Unchastity

[Nate13]

I wish to figure out where people believe the Church is going wrong on the issues of lust, masturbation, fornication, pornography, prostitution, adultery, homosexuality, and contraception. All of these things are offenses against chastity as it has been defined by the Church or in other words all of these things are examples of unchastity. I think sometimes the discussion on these issues become muddled and I think approaching these issues from the perspective I outline below may help bring some clarity to the discussion.

Unchastity is denounced in the Bible on multiple occasions including:

Matthew 5:32
Matthew 19:9
Acts 15:20
Acts 15:29
Acts 21:25
1 Thess 4:3

Chastity is defined by the Church in the Catechism as being:

2337 Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man’s belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman.

The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift.

The integrity of the person

2338 The chaste person maintains the integrity of the powers of life and love placed in him. This integrity ensures the unity of the person; it is opposed to any behavior that would impair it. It tolerates neither a double life nor duplicity in speech.125

2339 Chastity includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery which is a training in human freedom. The alternative is clear: either man governs his passions and finds peace, or he lets himself be dominated by them and becomes unhappy.126 "Man’s dignity therefore requires him to act out of conscious and free choice, as moved and drawn in a personal way from within, and not by blind impulses in himself or by mere external constraint. Man gains such dignity when, ridding himself of all slavery to the passions, he presses forward to his goal by freely choosing what is good and, by his diligence and skill, effectively secures for himself the means suited to this end."127

2340 Whoever wants to remain faithful to his baptismal promises and resist temptations will want to adopt the means for doing so: self-knowledge, practice of an ascesis adapted to the situations that confront him, obedience to God’s commandments, exercise of the moral virtues, and fidelity to prayer. "Indeed it is through chastity that we are gathered together and led back to the unity from which we were fragmented into multiplicity."128

2341 The virtue of chastity comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate the passions and appetites of the senses with reason.

2342 Self-mastery is a long and exacting work. One can never consider it acquired once and for all. It presupposes renewed effort at all stages of life.129 The effort required can be more intense in certain periods, such as when the personality is being formed during childhood and adolescence.

2343 Chastity has laws of growth which progress through stages marked by imperfection and too often by sin. "Man . . . day by day builds himself up through his many free decisions; and so he knows, loves, and accomplishes moral good by stages of growth."130

2344 Chastity represents an eminently personal task; it also involves a cultural effort, for there is "an interdependence between personal betterment and the improvement of society."131 Chastity presupposes respect for the rights of the person, in particular the right to receive information and an education that respect the moral and spiritual dimensions of human life.

2345 Chastity is a moral virtue. It is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort.132 The Holy Spirit enables one whom the water of Baptism has regenerated to imitate the purity of Christ.133

The integrality of the gift of self

2346 Charity is the form of all the virtues. Under its influence, chastity appears as a school of the gift of the person. Self-mastery is ordered to the gift of self. Chastity leads him who practices it to become a witness to his neighbor of God’s fidelity and loving kindness.

2347 The virtue of chastity blossoms in friendship. It shows the disciple how to follow and imitate him who has chosen us as his friends,134 who has given himself totally to us and allows us to participate in his divine estate. Chastity is a promise of immortality.

Chastity is expressed notably in friendship with one’s neighbor. Whether it develops between persons of the same or opposite sex, friendship represents a great good for all. It leads to spiritual communion.

Here are the possible places I see for someone to say the Church is going wrong:

1. Its definition of chastity.
2. Its application of that definition of chastity.

I think the Bible makes it clear that unchastity is immoral and is a grave sin, but that is another premise someone could object to I guess.

Anyways if you disagree with the Church on one of the issues above I’d be curious to hear where you believe the Church is going wrong in the 3 choices above and why.

If you believe the Church has defined chastity wrong, please say what is wrong with it and why. If its applying its definition wrong please provide your reasoning for how they have misapplied it and why.

 

[Luvtosew]

Is the Church wrong, no not at all, the bible is clear on the issues above, but this is a world full of sinners just like 3000 years ago, we should not be surprised.

All Christian churches should preach this stuff and have high standards, people will still sin of course, but esp. young Christians need to be fully aware of how the above actions are wrong in the eyes of God and continually reinforced to them. they should never be told the above actions are ok.

 

[John21652]

Unchastity is denounced in the Bible on multiple occasions including:

Matthew 5:32
Matthew 19:9
Acts 15:20:
Acts 15:29:
Acts 21:25
1 Thess 4:3:

If you believe the Church has defined chastity wrong, please say what is wrong with it and why. If its applying its definition wrong please provide your reasoning for how they have misapplied it and why.

Nate, in all you have quoted there is no defintion of Chastity that is given by the Church. All you have quoted is an explanation of what Chastity is. The main quote you gave from the Catechism, at 2337 begins with ***" Chastity means…" ***After that comes a lengthy explanation of what Chastity is.

The real definition of chastity is right at the top of that section of the Catechism which you quoted. It is the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. Those Biblical references you gave support the sixth commandment.

The Catechism explains what Chastity is and how to achieve it. The definition comes from the Sixth and Ninth commandments, the breaking of which is classified as unchaste behaviour.

However, don’t forget Mt.5:27-29, the Sermon on the Mount - " But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Jesus himself defined what Chastity is. The Church just explains its importance and shows you how to achieve it.

If you do not like how Chastity is “defined”, then you better take it up with Jesus.

 

[Nate13]

Nate, in all you have quoted there is no defintion of Chastity that is given by the Church. All you have quoted is an explanation of what Chastity is. The main quote you gave from the Catechism, at 2337 begins with ***" Chastity means…" ***After that comes a lengthy explanation of what Chastity is.

The real definition of chastity is right at the top of that section of the Catechism which you quoted. It is the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”. Those Biblical references you gave support the sixth commandment.

The Catechism explains what Chastity is and how to achieve it. The definition comes from the Sixth and Ninth commandments, the breaking of which is classified as unchaste behaviour.

However, don’t forget Mt.5:27-29, the Sermon on the Mount - " But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Jesus himself defined what Chastity is. The Church just explains its importance and shows you how to achieve it.

If you do not like how Chastity is “defined”, then you better take it up with Jesus.

John I don’t have a problem with chastity haha. My point in this thread is to ask those that have a problem with the Church’s teaching on contraception or homosexual acts what is the problem they have with the Church’s definition of chastity. The Church’s teaching on contraception, homosexual acts, etc… is based on its definition of chastity. The Catechism lists all of these as “offenses against chastity”.

Thus it follows that if someone has a problem with contraception, homosexual acts, etc… they must have a problem with the Church’s definition of chastity or the way its applied. I merely wished to open a discussion for those who disagree with the Church on sexual ethics as to where they believe the Church is going wrong with regards to its definition of chastity or application of that definition and why they believe so.

I don’t think many people take their disapproval of Church teaching to this level and I also hear a lot of people claim that contraception is not explicitly rebuked as being immoral in the Bible. If contracepting is an offense against chastity though, and its explicit that unchastity is condemned in the Bible that would be pretty explicitly condemning contraception would it not?

 

[teachccd]

In this world of relativism and a lack of understanding objective truth you will only invite those who will polarize themselves towards selfishness. Rationalizing the acceptance of immorality is based on relativism and basically refutes itself since there is no absolute truth on any given issue.

I would, like you, be interested in the arguments favoring these immoral acts but ultimately they will only stem from the notion that things should be accepted just because they should. It will be a frustrating and circular discussion but I wish you the best of luck. God bless…teachccd