Status Updates From Sex, Lies & Religion

Chapter 12, Immortal longings. If sex is really at the heart of so many of our actions and things in our culture then it's good to be discussing and thinking about it in relation to not only theology, but our everyday life (which is just theology in motion). Explore the mystery of oneness, not only the oneness experienced with your spouse, but the oneness you can experience with God

Chapter 11, Sex as Communion. I had to read this short chapter 2x. I'm not sure I quite understand it. I think it's a little tough for some guys to grasp this concept without envisioning homoerotic concepts. Randy basically parallels sex and communion, and ties them together. And briefly expounds on the details and progression of it all.

Chapter 10 he explains Theology of the Body, a masterpiece of theology by Pope John Paul 2. Themes of nakedness and shame; and the logos, ethos, & pathos of God in relation to sexuality. Good stuff to meditate on and return to every once in awhile

"As we develop the fruits of the spirit in our lives, the controls and legalism of religion lose their grip on our bodies and soul. We come to see and experience our sexuality as a multiple-sensual theology that provides a way to clearly experience "the divine mystery" of God while living daily through the power of the incarnation. And we can do this while celebrating the intimacy of a sacramental life"

Chapter 8 - Sacred Sexuality: an emotional biology, is about the ways we are attracted, from pheromones to physique, to pleasure, & to procreation. And how all these play a role in emotional considerations of sacred sexuality

It's the journey, not necessarily reaching the destination (climax) that makes for joy filled spiritual intimacy. In many arenas in life we hurry through looking, but never seeing the beauty around us right where we are. How can we know God in a sensual transcendent way if we can't know our spouse in the same way?

Culture wants to objectify women, in spite of the great strides in gender equality. And it's takes both male and female to effectively image our creator

Chapter 5 is about Fantasy. Mr Elrod explores several degrees of sexual fantasy. Some ideas make me uncomfortable, but I agree that there should be some degree of mutual fantasy sharing between partners. Imagination is a powerful tool for intimacy

Self pleasure is not sinful in the right context. It's a tough idea to get down because the guilt is so embedded, but Elrod does a good job at the apologetics of the heart of it

The difference between beauty and pornography is that pornography is one dimensional and shallow. Beauty is about the wholeness and harmony, mystery and radiance of the subject and fills the viewer with wonder Pornography is a commodity selling a "sexual fulfillment" that leaves you empty and void, and dehumanizes both the viewer and the subject

"Sadly, those who live a life of suspicion remain so imprisoned by their own lusts that they try to exert that same bondage on everyone else. They can't think of the body and sex other than through the prism of lust."

"... true intimacy with the Almighty can possibly make the greatest sexual experience of your life seem tame in comparison."