Sanctified Sexuality, Part One

With a title like this, you'd think I was writing about sex, marriage, or some combination of the two. But today, that ain't happenin'. I want to talk about a phenomenon we've noticed in our culture. We've all seen it and probably have commented on it in some way. I'm talking about the sanctification of sexuality. What an appropriate topic with the 50 Shades of Grey movie on the horizon.

The sanctification of sexuality. Sounds intellectual, right?  But on a more serious note, what does it mean? We have a sort of intuition of what sexuality is, the expression of sexual desires. As for sanctification, that may require some explaining. It's a churchy word derived from the Bible that means "to set apart." Israel was sanctified as God's first people. They were set apart for communion with and service to God. Christ sanctified believers by dying on the cross. Christians are now set apart to God, offering their lives up as sacrifices to worship Him. So, when I say sexuality has been sanctified, I am saying it has been set apart by the culture.

Sanctification has with it a connotation of sacredness, a sort of holy untouchability. This is what has happened to sexuality in our culture. It was once seen as a beautiful, yet serious treasure to be treated with great care. Society guarded it by stressing the appropriate context (marriage) and expression (heterosexuality). This limitation was not perceived as intrusive or hateful. It was right.

Now, sexuality is treated differently.  To tell a person "Your sexuality is not appropriate" and disapprove of perversions of God's creation is to hate him. People call it a vicious crime. A man's sexuality is to be accepted and affirmed. Any other action is seen as unholy. There is an untouchability about sexuality these days.

Think on your own experiences, what you've read, seen, and heard. Don't we speak freely on regulating the way people relate to one another without much trouble, until sexuality is mentioned? It has been elevated these days.

Next week we will talk about why/how this has happened and the implications of it.

What do you think are the implications of this? Do you disagree? Feel free to comment!