INTRODUCTION

Pre-marital Sex: Sexual intimacy outside of marriage among teenagers

Sex is a basic human need. Every person has the desire to enjoy a physical relationship
with someone they care about. And in the context of marriage, those moments of intimacy can
bring pure joy and pleasure to your life. But when it's used in the wrong way, sex can cause guilt,
anxiety, depression, disease and low self-esteem. Nowadays, we can see there are a lot of moral
issues among teenagers. As we know, moral issues always been related to negative behavior of
someone that gives bad effects to themselves and also people around them. The most common
issue happened in teenagers across the globe is being involved in Premarital sex. Premarital sex
is term which refers to any sexual activity between consenting unmarried partners. It is a
voluntary sexual intercourse between persons not married to each other. It is generally used in
reference to individuals who are presumed not yet of marriageable age or between adults who
will presumably marry eventually, but who are engaging in sexual activity prior to marriage. Sex
is pleasurable, but in God's view, the primary purpose of sex is re-creation. In other words, sex
is for reproduction. God does not limit sex to married couples to rob pleasure from those
who are unmarried. Rather, God commands against premarital sex in order to protect unmarried
people from unwanted pregnancies, from children born to parents who do not want them, and
to protect children from parents who are not prepared for them. For a moment
a world without Premarital sex, there would be no sexually transmitted diseases, there would be
no unwanted mothers, there would
be no unwanted pregnancies, there would be no abortions, etc.

According to the Bible, abstinence is God's only policy when it comes to premarital sex.
Abstinence saves lives, protects babies, gives sexual relations the proper value, and most
importantly abstinence honors God. Thus, as defined in the dictionary, an urge or shall we say,
thoughts of manifesting them, is sex. (The Bible calls this lust). To have physical intercourse is
sex. Whether it is two unmarried partners or one married and one not - it is sex. Participating "up
to a point" of actual physical intercourse, such as having oral sex, is sex. Societal trends don't
change the definitions. Frankly, there is no line to draw; it is strictly a decision to engage in sexual
activity or not. There are many factors to consider in this choice. Teens who engage in pre-marital
sex are more likely to suffer negatively from long-term physical, emotional, social, and moral
effects, than teens that choose to wait. The Bible contains many verses dealing with sexual issues.
One of the Ten Commandments says we should not commit adultery. However, it says about
consensual sex between non-married individuals. God designed us to be sexual creatures and says
sex is to be enjoyed between a husband and wife within their marriage.
As societies, we must set legal and behavioral boundaries in order to function properly. God has
set boundaries so that we might properly function according to His supreme design. Scripture is
laid out to show us God's way, which is in our best interest. God designed the path so that we
might have an abundant life experiencing His love and the sacred love of a marital spouse. His
word describes the perfect union of husband and wife that is meant to be exclusive. He
subsequently frowns on acts of rebellion against his purpose and design.
 History Background

In the English-speaking part of Christendom, sex before marriage became taboo

from the implementation of the Hardwicke Marriage Act in 1753. This was in spite of there
being nothing said about premarital sex in the New Testament.
The fact that this is not mentioned may seem strange in light of the fact that passages in
the New Testament dealing with sexuality in general are quite extensive. Subjects
include: the Apostolic Decree (Acts 15), sexual immorality, divine
love (1 Corinthians 13), mutual self-giving (1 Corinthians 7), bodily membership between
Christ and between husband and wife (1 Corinthians 6:15-20) and honor versus dishonor
of adultery.(Hebrews 13:4) Even with the large number of Bible passages that address
issues of sexuality, interpretation of these verses can vary. The issue of premarital sex is
a good example of how the same verse can be viewed in different ways. In
modern English, fornication typically refers to voluntary sexual intercourse between
persons not married to each other. Given that modern definition, a verse that condemns
fornication (such as 1 Corinthians 6:9 which is often cited by conservative denominations
as biblical opposition to pre-marital sex) would appear to be clear. However, in the New
Testament, fornication is the word used to translate the Koine Greek word porneia into
English. In Ancient Greek, the word porneiameant illicit sex or illegal sex. Early
Christians interpreted this word to encompass activities such as incest and bestiality.
Modern-day fundamentalists tend to prefer the definition of premarital sex, or will even
choose to broaden the term to also include activities such
as masturbation and pornography, while progressive and mainstream Christians tend to
limit the interpretation of the word to illegal sexual activities such as incest, bestiality
and pedophilia.
After World War II, divergence in Christian teaching on sexuality accelerated. Today, most
mainstream and progressive Christians around the world affirm that the teachings against
premarital sex arose erroneously due to a man-made law (the Hardwicke Act), or that
they applied only in some cultural contexts. By contrast, Christian fundamentalist groups,
most of which originate from the United States, hold onto the idea that premarital sex is
sinful.
SOURCES
 CATHOLIC TEACHING OF THE CHURCH

The Catholic Church continues to teach that sexual love between a man and a woman is
reserved to marriage. We find this teaching in the creation account of Genesis Book 1, Chapter
1 of Sacred Scripture: First, God creates man in His own image and likeness, making them male
and female (Genesis 1:27). In the next verse, the Bible reads, "God blessed them, saying, 'Be
fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it'" (Genesis 1:28). Before the man and woman
come together as husband and wife, and before they express their love as husband and wife,
they are first blessed by God.

Only in marriage do we find God's blessing upon the act of sexual love, or what is better termed,
marital love. This physical expression of love in marriage is a sacred sign of a husband and wife's
covenant of love and love that they share in union with God. This marital love signifies the vows
freely exchanged between each other and thereby reflects the faithful, permanent, exclusive,
and self-giving love they have promised to each other and to God. This understanding is evident
in Jesus response to the Pharisees' question regarding divorce: "Have you not read that at the
beginning the Creator made them male and female and declared, 'For this reason a man shall
leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two shall become as one'? Thus they
are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, let no man separate what God has joined" (Matthew
19:4-6). Thorough the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, God blesses the couple joined in this sacred
bond and generously bestows grace so that they may assume the duties of marriage in mutual
and lasting fidelity.

Moreover, the marital love of husband and wife which unites them as "one flesh" may
overflow and participate in God's creative love: a child may be born from their love. Here again,
God gives abundant graces so that the husband and wife can fulfill their duties as father and
mother. Therefore, in accord with God's design, sexual love is reserved to marriage.
Think though of this issue from the perspective of the child, who may be conceived by an act of
sexual love. A child has the inviolable right to life from the moment of conception until death. He
has the right to be born. He has the right to two loving parents who are husband and wife, who
have pledged their total love to each other, and who have the means to provide for raising a
child. He has the right to be considered as a gift from God, not as an "unplanned pregnancy," an
"accident," or a "burden." In essence, a child has the right to the best family possiblea family
filled with love. (Confer Donum vitae, II, 8.) Here again, just using our reason, we can conclude
that sexual love ought to be reserved to marriage.

Taking sexual love outside the context of marriage is contrary to the dignity of each
person and of marriage. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, lamented the decline in respect for
marital love in his encyclical The Gospel of Life: "Sexuality too is depersonalized and exploited,
from being the sign, place and language of love, that is, of the gift of self and acceptance of
another, in all the other's richness as a person, it increasingly becomes the occasion and
instrument for self-assertion and the selfish satisfaction of personal desires and instincts" (#23).
Given this teaching, little wonder the Bible has grave condemnations against both fornication,
"carnal union between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman" (Catechism, #2353), and
adultery, "when two partners, of whom at least one is married to another party, have sexual
relations even transient ones . . . " (Catechism, #2381). Jesus said, "Wicked designs come from
the deep recesses of the heart: acts of fornication, theft, murder, adulterous conduct, greed,
maliciousness, deceit, sensuality, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, and obtuse spirit. All these evils
come from within and render a man impure" (Mark 7:21-23; cf. also Matthew 15:19). St. Paul
warned, "Can you not realize that the unholy will not fall heir to the kingdom of God? Do not
deceive your selves: no fornicators, idolaters, or adulterers, no sexual perverts, thieves, misers
or drunkards, no slanderers, or robbers will inherit God's kingdom" (I Corinthians 6:9-10). In the
last judgment scene depicted in the Book of Revelation, God said, "As for the cowards and traitors
to the faith, the depraved and murderers, the fornicators and sorcerers, the idol-worshipers and
deceivers of every sort their lot is the fiery pool of burning sulphur, the second death!"
(Revelation 21:8). God's upholding of the sacredness of marital love is clearly evidenced in the
blatant condemnation of the sins against it.
Sadly, in our society, we see the act of marital love trivialized. Whether we would turn to
pornography or even to a comedy show, the act or marital love is oftentimes portrayed as a
selfish expression without any sense of permanence, fidelity or exclusivity. The act is reduced
simply to an immediate, fleeting pleasure without any sense of responsibility to each other or to
the possible child conceived. The couple easily forgets that the action could conceive a child and
that they could become "Mommy and Daddy." And what then? Would the child be aborted?
Would he be raised by one parent, by grandparents, or by two parents "forced" to get married?
We see the tragedy that occurs when we deviate from God's plan. Many people have thought
they were in love with someone else, gave themselves to that person in the most intimate
expression of human love, then were later discarded. Many people have heard the phrase, "I
want you," but all the person really wanted was a body; not a person, a sensation, not a
commitment of life and love. Many people speak of "making love," without realizing we cannot
make love: God Himself is love, we can only love in His love in accord with His design (I John 4:16).
Yes, the eyes of many people today reveal an internal emptiness which comes from spending
oneself on a fleeting pleasure rather than on building upon a marriage and a family.
In response, the Church calls people to live the virtue of chastity. Chastity respects the dignity of
our human sexuality and the sacredness of marital love. In chastity, a person strives for mastery
over feelings and passions, respects the sacredness of marital love, and takes responsibility for
his actions. This virtue, moreover, gives great freedom: freedom from slavery to passions;
freedom from any sexually transmitted disease, so easily contracted in this age because of
promiscuity; freedom from loss of a good reputation and being known as "easy," "a slut" or "a
womanizer;" freedom from painful memories or regrets of past relationships; freedom from
mortal sin and eternal punishment. St. Paul challenges us to live in the freedom of God's children.
Granted, the temptations of this world are great. By the grace of God, we can live in such
freedom, respecting the sacredness of marital love.

Church teaching tells us that sex is a sign of a total commitment made between two
persons, and made to their whole persons, not a temporary one made to their bodies
alone (read what Pope Bl. John Paul IIs Theology of the Body says about premarital
sex). Even though societal standards such as a persons average age at the time of
marriage may change, human nature does not.
In an age where both men and women often seek to establish their careers first and
marry later, premarital sex may be a greater temptation for some. After all, one of the
purposes (though not the primary one) of marriage is that it can be a cure for
concupiscence. Church teaching communicates Gods purpose for man and is in
harmony with the way that we were designed. Therefore, Church teaching does not
change along with cultural trends; the truth that sex is made for marriage cannot be
changed.

So is saving sex for marriage realistic? Yes, but not because it isnt difficult. Thankfully,
the virtue to chastity to which we are all called is a gift from God; we dont have to
accomplish it on our own. Chastity is a moral virtue that we do have to work at, but
fortunately, we are not at it alone Gods help is available to us. The Catechism tells us
how: Whoever wants to remain faithful to his baptismal promises and resist temptations
will want to adopt the means for doing so: self-knowledge, practice of an ascesis adapted
to the situations that confront him, obedience to Gods commandments, exercise of the
moral virtues, and fidelity to prayer.

Everyone is called to chastity, whether they be married or single, clergy or lay. To live
chastely means to engage in sexual relations only when they are linked with a procreative
and unitive purpose within marriage. It may be helpful for the single adult to keep in mind
that they are not the only ones who must exercise continence for a lengthy amount of
times. Clearly, religious and clergy live chastity by remaining continent throughout their
life. However, married people also practice continence at times: for weeks or months after
the birth of a child, when one spouse is ill or away, or if the couple is practicing natural
family planning. Every person, regardless of their state in life, must strive for the virtue of
chastity, which comes under the cardinal virtue of temperance, which seeks to permeate
the passions and appetites of the senses with reason (Catechism 2341).

In considering this temptation, it is important to recall that a ban on pre-marital sex is not
an arbitrary law designed to make life difficult. Rather, the emphasis should be on the
profound reality that is waiting for those who are called to the Sacrament of Marriage:
[t]his is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of
them become one body (Genesis 2:24).
 CONCLUSIONS

Gdynia Crave

I conclude that, Pre-marital sex is considered sinful activities by sexual intercourse

between a man and a woman in which it is to be reserved for their union upon marriage when
they become with God. The perception about pre-marital sexual intercourse among teenagers
varies widely. Generally, teenagers have a normative perception, still considering that sexual
intercourse may be committed by couples who share the same household. That is why, sexual
intercourse among teenagers need to be avoided because it violates social norms and religious
values. Reality or empiric perception judges, pre-marital sexual intercourse among teenagers may
be performed provided the acts are based on the feeling of liking each other, to prove love or to
heighten teenage image, life style of teenagers nowadays, becoming more mature, as a practice
before entering the stage of having a household, or even just to obtain happiness (recreational)
or just for fun. Premarital sex is based on selfishness, not on love. If one has passionate feelings
for someone, one may feel the need to have intercourse with that person. Teenagers needs to
open their eyes and see the harmful effects of premarital sex in which possible in getting diseases
and it profoundly scars you emotionally, by cutting off from God.

Johannah Kaye Paredes

People engage in premarital sex for different reasons. Teens usually do this because of peer
pressure. They wanted to belong and be accepted by their group. Engaged couples on the other hand
commits premarital sex because they are hoping for pleasure and the fulfillment of their sexual desires
while others do this because of the hope that this might bring them intimacy. The horrible effects of these
short-lived reasons are sexually transmitted diseases, early marriage, unwanted pregnancies, abortions,
placing a child for adoption and unnecessary feelings like emptiness and unfulfillment. Rarely does a
premarital sexual relationship stay together long enough to make it to marriage vows. People engaging in
this activity will experience the heart rending emotional upset that comes with breaking up, and when
people experience multiple break-ups it numbs them.

Angel Kate Seniedo

Premarital sex is high in the Philippines and it is alarming in our country. It has grown in such a
fast rate and it is surprising that people involved in it are very young and possess little knowledge of the
risks they may face. There are various reasons of why people engage in premarital sex. Sex is said to be
fun. Obviously, sex before marriage is indeed used for pleasure. This perception has contributed to hasty
boost in the incidence of premarital sex in the Philippines. Most probably, this pleasure is the reason for the
peoples positive regards to premarital sex.
The reasons that individuals give for engaging in pre-marital sexual activities are usually relatively similar.
Some people believe that if they are not sexually active as an adolescent they will not "fit in," or they will
be ridiculed for their choice to abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage. Around school, sex is usually
a major topic of conversation; students are constantly talking about how great sex is and how often they
"do it". Those same students are usually the ones who do not worry about protection. Teenagers find it to
be some sort of competition nowadays to see who can have the most sex before they graduate. Boys often
find that they are being pushed to prove themselves by "scoring". None of them think of the consequences.