A question about sex

I'm hanging out with an English girl who is Anglican
I am not an Anglican but are Roman Catholic; I want to avoid looking foolish: what is the Anglican position on premarital sex?
My girlfriend is very silent on the topic.

 

Anglicans tend to be less vocal about moral issues, however the official teaching in my province is for single people to be celibate.

 

single people are celibate

 

Mark90,

The Anglican position on sex outside of marriage is the same as the Roman Catholic position. NO sex outside of marriage. It is a sin and St Paul lists fornication as a sin that will keep you from achieving heaven. 1 Cor 6:9 St Paul lists the various sex outside of marriage sins: fornicator, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites as numbered with the idolaters, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers. extortioners as those who WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God.

For the sake of your soul, wait for marriage.

Fr Mark

 

I do not know the Anglican moral theology.
Many Catholic theologians admit premarital sex if the couple because of serious reasons can not marry.
Other Catholic theologians (Vidal for example) admit even the morality of homosexual relationships stable and faithful.
The conservative positions are strong on these issues in Catholic circles but there is a dissent.

 

I don't read much theologians so I am illiterate when it comes to individual's theologies. I always go with official church teaching. Let's hope our learned brothers and sisters will be able to talk more about your above mentioned dilemma.

 

For Catholic theology the well- formed conscience is the ultimate judge and in particular cases and in the presence of a serious conviction, the well- formed conscience may go against the ordinary magisterium (not infallible).
The German episcopate in 1967 published a paper on this issue.

 

What defines this well- formed conscience? In other words how does one know when one has it.

 

The Church's Magisterium, Scripture, Tradition but without forgetting the philosophical and theological reflection.
The Catholic Church on some issues (death penalty, loan, slavery, freedom of religion, secularism, ecumenism, democracy) has corrected its doctrine not dogmatic with the help of theologians and laity.

 

"To the freedom of the Magisterium there corresponds in its own way the freedom that derives from the true scientific responsibility of theologians. It is not an unlimited freedom, for, besides being bound to the truth, it is also true of theology that “in the use of any freedom, the moral principle of personal and social responsibility must be observed”.
But the theologians’ task of interpreting the documents of the past and present Magisterium, of putting them in the context of the whole of revealed truth, and of finding a better understanding of them by the use of hermeneutics brings with it a somewhat critical function that obviously should be exercised positively rather than destructively.


The exercise of their tasks by the Magisterium and theologians often gives rise to a certain tension. But this is not surprising, nor should one expect that such tension will ever be fully resolved here on earth. On the contrary, wherever there is genuine life, tension also exists. Such tension need not be interpreted as hostility or real opposition, but can be seen as a vital force and an incentive to a common carrying out of the respective tasks by way of dialogue."

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/c...uments/rc_cti_1975_magistero-teologia_en.html

 

This doesn't really answer my question... how does one know when one has this well-formed conscience?

 

Mark90,

Do not rely on theologians for your salvation. All are sinners and far too many have agendas that are contrary to scripture.

I quoted scripture and an Apostle. I could quote God from a prophet. But I guess a "well-formed conscience" trumps. All you are
telling us is that you are going to ignore GOD, His Apostles and His Church (not just the RCC) because you know better. Only word I can think of is arrogance.

Scene: Judgement Day

GOD: Mark90, why did you do that which I condemned, told you through the prophets, Apostles, scripture and the Church not to do. It was sin
and sin keeps you apart from me?

Mark90, et al: Well GOD, I have a well formed conscience and I reasoned I know better than the prophets, Apostles, scripture, the Church and even you.
Why? For the theologians told me so.

Let me know how that works for you on judgement day.

So can you answer anglican74's question?

 

From what I understand, sex outside of marriage is considered immoral completely. However, I have spoken to many Priests who would say that a couple in a committed relationship, who aren't married, but are engaging in pre-marital sex fall short however it is better than them being promiscuous. I think there is a plenty of room for conscience and personal reflection in the Anglican Church. It's no so rigid as Catholicism for example.
There is an ideal you are expected to try and live by, but we are sinners and all we can do is try our best.

 

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (AV)

No one is saying it's easy, but it seems clear, in light of 1 Corinthians 6:9, it is better to trust in God rather than in our own understanding, or the understanding of others for that matter.

 

They might think that they will have sex before marriage but that changes nothing about it being a sin in God's eyes and that it should be called out and told to repent if they engage in it before marriage.

 

Yes, but not in preference to Scripture where we are told premarital sex is wrong just as extra-marital sex.