Secular Authors Criticize Modern Sexual Ideology
By Anne Kerhoulas
Two recently released books by secular authors argue that the sexual revolution has not brought the sexual freedom and empowerment that it promised. Rather, it has created identity crises, rampant assault and abuse, the degradation of women through pornography, and the disintegration of marriage.
While Christians who believe in the biblical sexual ethic may not be surprised by these findings, it’s important that secular thinkers are beginning to re-evaluate what sex and sexuality are for and what it means to flourish in sexual relationships.
Alexandra DeSanctis, in this article for Public Discourse, analyzes the arguments of Christine Emba in Rethinking Sex and Louise Perry’s The Case Against The Sexual Revolution and finds that though these two women are the “beneficiaries” of the sexual revolution, both find profound flaws and problems with our modern sexual ideology.
Rethinking Sex, by Christine Emba, concludes, “We need to re-erect the social guard rails that have been torn down. And, in order to do that, we have to start by stating the obvious. Sex must be taken seriously. Men and women are different. Some desires are bad. Consent is not enough. Violence is not love. Loveless sex is not empowering. People are not products. Marriage is good.”
These simple statements reveal a radical shift in thinking about sexuality. In a culture that believes anything goes as long as there is consent, “re-erecting the social guard rails” around sexual ethics is combative language that threatens the belief that what we do with our bodies isn’t ever a moral decision.
Christian Union wants to bring clarity and understanding to the conversation around human sexuality. All freshmen in our university ministries participate in a Bible course entitled Sex and Sexuality to delve into the truth about what God made our bodies for and how we are (and aren’t) meant to use them for His glory. CUU ministries also host lectures on sexuality, disciple students to pursue holiness in practical ways, and regularly challenge students to walk in sexual integrity.
Read the full article here.
