James Watkins Author Speaker Threat to society

Is oral sex 'sex'?

I'm writing 20 devotions for the American Bible Society's X-treme Bible that they assigned me to be "very edgy." Apparently, one of them was too edgy for their conservative audience. What's ironic is that the Bible itself deals with much more explicit issues than my devo does! Anyway, here's the "banned" devo:

Oral Arguments

Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between
wife and husband. God draws a firm line against
casual and illicit sex (Hebrew 13:4 MSG).

Is oral sex really "sex"? That's just one of the questions I addressed in my book, The Why Files. So what's the answer?

And what about couples who may still be technically "virgins," but have been involved in heavy petting and mutual masturbation? Author Walter Trobisch claims there are still drastic changes:

Virginity is not just a mark of the body. To me it is much more a question of the heart, or the ability to love. It is not something someone loses, but something they give.

Everyone has a unique gift--the ability to give themselves completely to only one. This gift is like [money] in the bank. But many spend it in small coins. Every day they draw a little out of their [bank] and in flirtation, here and there, throw it to the wind. Technically speaking, they may still be virgins, but they have lost their ability to love through a lot of necking and petting experiences.

In other words, a couple may be virgins on a technicality since there was no vaginal penetration. But, they have given some much of their bodies to each other, that they are no longer virgins mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And sometimes losing one's mental virginity is more harmful emotionally than losing it physically.

Scripture reminds us, "Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).

The Bible's standard is purity, not lack of penetration. The question changes from "How far go we go sexually and still not sin?" to "What can we do to remain sexually pure?"

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Is oral sex 'sex'?

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