Just recently, the Technician published an issue entirely devoted to discussing the facets of sex on the college campus. Some of the goals are laudable, and I agree with some of the criticisms of our culture presented in the edition. On the whole, though, while some of the goals are valid, I believe firmly that the overall position being advocated for will not fulfill even the laudable goals, and that there is a better way to address the problem that will not only provide solutions to these temporal problems but also provide a more lasting satisfaction for all those involved.
At this point, it most likely seems as though what I’m going to argue is simply abstinence; that the answer I will give is to stop having sex and the problem will go away. To say only that would be to lead everyone astray, because the issue is so much more complex than that and requires a much deeper treatment. Simply saying don’t have sex would ignore the reality of the issue at hand, and as was aptly noted, has been the source of the problems we are currently discussing. We need to have a discussion of this topic that treats the issue in all its complexities, putting fear of awkwardness aside to contemplate this as mature adults.
Sex is a good thing. It’s important for our discussion we understand that properly. Sex was given to us to be enjoyed. The problem, though, is that sex in itself is not the sole point, and when taken out of its proper context, it leaves us broken and unsatisfied. It may, for a time, give some pleasure. But ultimately, it leads to hurt and shame. It wasn’t created to fulfill us, and it never will. The hole that we are trying to fill can’t be plugged with sex, or anything on this earth. We were created for something greater. That’s why we feel shame when we abuse sex. It’s not only because of our society (which does play a part), but because our hearts know what we’re doing is wrong. We know in our hearts that we are doing something wrong, but we don’t know what to do about it, or how to get away from this cycle of shame. We fight to feel vindicated, but the fight never seems to stop. Is there any way out?
There’s a story in the Bible about a woman who was caught cheating on her husband. Under Mosaic Law, the proper punishment for someone like this was to be stoned to death. The Pharisees who caught the woman brought her to Jesus, asking him whether to stone her or not, to test him. His response shocked them. He casually stood up and told them that the person who had never sinned should throw the first stone. Naturally, they each knew they were sinful, and so each one dropped their rocks and walked away. It’s important to note that the person who was left with the woman, Jesus, had never sinned, and so he had the right to throw the first stone. He had the right to condemn this woman. But instead he said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Just like he did not condemn the adulterous woman, neither does he condemn us, who have also sinned against him. I myself have been in the place of the adulterous woman, having put sex above God in my life. Jesus should’ve thrown the stone at me; he should’ve sent me to die. Instead, he stepped in and died for me, and rose from the grave, conquering my sin. This isn’t just something spiritual that I think about on Easter and Christmas; it is my life. Our problems as society will not be answered solely by getting over the awkwardness of sex and allowing it to be brought out in public to be discussed. That wasn’t the solution for the adulterous woman, it wasn’t the solution for me, and it won’t be the solution for our society either. Yes, it is important to stop sexual assault or the shaming of LGBT individuals. But those are only the manifestations of a bigger problem, which only has one solution.
Aaron Vodicka
senior, political science
