Christian Marriage websites

It appears to be a couple of people who have their own slant on marriage and want to do it their way. There is very little Scriptural basis for their pontifications. I would not recommend it for anyone even though some of the things they say may be true and wholesome. Overall, it is pretty much misguided sentiment and unfounded opinion. No, it is not a good Christian web site with a sound Biblical basis.

 

I disagree with paidagogos. I don't see anything particularly objectionable about it. The discussion forum probably has too much information for some sometimes, though. But that's where discernment and self control come in.

 

Here's one


[Sorry Frenchy. However, due to problems in the past with cross-messageboard battling the Webmaster has made it BB policy not to allow the posting of links to other messageboards.]



[ April 17, 2006, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: Bible-boy ]

 

It's your privilege to disagree and it does take knowledge with discernment to see the objectionable elements. The aforementioned web site claims to be a Biblical ministry but they are clueless about a Scriptural view of marriage. They state: "[W]e realized the ministry was, and would continue to be, first and foremost about sex." Marriage is not just sex. Sex is one mere aspect, and not the most important aspect either, of marriage. They are overly emphasizing the physical-emotional side to the detriment of the companionship and one-flesh relationship. Although their statement of faith is good and they seem to be sincerely committed to a Biblical standard, there are numerous glaring weaknesses. Here are a few:
1. Their hermeneutics and Biblical exegesis are weak. Because they quote Scripture and use Greek/Hebrew words, they appear to have a Biblical basis. However, a closer inspection will find the rationalizing of Scripture to support the prevailing their American fascination with sex.
2. They deal poorly with topics of Christian nudism, masturbation, etc. For example, their argument that masturbation may be okay is simply that God doesn’t say it is sin. No logical argument can be made from silence (i.e. what God did not say).
3. They overly emphasize the physical (e.g. the centrality of touch, sleeping naked together, etc.) in marriage and sex. These ideas are simply the current icons of marriage-sex thought--nothing Biblical here.
4. There is the underlying presupposition throughout that biology is a deciding factor in marriage. In other words, you have to have a fulfilled sex life to have a good marriage.
5. Many psychological presuppositions and extra-Biblical ideas underpin their philosophy and reasoning. They do not begin with Scripture and derive their view but they try to justify their view with Scripture. It is the secular view sanctified by the addition of Bible verses.

In sum, the whole approach is a fairly conservative and modern view of sex filtered through a Biblical sieve. It is not a Biblical view of marriage and sex but it is the modern view with the objectionable elements filtered out.

 

I didn't get that at all. My perception was that this site is specifically to address sexual issues in marriage. There are other sites to address other aspects of marriage. The sexual relationship is a big part of marriage, and I think when Christians have difficulties in this area we are unwilling to go talk to other people to get advice because it's a very private thing. Sure, I guess most questions could be addressed by a person's doctor, but sometimes it's not a medical issue (and not everyone can afford to go running off to the doctor frequently!) The internet provides an anonymous place to go to talk about such issues with people who are also Christian.

Certainly people can have a good marriage without having enjoyable sex, but why go through married life like that if you don't have to!

 

Yeah, a doctor is trained in anatomy, physiology, etc. What qualifies these people to give anyone advice on sex?

 

I don't think that by picking a specific aspect of marriage as the topic of a forum it cheapens the others aspects of marriage. I also don't have a problem with like minded Christians helping each other with all manner of marital problems, trained or not. Life experience counts a lot to me.

However, I think it is irresponsible to encourage and partiticipate in extremely graphic discussions of sexual activities with intermixed genders and marriage status'. It's like an erotic story forum and it's married and single men and women going back and forth about their most intimate moments or future intimate moments. Talk about putting temptation out in front of you.

I don't know about anyone else, but my wife would go loraina bobbit on me if I sat around having graphic discussions about our intimate moments with a bunch of women.

 

I liked the "what's ok, whats not" section. It did give me a guidline as to what hobbies you can enjoy inside the mariage bed, which I had beeen dying to ask someone about anyway. That's one good thing about it.

 

So, is this how you establish your convictions? I should think the Word of God along with godly counsel from your pastor or other mature Christians whom you know and respect would be more sound and trustworthy. What do you know about these people on the Internet anyway? The Internet offers anonymity so that one can seem to be anything he or she desires. What about theology? How do you know these people’s theology agrees with your theology? Go to the source—go to the Word of God.

 

Sexual problems are usually either medical issues to be best addressed by a doctor or emotional issues that will fall into place when the other aspects of marriage and one's Christian life are right. The danger of discussing sex on the Internet is the anonymous nature of the dialogue. Even thought you don't share my perception, you have failed to show what's wrong with it. Why don't you address the specific issues and tell me that I am wrong?

[ April 18, 2006, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: paidagogos ]

 

Well, life experience can be good or bad. Some people fail to learn from experience. To seek counsel from the former addict or whore-monger makes as much sense as hiring the guy who bankrupted six companies to run your company. Knowing human nature, I suspect some of the posters and lurkers on that web site are seeking their "Christian" cheap thrills and rationalining their behavior by saying, "Well, it's not pornography." I tell that the whole emphasis on sex is wrongly laid.

BTW, the philosophy of the web site in question is not the specializing in an aspect of marriage, as bad as that is, but it is the view that sex is the key to a good marriage, which is a far worse and more harmful view. Marriage is a balanced whole relationship that is more than the sum of its parts. Although they evidently have copied some good material from other sources but all the good things they say about covenant, faithfulness, submission, headship, etc. are contradicted by their wrongly laid emphasis and interpretation of the marriage sex role.

 

paidagogos is right again. Here ye him.

 

The one particular practice I liked I did show my papa and he saw no with problem with that aspect wither. In other words, it wouldn't make a difference if it were on a simlar list on the BaptistBoard