Do we need to change the rules?

Lee links to Marcus's post on the inadequacy of traditional Christian sexual ethics and adds his own thoughts.

There seems to be this unspoken assumption in Marcus's post that for two thousand years Christians were behaving in accordance with the "traditional" sexual morality. IMHO, baloney. In every century there was tension and flagrant, cheerful ignorance of the Church's official position. What do you think those wonderful English madrigals are about?

To me, the "moderns won't accept a traditional Xian sexual ethic even though they can accept a three-tiered universe" is an argument about splitting a two-sided coin. Most non-Christians think we're too repressed. Most Christians I know actually believe sex is best saved for marriage, even though in their particular case an exception ought to be made. :) I assume our forebears thought basically the same things.

As for "what is sex for?" I could not read that other article from the Century. But the idea that "sex is for sanctification" seems a little optimistic to me. The phrase reminds me of what Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire Gene Robinson said about his sexual relationship with his partner. He said, "It's sacramental to me." I don't think that we ought to be elevating sex to sacramental status. It gives it an ultimate quality that frankly, the results don't bear out. Moreover, it does not address adequately the self-seeking sinfulness that frankly, I believe is part of even the best sexual relationship. We cannot fully throw off that old Adam even when we want to.

But I think that is what the culture (and I think many to most cultures across time) has done. We have reduced transcendence to orgasm, and fulfillment to variety, spontaneity and ecstasy within a monogamous relationship. Frankly, it is the consumer/technical mindset that pushes this especially in our culture, for the entire marriage/sex industry, non-pornographic and pornographic, is based on the premise that there is a better orgasm out there, and that if we're not having it, there's something wrong.