Holding Hands

[christianyouth]

Clean1:

Ok so I know I'm joining this conversation really late but some of the things some of the people have posted really bothers me. I am 15 years old and I also believe that it is wrong to touch a person of the opposite sex if their only intention is to show their love to one another. AND NO THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S WRONG TO HOLD A CHILD'S HAND AND NO IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T TOUCH YOUR WIFE!!! That is the most ridiculse (sp) thing I have ever heard. God DID tell Noah to replenish the earth and I don't think Noah did that without ever touching his wife, do you??? And if a man and woman not holding hands before marriage is "out of context" then how can you believe anything else in the Bible?? When God says it's wrong, it's wrong. So my point is if God only meant sexual contact, He probably would have said it. And even if that is what He meant by the verse, I'd rather be safe then to sin and lead others into the same sin.

I go to a public school, and yes sometimes it does get hard to go against all of the world's standards and beliefs but isn't it "greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world"?? One thing though that makes it hard is when non-believers criticize your beliefs but it especially hurts when other Christians do. Not many teens are willing to take a stand like this so I beg you to please don't destroy our hope. There are still a few out there who really do want to do right by God and others. So please instead of criticism, lift us up. It's kind of like our preacher says (and please don't take offense to this) "the reason a lot of teens won't go with God is because their parents won't"

You have incredible Christian character for a 15 yr old! I have been there, I have been in the public schools, and I can relate to how hard it is being a teenage Christian in them.

This is your conviction, do not go against it.

-Andy

 

[faithgirl46]

Clean1,

I think you are right in your conviction. Though Id also agree that the "not to touch" is referring to more than just hand holding, when you are not married hand holding will lose its thrill real quick. Then where do you go? Its that "next step" that becomes more and more dangerous.
A very good verse about this would be "flee youthful lusts." 2 Timothy 2:22 and James 4:7, about resisting the devil. Keeping a standard in order to keep yourself pure is always the best.


ps. don't worry, when the moderators find this thread they will graciously move it to the proper forum.

Don't be embarrassed.

:applause: :applause: :applause: Jesus is proud of you. I am glad that you have moral standards. Others will learn from your example..
Faithgirl

 

[samarelda]

I too am posting on here really late but want to make some comments. First off, I would like to applaud :applause: those young people who have posted on here about their high standards. There is nothing wrong at all in staying as far away from temptation as you can. True, the Bible says nothing directly about holding hands, but it also says nothing directly about a number of other things. I was 31 and my husband was 29 when we married--we did not kiss until our wedding when the preacher said "you may NOW kiss your bride". I am so glad we waited for everything. We were both virgins and we had never kissed anyone else. I really wouldn't want my husband learning to kiss from every other woman in the world. We have learned it all together. Is he a good or bad kisser---like that matters a whole lot anyway--I have no idea. I have nothing to compare him to so I am completely satisfied. You will never, ever regret having high standards.

Personally, I think our system of dating is destructive. Kids date and break up, date and break up over and over and over. It seems to me they are practicing for divorce later on in life. Is it good to get emotionally attached to so many others? I don't have all the answers but I don't want my own kids to become emotional wrecks like I see so many teens becoming because of some boy or girl. 95% of all people have had physical relations with someone before they married. Obviously, something is not working. I don't believe God ever intended our young people, or anyone for that matter, to have to deal with such strong temptation. We expect our kids to stay pure, yet we let them put themselves right in the way of temptation.

I agree completely with bapmom and PamelaK. They have some really good advice. Pamela's Prayer is a great movie. It is what I would like to see for my own kids.

Each step leads to the next. While holding hands may be innocent enough, if you never allow yourself that first step you won't need to worry about going too far. There really isn't a need to hold hands anyway. Maybe a desire, but not a need.

Keep up the good work young people. We are proud of young people like you. :thumbsup:

Okay, I have my armour on and am ready to be blasted for my comments!

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Hi all
I'm new to BaptistBoard.com
I agree that the passage you guys have been using in this discussion is referring to more than just hand holding. And I do agree that it can lead to other things, but at the same time it will happen alot quicker if you say they cant do anything at all. You also need to give people the chance to do the right thing.

I am 17yrs old, still studying and I'm a youth leader at my church in Melbourne, Australia. Most of the people that attend our youth group are from non-churched/christian homes. We have a few couples in the group, and at the start of each term, due to new people coming and things like that, everyone is told the rules and all that administrative stuff. And with these rules it states that there is no kissing, sitting on laps and things like that. Hand holding is allowed. Now, I personally have seen this work, and have also seen someof these young people grow in there faith and personal maturity because they know the boundries, they know that if there is ever a problem that they can come and speak to one of us in leadership at anytime, and they know that we trust them.

I'm not trying to discredit anything anyone else has said, but I'm trying to say that a little trust will go along way.

Mr. Nice Guy

 

[nwstevens]

Thing is, when a 15 year old girl comes in here and says she wants to remain pure and so has high personal standards, I think we should commend that and encourage it any way we can.

Dont you?

Amen Bapmom. With the way the world is corrupting our kids today. To see someone that has this kind of a personal standard for herself is a very good thing to see.

 

[gb93433]

They spent a whole church service once deciding how to handle that verse in the situation of if a woman slipped outside in the parking lot, which was very snowy.

I sure hope there were not any non-Christians that day so they could go home and name them as idiots.

It never ceases to amaze me at how stupid some are to think that perhaps there may be non-Christians present and the preacher is talking about things of litttle value compared to eternal issues. That kind of preacher is content to let people walk in and out of church and never addressing eternal issues and let people pass into a Christless eternity.

 

[nwstevens]

Clean1:

Ok so I know I'm joining this conversation really late but some of the things some of the people have posted really bothers me. I am 15 years old and I also believe that it is wrong to touch a person of the opposite sex if their only intention is to show their love to one another. AND NO THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S WRONG TO HOLD A CHILD'S HAND AND NO IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T TOUCH YOUR WIFE!!! That is the most ridiculse (sp) thing I have ever heard. God DID tell Noah to replenish the earth and I don't think Noah did that without ever touching his wife, do you??? And if a man and woman not holding hands before marriage is "out of context" then how can you believe anything else in the Bible?? When God says it's wrong, it's wrong. So my point is if God only meant sexual contact, He probably would have said it. And even if that is what He meant by the verse, I'd rather be safe then to sin and lead others into the same sin.

I go to a public school, and yes sometimes it does get hard to go against all of the world's standards and beliefs but isn't it "greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world"?? One thing though that makes it hard is when non-believers criticize your beliefs but it especially hurts when other Christians do. Not many teens are willing to take a stand like this so I beg you to please don't destroy our hope. There are still a few out there who really do want to do right by God and others. So please instead of criticism, lift us up. It's kind of like our preacher says (and please don't take offense to this) "the reason a lot of teens won't go with God is because their parents won't"

I am a father of 4 young children (the oldest is 9) 2 boys 2 girls. I am hoping and especially praying that they will come to develop convictions and Godly standards like you and clean1. In todays society that says there is no absolute right or wrong it is very encouraging to see young people take a stand. I went to a public hs myself and I know firsthand how difficult it can be to take a stand for God there. Sadly, I was not always successful at it. Does the Bible say emphatically that is is sin to hold hands? That topic has been completely hashed out in this thread. To me the thing that is the most noteworthy is that there are still Godly young people that are willing and determined to draw a line and purpose to not cross it (Dan 1:8). I will be praying for both you and clean1 that God will give you the grace and the strength to hold to these convictions that you have set. Make no mistake, satan will come after you with both barrells. He wants nothing more than to see any child of God fall but, I believe especially rewarding to him is to see young christians fall. Thank you for the stand that the 2 of you are taking. I pray my children will have that same desire. We as parents can impose rules and all, but for a young person to willingly take this type of a stand is truly special. You both are in my prayers.