Page 5321 - Week 16 - Thursday, 28 November 1991
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2.
The strongest statement occurs in 1 Corinthians 6, where St Paul declares that be who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her (1 Car. 6:16). By inference then that person has excluded himself from membership in the Body of Christ, the community of Christian believers.
It is, upon this basis that the Christian Church (in all its manifestations) has not looked favourably upon the institution of prostitution from the outset.
favorably. There are, however, other reasons for which the church finds prostitution difficult. One definition is sexual intercourse from which ensues no binding or enduring relationship (OCR. Haab: The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, Abingdon, 1962, X101.3; p.932).
The word prostitution comes from the Latin to stand in
place of, on behalf,of. It is thus seen as a substitute
for the realthing, a committed relationship between a man
and a woman (monogamy and its necessary equation of
exclusivity in sex and love as expressed by The Statement)
as envisaged. by the Marriage Act 1961 (s.ec.46[11).
It would be the churchs argument that such sexual relationships always dehumanise both parties. The act of love, as it has often been called, is properly conducted in an environment of commitment and love. Many Christians, therefore, would condemn prostitution of all kinds.
5. However, the Anglican Church, among others, recognises
that this world is not yet.made perfect-and in this
interim period, many aspects of life and huduanrelationships
are far from what we desire and,hope for.
6: The church also recognises, the. deep aid mysterious
origins of the relationships between the sexes: Im spite
of centuries of profound specirlation.w"d. more than a
century of careful scientific investigation ,we seem no
closer to &-real understanding of tie psychology of
sexuality, especially in its aberrant phases.
There is; however, ample evidence that human sexuality
can be a,.desperately explosive influence iii the community
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