Understanding sexual practices today

Paper Presentation

Subject: Marriage and Family Counselling

Topic: Understanding sexual practices today

Lecturer: ...

Presenter: ...

Introduction:
Marriage and Family is the first institution given by God to Human beings. Sex is the highest gift from God to Human being. Sex, when practiced as God ordained, designed, and intended, is a pure, needful, and beautiful wonder of God's creation. Here in this paper we will discuss about the understanding sexual practices today.

Understanding of God and Sexual practices in the Bible:
It is our belief that sex, when practiced as God ordained, designed, and intended, is a pure, needful, and beautiful wonder of God's creation. In the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it. . . And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:27-31). Be fruitful and multiply!" "Reproduce!" was one of the first things God commanded the creatures of His glorious creation. And then again, after the great deluge, God reminded Noah and all that survived with him that they had an important job to do? Reproduce! (Genesis 8:17; 9:1).

Throughout history, God put His stamp of approval on human sexuality and reproduction. To Abraham and later to Jacob (Israel) He basically said, "I am God and I want you to reproduce!"(Genesis 35:11, 12:1, 2, 7). God has a point to make, He is above what currently is considered politically correct in many matters, and even using the human sexual act to illustrate what He wants to say if need be.

Sexual and Emotional love in Human Relationship:
The changing trend in understanding sexual love and emotional love is extremely important to understand the pattern of relationships in general, and marriage in particular. Persons long for emotional love and even look for it even outside marriage when the marriage failed to satisfy the need. Men and women are more expressive about their sexual need too, an experience that make them feel that ultimately they are wanted in the marriage. Emotional and sexual affairs are on the increase which is a sign that the man/woman not finding fulfilment in marriage. Certainly, it is not a sign that they come with immoral thought process; it is that they look for what they did not get in the Marriage.

The human loving involves quality relational environment and intimate expressions. This fundamental need is fulfilled within the context of marriage where each partner is committed to provide a mutually fulfilling sexual experience. In general, the family in India have accepted the sexual loving as one important dimension of loving and caring experience in the context of family. There are people, both in urban and rural, still holds the traditional view that the noble purpose of marriage is procreation and that sexual experience for any other purpose is not noble, but one may do it for the purpose of releasing the urges which may otherwise harm the individual and the relationship. There needs to be change in this view regarding sex in marriage.

Understanding Sexual practices to the Married Persons today:
Marriage persons need to know three things in relation to sex: the purpose, the value and the purity. The awareness of the divine purpose of sexuality is essential for a happy married life. The value of sex has to be discovered within for a happy married life. The value of sex has to be discovered within the bonds of marital relationship. It is important that the purity of sex, as a gift of God for unity, pleasure and procreation, be maintained among the couples. The focuses of the married persons need to be strengthening their sexual relationship by mutual rediscovery of each other’s liking and disliking.

Commitment for accountability to one’s spouse is the best way to keep from alluring options. Also, spiritual and emotional satisfaction, the key to healthy companionship, is greater than the physical.

Marriages life and Pornography:
Married persons addicted to pornography have lost their way in the world of sexual passion. It is the distorted view of sexuality and diverted focus. From true relationship with one’s spouse that have caused this problem.

Married persons need to know that there is a difference between real people and pictorial or celluloid ideals pornographic presentation has seemingly beautiful women with perfect physical structures and really sought- after look, motivating the person to dislike ones espouse. The need is to distinguish between what is real and what is false. The beauty portrayed by pornography is not real but false. We need to seriously reflect upon the negative consequences of pornography on family and society so that we will be able to resolve to get rid of this vicious and abusive evil.

Some few awareness on understanding sexual practices today:
As Responsible Individuals: It is not enough to be self-protective and personally free from sexual addiction. As responsible citizens and individuals we must be willing to help our peers, colleges and other fellow- individuals to come out of it and not to fall into its trap. We need to core for others’ welfare and show responsibility in feeling with issues feeling individuals sound is today.
As Parents and Families: As parents and families they have got the privileges and responsibility to varies responsible citizens who will contribute to the moral and ethics strength of the family and society. They have role to play and an opportunity to teach the new generation with practical examples of living a life of sexual purity. They must redouble their efforts to provide sound moral formation to the children and youths.

Church and Institutions: Church and institutions, as divine organs of care and order in the context of everyday interaction, are responsible to provide clear teaching of the faith and objective moral truth, including the truth about sexual morality. To provide atmosphere and opportunity for all to learn and reflect on issues, such sexual addiction facing the church and society, therefore, must be among the chief concerns of the church and institutions today. In an age of permissiveness the church needs to be a prophetic voice.

Sexual practices and Emotional Intimacy:
The word intimacy comes from Latin words, intimus meaning “inner most” and intimare meaning “to make known”. So Intimacy is the making known of that which is innermost successful married couples are those emotionally attached to each other. Pet Collins puts it; ‘....a good relationship, marital or other be includes a mixture of closeness and intimacy. But if oxygen of true emotions intimacy is lacking, the sense of closeness with, is time in time, become stale and boring. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why so many apparently ‘good marriage’. Eventually break down and finally split up. If couples are to build romantically love, they must meet each other’s most important emotional needs.

Understanding physical Intimacy: 
For Christians, marriage is the relational for which full sexual union is designed. Most married couples assumed that sexual relationship should come naturally, caring, and shared moments of laughter and respect for each other’s feeling and temperament. Sex in marriage is not just the socially approved means for releasing one’s physical sexual urge (tension) but an important means to grow in mutual love marital love is experienced as (tension) but an important means to grow in mutual love. Marital love is experienced as an intensely physical and body centred way of expressing diligent and enjoying one another. Sexual giving in intercourse implies a revealing and giving of one’s inmost self.

Understanding Spiritual Intimacy:
What does it mean a man and a woman, to share spiritual truth (mystical union) with each other? Spiritual intimacy is for moved than a couple attending church or Christian function together or praying and reading the Bible- all of which, though valuable and necessary, can be a form of ‘going through the motions’. It is sharing of part of who we are, with God, at any given time. Like any other facet of intimacy, it demands that we know our-self well enough to have something to share. As the scripture says “clothe yourselves with compassion and if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other...let the peace of Christ rule in your heart...And be thankful”(Col. 3:12, 13, 15).

 Conclusion:
From the above contents we come to know that marriages, family and sex is a unique human functions directed towards evolving persons, communities and the society at large. Sexual practices should be discussed in order to have awareness and have good relationship between husband and wife, parents and children and to the community as a whole. There should be a seminar on the awareness of sexual practices today in order to control sexual addiction.

Bibliography: 
Devanandan, P. D. The changing pattern of Family in India: Contemporary Explorations. Bangalore: CISRS, 2007
Gordon, Albert I. Intermarriage: Interfaith, Interracial, and Interethnic. Boston: Beacon Press, 1964.
Mahendra, Shivraj K. A Christian Response to Pornography. New Delhi: ISPCK, 2007.

Read More

Christian Reflection on Hinduism

Introduction:  

 This paper brings special features on the Christians reflections on Hinduism and reflects between the Hinduism and Christianity in the past or early history of Hinduism.

Hindu Christian Relationship

Christianity has a long history of relating to Vedic religion in South Asia, though it is only in the modern period that explicit Hindu-Christian interaction can be documented. “ Hinduism is an actable abbreviation for family of culturally similar tradition “a convenient catch-all for a vast variety of religious cults and sects, regional and local deities and devotees, deferring philosophies, spiritual disciplines, religious practices, guru cults and more. [1]

Christian response to Hinduism

Historically Christian has interacted with Hindus from the earliest advent of Christianity in India. According to local mythology original convert of Thomas included some from the Brahmin community in Kerala. Claiming descent from Namboodiri Brahmins convert has conferred high caste status upon the Thomas Christians. This respectable social status “enabled them to be in harmony with their pre-dominantly Hindu neighbors” Caste related practices , customs regarding food and occupation, modes of dress, faith in horoscopes, ceremonial bathing, rituals and festivals developed in largely in Hindu categories. Church architecture borrows simultaneously from Jewish Synagogue and Hindu temples with elements of Hinduism Christianity and the Syrian tradition in juxtaposition. Christian rites of passage likewise reveal the use of ritual substances such as coconuts, oil lamps and rice (commonly use by Hindu) but with a distinctions Christian imprint.

Conversion movements were an aspect of socio-economic and cultural change extending beyond the Church. Azariah devised new indigenous Christian liturgies, festival art forms borrow from Hindu and other sources. The Dornakal Cathedral incorporated aspects of Hindu and Muslim architecture, a “dramatic statement of Christianity’s potential as the fulfillment of India faith and culture”. Through conversion oppressed and backwards peoples sought relief from the discrimination and stigma of untouchability as well as improvement their status in society. Dornakal is but one example of Christian responds.

The missionary approach to Hinduism often took the terms of criticism and confrontations. To William ward of the Serampore mission, Hinduism was an enemy to be opposed and exposed. That at least appears to have been one of the objectives in his publication in history, literature and mythology of the Hindus. Largely descriptive, the four volumes and also contain translations and extracts from philosophers and religious writings.

The Round Table Conferences

The Round Table conferences conducted at Sat Tal Ashram in North India by Methodist Evangelist E. Stanley Jones (1884-1974)      were a forerunner of today’s dialogue events. Jones sought an interpretation of Christ and the Christian Dharma in keeping with the Indian ethos. At the Round Table, Hindus and Christians and other were able to share to their views in non-threatening environments. As a result Hindus and others came face to face with Christ. John found the Indian Ashram a suitable indigenous forum for reflection and utilized Hindu philosophy and culture for presenting the Gospel. For years John decuples and successor, Achariya Daya Prakash has continued to present Christ and the Christian message in the form of a modified Vedanta fulfillment theology in various religious settings.

Dialogue with Hinduism challenges the Church to examine the role of Christianity in a pluralistic society. Where Hindu population has settled in Europe, Hindu-Christian dialogue has proven fruitful in fostering good relationship and understanding. In India dialogue motivates the search for an authentic Indian Christianity and contextual Indian theology, which raises questions as to how far the Indian Church can go in Hinduizing its theological identity.[2]

Theological reflection

            The basic for the theological reflection in the light of minority religious right is that world religious traditions share the view that each human being has an inviolable, indeed, a divine core or soul that gives him or her primary dignity. Representations of these traditions are signatories to the United Nations Declarations on Human Rights that affirms this fact.The Church in India being a multi-religious context, needs a theological basis reflect on the possible ways of relating herself to other religions like Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and the tribal faith of the land. Representing a minority community, the Church in India needs to look into developing a theology from the minority point of view.

 In theological reflection, freedom of religion is based on a theological commitment to religious plurality and diversity and capable of recognizing deferent religions with deferent opinions on the question of faith and practices. It is not the true freedom of religion, if people cannot choose what religion they want to follow. Thus the very understanding of freedom of religion needs to be liberated from its majoritarian religious constraints, addressing not just religious tolerance but the importance of respecting and accepting those who think, act and live differently, and choose to believe differently than the group into which they were born. Everyone should should be allowed to exercise his/her religious beliefs, and group should be allowed to engage in private or collective worship. [3]

A Christian Approach to Hindu People

It is necessary for Christian to have some basic knowledge of Hinduism, its teaching and its beliefs. One cannot dialogue unless there is some basis to build on. Neither can one have dialogue without personal contact. The Christian approach should also involve prayerful concern for the Hindu people .Prayer and action should go to gather. Hinduism holds that all religions are the same, all road lead to the same goal. It is understandable that they hold this view because each Hindu believes in a variety of gods. With this in mind, begin by explaining why Christian believes in one God, Son and Holy Spirit. As they themselves believe in Trimurti, the Hindu Triad, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, they will. In a loving and gentle way Christian should explain about the most perfect and fullest incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. Hindus already hold that there have been nine Avatars, (Incarnations) of Vishnu.[4]

            Christianity reached India very early. Tradition says that the Apostle Thomas himself went to India and died there. Certainly there has been a Christian church Kerala in the South India since the third century, and probably considerably earlier. It was a Syrian church, owing allegiance to Antioch, with a liturgy in the Syrian language and with a theology classified by theologians as Monophysite or Eutychean.[5] Later the Nestorian church of Persia also established work in India as part of that astonishing missionary outreach which is gain about the end of the fourth century.[6]

            The protestant missionaries in their approaches to India rightly gave first priority to the translating of the Bible and distributing went on preaching. Along with the work of translation and distribution went preaching. The main emphasis went, of course, on the positive proclamation of the Gospel; but in the tradition they made a careful study on Hinduism, which they produced to refute with the rational logic so beloved of the late 18^th century. The theology of the early missionary was the theology of the British supporters- evangelical Christianity with a firm admixture of critical, hard-headed rationalism which delighted in ridiculing perhaps a little blind to the vulnerability of some of their own position.  This theological outlook continued on through the 19^th century, and in some places continues more or less today.[7]

Conclusion

            This above discussion helps to understand reflects between the Hinduism and Christianity in the past or early history of Hinduism and the Christians ways of interpretation and understanding of Hinduism in the present context today.

Bibliography

Boyd, R.H.S. India and the Latin Captivity of the Church . London: Cambridge University Press,1974.

Cherian, M.T. Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights;A Christian Response . Bangalore: Siga Arles,2007.

Dyrness, William A. Global Dictionary of Theology . England:Inter-Versity Press,2008.

Shrisunder, David . Loving Without Compromise”,A Christian Approach to Asian Riligion”.Delhi:ISPCK,1999.

---

[1] William A. Dyrness, Global Dictionary of Theology (England: Inter-Versity Press,2008), 392.(hereafter will be refereed it as William A. Dyrness, Global Dictionary of Theology…,)

[2] William A. Dyrness, Global Dictionary of Theology …,393.

[3] M.T. Cherian, Hindutva Agenda and Minority Rights;A Christian Response (Bangalore: Siga Arles,2007), 296-297.

[4] David Shrisunder, Loving Without Compromise”,A Christian Approach to Asian             Riligion”(Delhi:ISPCK,1999),10.

[5]Monophsite- the doctrine that Jesus the divine and human elements combine to form a single nature.

[6]R.H.S.Boyd, India and the Latin Captivity of the Church (London: Cambridge University Press,1974)3.(Here after it will be referred as R.H.S.Boyd, India and the Latin Captivity of the Church)

[7]R.H.S.Boyd, India and the Latin Captivity of the Church, 5-6.

Read More