexual behavior.
Description
Paraphilias can revolve around a particular sexual object or a particular act. They are defined by DSM-IV as “sexual impulse disorders characterized by intensely arousing, recurrent sexual fantasies, urges and behaviors considered deviant with respect to cultural norms and that produce clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of psychosocial functioning.” The nature of a paraphilia is generally specific and unchanging, and most of the paraphilias are far more common in men than in women.
