Breaking News: Christians Can Enjoy Sex!

Apparently, yes, Christians are now allowed to enjoy sex. Yes, that even includes Christian women. According to Wired News today…

The Bible doesn't say Christian couples can't enjoy sex or sex-tech.

Now here's a conservative, literalist preacher with a sex-positive message that needs to be passed to those Christians who are so confused about sex, they try to tell -- and legislate -- non-Christians how to conduct sexual and romantic relationships.

By "sex-positive" I here mean an enthusiastic view of sex within his belief system. This is not a message about embracing "alternate" forms of sexuality, like sex between one or more unmarried folks. But it's a far cry from "have sex to have kids and don't you dare enjoy it if you're the girl."

“It’s hard,” [preacher Joe Beam of Family Dynamics] continues, “to make the transition from ‘sex is bad’ when you are young and single to ‘sex is good’ when you are married.” In fact, “sex is the most wonderful gift God ever gave Christians.”

Beam, who is studying for a sexology Ph.D. from the University of Sydney in Australia, is all about shining the light. He and a few others like him have concluded that conservative Christians can cope with America’s hypersexualized culture by being given permission to pluck much of its fruit.

The information he dispenses is a mix of scriptural interpretation and mainstream sexology. He does not speak in euphemisms or metaphors and his plain spokeness makes a few listeners squirm, at first. But Beam is also part entertainer with a patter that is almost vaudevillian in its timing: “Why can women be multiorgasmic and men not? Well, I’ve decided God just likes you better! ... What’s the difference between a woman with PMS and a Doberman? Lipstick.”

The humor and the brazen talk, coming from a man who is not only one of them, but a leader who rubs elbows with James Dobson and Jerry Falwell, gives them permission to relax and hear his message.

It’s a simple one: Sex is good. Good sex makes people happy. It deepens relationships. So it helps marriages last and that pleases God and makes society better.

Perhaps if the conservative Christians start having more and better sex with each other, they will become more tolerant and relaxed about the fact that they are not the only belief system in the world.

And of course even if that doesn't happen -- and it wouldn't right away, that's for sure, all major changes take time -- I still hope that they, and everyone else too, finds their way to a pleasurable and fulfilling sex life.

I like what Rev. Beam says about sex toys:

Which sex toys are good, and can we use them at all?

“I usually get the question this way,” Beam answers. “‘What does the Bible say about vibrators?” More laughter. “Can we use a vibrator? Sure you can if you want to.”

Of course, the question still on many minds (well, at least our Southern Baptist brothers) is: Does this mean we’re allowed to dnace?