Sex. Is. Evil?

It is very obvious that in our society, there are many different views on what it means to have sex with someone. Two main arguments seem to come about whenever I discuss this topic. The first is the side that believes that sex is sacred, and it should occur only after marriage. This opinion is backed by a passage in the Holy Bible (1 Corinthians 6: 9-10), stating, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God." This is the most extreme opinion out of the ones I've heard. It clearly states that anyone who has sex before they are married are sinners that will not make it to Heaven. This would include a lot of people in today's society, because our society seems to take a different approach on the meaning of sexual intercourse.

The other side of the argument says that sex before marriage is acceptable, but there are several views on how far this statement can be taken. There is a degree of restrictions that can come into play when discussing exactly when sex will be allowed. Some people will only have sex when a certain amount of time has passed in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship (six months, one year, etc.), and some don't put a time limit on sex within a relationship. Some people will have a "friends with benefits" relationship, and others will have one-night-stands. Regardless of how it happens, each situation involves sex without marriage, which happens pretty commonly in today's society. In an article on usatoday.com (http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-12-19-premarital-sex_x.htm), it says that the statistics from the National Survey of Family Growth show that of the people asked in 2002, 95% of them have had premarital sex, and 93% of them were 30 years old or younger. This may link to the readily available spread of contraceptives on the market. It's common sense that when doing something that can be potentially dangerous, the more protection you have, the more at ease you are with performing the action. Although I couldn't find any tables or charts to support my claim, I'm sure that the number of people actively having sex increased as the availability of contraceptives increased. If more people are having sex, it isn't considered as special. For example, if several excavations around the world resulted in findings of vast gold mines, the value of gold would decrease due to supply and demand (higher supply, lower demand, lower prices). If the first sexual encounter was to happen only when a couple was married, the experience would be much more special, because you've waited, you've grown to love that person, and it would be the first time for both of you. The elements of surprise, anxiety, and excitement would make the moment even more sacred. Unfortunately, this renewal is highly unlikely to happen, because of the strong influence of the market and media on society. As long as the demand is there, the products will be there, and premarital sex will continue to be highly prevalent in today's world.