Sorry to say this, but the 50’s are long gone, thanks to the late 60’s and onward. The Pope is urinating against the tide. Mother nature is in full control of sex, not the church. We now live in the world where “Porn Rules”. What was bad in the 50’s is now good, what was good is now bad. Look at what the internet has become, what is most viewed? What craziness has taken over? From the looks of things, someone is going to end up married to chimpanzee soon. Trying to control human sexual desire in long term relationships? It doesn’t work out, nature takes it’s course. Marriages are a committed loving relationship, where the right chemistry matches the couples. So if we want to marry someone, no sex before marriage? What if we don’t want to marry, we should go without sex for life? How did we all get here anyway, when did all these sex rules come into play and why? This Pope came from a country where having a mistress and additional children wasn’t frowned upon. (i.e.Eva Duarte?) How many Popes in the past have had children out of marriage, wasn’t it a Pope who also made the rules? If pre marital sex was so bad, why does it feel so good? LOL! No wonder the Muslims want to keep their religion, 5 wives, unlimited concubines, 72 virgins, and we want one with no sex before marriage? Agrhhhhhhh. LOL!!! What we have here, is a war against hormones.
Much of what you say is so obviously true.
However, the nuclear family, a married couple, husband and wife, I think has proven to be, by far, the best institution for raising children and for family units. And marital fidelity is essential to preserve the integrity of both married and family life. Without marital fidelity marriage is essentially meaningless.
Your point about the availability porn and the internet is well taken. However, the same sins have been around for thousands of years but in different forms. For example, excavations in Pompeii show murals in brothels and even private homes as racy as anything you could find in Playboy or Penthouse. And rampant homosexuality is certainly nothing new. We can go back to ancient Rome or Greece and even the Old Testament if we want.
The question is do we want to live like wild animals and barbarians or pagans with no rules or restraints? Obviously (at least to me) physical intimacy between a man and a woman is something which is best managed when it is limited to the confines of Holy Matrimony. As someone who married somewhat later in life (my late 30s) I am certainly in no position to be lecturing others on premarital sex. I am guilty of that sin. But now that I am the father of young daughter myself, I have taught her that sexual relations should not occur outside of marriage and that STDs and unwanted pregnancies could also occur as the result of irresponsible behavior. I do believe that Holy Matrimony is God’s plan and that physical intimacy between a man and a woman is God’s most precious gift to the institution of marriage. And I do believe this most precious gift should be denied to no one, not even our priests.
Dumb comments on your part.
Liberal pabulum.
The only thing that separate us from wild animals is the ability to control sexual urges. The ones that can’t are predator rapists and sex addicts that die a young death. The pope is exactly right.
No, the pope did not make the “rule” - it is in the Bible, which was written before there was a pope or a Roman Catholic Church (I know, I’m going to get hammered about Peter - but I don’t buy that Peter was the first pope..)
Premarital sex reduces the chance of a successful, long-term marriage. It is reduced further by premarital sex with the one you marry, and even more by co-habitation.
Sex is extremely powerful, and few are able to use it safely - evidenced by the litany you posted. No premarital sex is a “rule” like “check the air in your tires”, “don’t jump off of tall buildings”, “check the oil and water levels”.
They are not arbitrary rules intended to impede one’s enjoyment or progress, but directions from the owner’s manual on how to best have a good, successful life.
I know, I broke the rules, and I am paying the price.
Nor are we living in the 1st century when the world was pagan, sexual immorality was rampant and killing people in a public arena was considered family entertainment. The mission of the church is not to leave people where they are but to spread the Gospel and lead them to where they belong.
Trying to control human sexual desire in long term relationships? It doesn’t work out, nature takes it’s course.
A fallen human nature that can be raised up by God's grace.
What if we don’t want to marry, we should go without sex for life?
Yes. Believe it or not we can live without sex. To wish to enjoy the pleasures of sex without the accepting its ends of uniting a couple in a permanent union of love and of bearing and raising children is inherently selfish. This selfishness is a turning away from God and a rebellion against his will.
How did we all get here anyway, when did all these sex rules come into play and why?
Your Creator. Next question.
What we have here, is a war against hormones.
What we have here is a war against sin and a call to holiness. If you want to reject the commandments of God just say so and live with the (eternal) consequences.
Actually, what we have is a war against tyrannical passions. And by "tyrannical" "passions" I mean strong, driving, unrelenting emotions, whether arrogance, avarice, lust, envy, greed, anger, gluttony --- I mean all the overwhelming feelings. Look at an 18 month old child pitching a tantrum, and you'll know what I mean.
These passions are out of whack: sometimes one, sometimes the other; sometimes way in the past, sometimes in the future.
The main task of personal maturity is to get them under control, so that,chastened and harnessed, THEY serve YOU, and YOU don't serve THEM.
Yes, this is the main task of maturity --- growing up past the "I want what I want when I want it" stage --- and one of the main tasks of this project we call "civilization."