Sex and the Bible
published: Tuesday | June 14, 2005

THE EDITOR, Sir:

IAN MCDONALD recently wrote an interesting article on "The de-glorification of sex". He argued that it was the later established Church and Paul a few decades after Christ, and not the teachings of Christ himself, that contributed to the abhorrence of 'perfectly natural sexual desires' in Man. He quoted Paul as only reluctantly agreeing that 'it is better to marry than to burn', while highlighting that Jesus pardoned the adultress as an indication of his 'relaxed attitude' to sex.

If one is going by the canonised scriptures of the Bible and not any other apocryphal writings like The Lost Books of the Bible and information on 'The Priory of Zion' from The DaVinci Code, material that I have learned to have some historical validity, one would have to say that Mr. McDonald is not totally right. The 'Scriptures' of the Bible have Jesus saying: 'You have heard it said that fornication is wrong ... but I say to you ... whoever should look on a woman to lust has done the act in his heart' (paraphrase).

Now, in light of this one has to spare a thought for the early Church Fathers like St. Benedict who developed western ascetism to an art. They were highlighting parts of a text they believed, to the suppression of others, to develop a particular dogma and institution that has done some good to the cause of humanity (as well as bad, yes). It has, if nothing else, taught men to have self-control, which can't be all bad now, can it?

I am, etc.,

NICHOLAS ALEXANDER

nic7lex@hotmail.com