10 sex acts that are forbidden in the Bible
Did you know Christians who follow the teachings of the Bible are allegedly ‘forbidden’ from committing ten acts related to sexual activity?
The most recent Census data found that 46 percent of the UK’s population identified as Christian - a 12.9 percent decrease from 59.5 percent in 2011.
However, according to Premier Christianity Magazine, only nine percent of religious Millennials read the Bible every day.
There are many versions of the Christian Bible, the holy book that was written over more than a millennium.
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One of the most popular translations is the King James Bible, which is believed to be around 800,000 words.
It features 66 books, with some of them outlining what followers of Christ are not allowed to do in the bedroom.
These are committing adultery, having sex with a close relative, and engaging in sex work.
Below, we’ve outlined the ten acts the Bible reportedly condemns and why.
Fornication
It’s stipulated in multiple books, including Genesis and Hebrews, that fornication is forbidden.
The word ‘fornication’ usually relates to any sexual activity between two people who aren’t married - and many believers take this ‘rule’ as meaning no sex before marriage.
However, since the word ‘fornication’ is so broad, a few people would actually class premarital kissing as a sin, as it is still a sexual behaviour.
While the Bible never comes out and says that unmarried sex is fine, it does actually present several cases of unmarried sex that it does not condemn, according to Earth and Altar magazine.
These examples feature in the book of Ruth and in the tale of Judah and Tamar (Gen. 38).
Adultery
On two occasions (Ex. 20 and Deut. 5), the holy book states: “You shall not commit adultery.”
Another instance (Matt. 15) brands extramarital sexual activities as ‘evil thoughts that come ‘out of the heart’.
The idea of cheating on your spouse is lumped in here with stealing, submitting a false testimony, or uttering a slanderous statement.
According to statistics released by the World Population Review last year, 36 percent of Brits admitted to cheating on their partner at one point.
Moreover, Illicit Encounters claimed that 53 percent of marriages that have experienced infidelity make it through the other side - so there is still hope if adultery is committed.
Polygamy
For those who don’t know, Polygamy is the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time.
Under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, the custom is illegal for anyone in England and Wales to enter.
Presently, the legal consequences of being found guilty of being in multiple marriages are 'up to seven years' imprisonment and/or a fine', as per Manor Law.
The practice is mentioned multiple times in the Bible as a clear do not, including in Gen. 4, Matt. 19, and the First Epistle of Timothy (1 Timothy).
Rape
Having sex with someone without their consent is rape. This form of sexual violence has no statutory minimum sentence in the UK, but in general, jail time for rape convictions starts from four years behind bars.
This horrific act is forbidden in the Bible, and even features in a scenario in 2 Sam. 13.
An excerpt reads: “However, he would not listen to her; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and slept with her.”
Incest
Patient.info classifies incest as engaging in sexual activity with a member of your first-degree family.
In England and Wales, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 created an offence of familial sexual abuse to protect children up to the age of 18 from any form of activity that a person would consider sexual or indecent.
The act is forbidden in the Bible. It features in Lev. 18, Lev. 20, and Lev. 27.
Homosexuality
According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, several religious passages have been interpreted as addressing same-sex sexual activity and relationships.
These include Lev. 18, Rom. 1, and the First Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Cor.).
HRC says that this claim is ‘poor biblical scholarship and a cultural bias read into the Bible’.
The American LGBTQ+ advocacy group urges Christians not to distrust Scripture, and to instead turn their attention to ‘wrestling with the contexts of the biblical writers and our own lived experiences’.
“As it stands today, there are millions of faithful Christians around the world who have come to recognise the work of God in and through the relationships of LGBTQ+ people,” it added.
Beastiality
Bestiality is a type of sexual offence in which an animal is used as a medium for satisfying sexual desire, as outlined by a study published in the Indian Journal of Community Medicine.
Under Section 69 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, sexual intercourse with live animals is a punishable offence. The legislation does not cover oral sex or having intercourse with a dead animal.
Bestiality is ruled as forbidden in the Bible in Ex. 22, Lev. 20, and Deut. 27.
Sex work
Providing or receiving sexual services for money or other compensation is forbidden in the Bible books Lev. 19, Lev. 21, and 1 Cor. 6.
According to StreetlightUK, there are around 105,000 individuals in the UK who are believed to be involved in prostitution, with the vast majority being women.
Sexual Immorality or porneia
If you read the New Testament, you’ll notice the ancient Greek word ‘porneia’ crops up quite a bit; 25 times in 24 verses to be exact.
It can translate to ‘sexual immorality’, ‘whoredome’, ‘fornication’, or ‘idolatry’, depending on what version of the Bible you’re reading.
Bible Hub commented that the term apparently ‘denotes all forms of sexual activity outside the covenant of marriage as ordained by God’.
Acts that fall under this illicit lexicon include sex work, lusting after someone who isn’t your spouse, and watching pornography.
Pagan sexual activity
Any sex that is caught up in the worship of false gods is condemned in the Bible and is branded as ‘pagan sexual activity’.
Some examples include idols behind porn and the worship of one’s own sexual gratification.
Pagan sexual activity is forbidden in the likes of Ex. 32, Is. 57, and Col. 3.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, UK News, Books
Ella Scott