What role does chastity play in your religion?

[Estro Felino]

I mean...is it seen as something positive or something negative?
I don't mean only premarital chastity.
I mean for example...what people think about those people who decide to be chaste for all their life, like priests and nuns.

 

[chinu]

I mean...is it seen as something positive or something negative?
I don't mean only premarital chastity.
I mean for example...what people think about those people who decide to be chaste for all their life, like priests and nuns.

According to my own doctrine I see chastity as a virtue because there are lot of benefits of being chaste. But still I don't think I would be able to maintain that because its very tough subject.

As far as my views about the people who decide to be chaste for all their life, I don't think there's anyone who could be able to maintain it 100%ly. If there's anybody who say so, its all drama. Such people indulge in sex secretly.

 

[Estro Felino]

As far as my views about the people who decide to be chaste for all their life, I don't think there's anyone who could be able to maintain it 100%ly. If there's anybody who say so, its all drama. Such people indulge in sex secretly.

well...if a woman is so ugly that nobody wants her...it is very probable that she will remain chaste all life long. There is unwilling chastity too

 

[Pegg]

chastity for chastities sake could be perceived as a form of self righteousness.

There is absolute necessity to be chaste because God requires us to be holy. But a sexually active married person can be just as chaste as an unmarried celibate person.

Sex does not make a person impure or less holy. And chastity for sake of chastity does not give a person any special favor with God.

 

[Estro Felino]

well, my religion, Christianity says that chastity is a virtue.
When I was pagan (I was 20), I used to believe in Magna Mater, that is the Great Goddess of fertility. So according to this pagan, gynocentric and feminine religion, a chaste woman is synonym of bad luck.
Now that I am a Christian, I believe that anyone is free to do whatever they want with their body. So chastity is neither bad nor good. It's a choice that doesn't hurt anybody. But of course chastity doesn't make a person holy. Altruism does.

 

[chinu]

well...if a woman is so ugly that nobody wants her...it is very probable that she will remain chaste all life long. There is unwilling chastity too

Vice versa, there are some people who don't want sex but they are raped.

Thus I would also like to add here that the one who is Chaste by heart is Chaste in true means. Body is just the tool.

 

[chinu]

BTW, another SEX thread. Hay

 

[chinu]

well...I think that the women who are unwillingly chaste, think of sex all day. Is that what you meant?

Well, its not compulsory that the women who is unwillingly chaste, think of sex all day. Perhaps she may loose the charm of sex after a long time unwilling-chaste. Or there can be several other situations.

 

[samosasauce]

Chastity is a personal decision; whatever you choose, fantastic! As long as you don't rape or betray anyone with unchaste actions.

 

[Quintessence]

I mean...is it seen as something positive or something negative?

It depends, but on the whole, neither. A person's sense of character is their own responsibility, and there can be no universal proclamations of what virtues are, or whether those virtues are regarded as positive or negative to that individual. For those who regard chastity as a virtue, it's something positive for them. For those who regard promiscuity as a virtue, chastity would be something negative for them. For those who don't give a crap about sex either way, chastity would be neither positive nor negative.

That said, devotion to specific gods or goddesses can involve some additional strings. If a person is devoted to a virginal god or goddess, it is proper to demonstrate that devotion by being chaste yourself. Well, it's more than proper. If a person goes around claiming to be a priestess of Lady Artemis (a virginal goddess) and aren't chaste, odds are you're going to end up on her $#@% list really fast. On the other hand, if a person is devoted to a promiscuous and sexual god or goddess, it would be highly improper to be chaste.

 

[ChristineES]

well...if a woman is so ugly that nobody wants her...it is very probable that she will remain chaste all life long. There is unwilling chastity too

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Even women that you would consider homely can and have found men who love them and marry them and have relations. Some people actually see below the surface.

And what about homely men?

 

[Estro Felino]

And what about homely men?

I also meant men. In fact that's the reason why I have no sexual life.

btw...is ugly a bad word?

 

[Riverwolf]

I mean...is it seen as something positive or something negative?
I don't mean only premarital chastity.
I mean for example...what people think about those people who decide to be chaste for all their life, like priests and nuns.

My religion says nothing about it. Unlike in some other regions, I don't think any particular God required chastity in order to be a Priest.

My personal feeling is this: if someone can pull it off, such as by already having a small libido, being asexual, or otherwise, then it's all good. But if that person has a very strong libido, or even hyper-sexual, then I would not recommend complete chastity because it could be incredibly dangerous to oneself and potentially others.

If such a person wants admiration from me, though, none will be given. I don't find strength in such endeavors, for the above reasons: either it's easy from a low libido/asexuality (requiring no real effort on one's part), or it's potentially dangerous (an impossible task).

 

[Estro Felino]

My religion says nothing about it. Unlike in some other regions, I don't think any particular God required chastity in order to be a Priest.

My personal feeling is this: if someone can pull it off, such as by already having a small libido, being asexual, or otherwise, then it's all good. But if that person has a very strong libido, or even hyper-sexual, then I would not recommend complete chastity because it could be incredibly dangerous to oneself and potentially others.
.

I don't understand how hypersexuality can be dangerous to oneself and to others

 

[Gnostic Seeker]

I mean...is it seen as something positive or something negative?
I don't mean only premarital chastity.
I mean for example...what people think about those people who decide to be chaste for all their life, like priests and nuns.

Being chaste within Hellenic polytheism isn't particularly virtuous as I understand it, but its something some people may choose because they find sex too emotional to their liking (similar to asexuality), or as a way of exerting total independence of oneself from the other gender. Like for example, women who were virgins in ancient Greece were totally free from men.

 

[Levite]

I mean...is it seen as something positive or something negative?
I don't mean only premarital chastity.
I mean for example...what people think about those people who decide to be chaste for all their life, like priests and nuns.

In general, Judaism does not promote or approve of lifelong chastity. Our tradition does not teach that sex is inherently sinful-- at worst, only outside the context of a legal and monogamous marriage would it be sinful; at best, only in the contexts of specifically prohibited relations or rape would it be sinful. But if nothing else, chastity inhibits fulfilling the commandment to procreate, and the tradition deems that commandment incumbent upon everyone. And, in general, the Jewish tradition is not excessively ascetic.

As for premarital chastity, it depends on who you ask.

If you ask most Orthodox Jews, they will say that it is important and a matter of Jewish law that people remain chaste prior to marriage.

If you ask most non-Orthodox Jews, and a few Modern Orthodox Jews, they will say that Jewish law does not necessarily stipulate that people remain chaste before marriage. Some will say that it might be better, more advisable to remain chaste before marriage. Some will say that while chastity is unecessary, one should be minimal in one's premarital sexual exploits. And some will say that chastity is counterproductive, and so long as one's sexual relations are safe and consensual, there are no limits to sexual relations prior to marriage.

 

[nazz]

I mean...is it seen as something positive or something negative?
I don't mean only premarital chastity.
I mean for example...what people think about those people who decide to be chaste for all their life, like priests and nuns.

It's for those who can and choose to embrace it

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

My religion has no concept of chastity. Chastity is a sexually repressive human invention that has no existence outside of that.

 

[Riverwolf]

I don't understand how hypersexuality can be dangerous to oneself and to others

Not hypersexuality itself.

Chastity for hypersexual people is what I'm talking about.

 

[roger1440]

In general, Judaism does not promote or approve of lifelong chastity. Our tradition does not teach that sex is inherently sinful-- at worst, only outside the context of a legal and monogamous marriage would it be sinful; at best, only in the contexts of specifically prohibited relations or rape would it be sinful. But if nothing else, chastity inhibits fulfilling the commandment to procreate, and the tradition deems that commandment incumbent upon everyone. And, in general, the Jewish tradition is not excessively ascetic.

As for premarital chastity, it depends on who you ask.

If you ask most Orthodox Jews, they will say that it is important and a matter of Jewish law that people remain chaste prior to marriage.

If you ask most non-Orthodox Jews, and a few Modern Orthodox Jews, they will say that Jewish law does not necessarily stipulate that people remain chaste before marriage. Some will say that it might be better, more advisable to remain chaste before marriage. Some will say that while chastity is unecessary, one should be minimal in one's premarital sexual exploits. And some will say that chastity is counterproductive, and so long as one's sexual relations are safe and consensual, there are no limits to sexual relations prior to marriage.

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