In response to the comments posted by readers of a certain Boundless.org post [Saying Yes to Sex (as God Intended)], I decided I would try to smooth things out between the seemingly oppressive church and the indignant. The below post was also written in the comments section of the article:
All sins are viewed equally in the eyes of God, however, not all sin has the same consequence. I opine that the church propagates sexual abstinence outside of marriage simply because intercourse a) involves two individuals, henceforth tainting two individuals and b) is an action that cannot be physically rectified. Though lying certainly can (and often times does) lead to an unintended action, once you have had sex, you cannot 'unsex' yourself or anyone else.) The trouble with this perspective is it implies that, even after we have become renewed in the spirit, our souls and bodies are separate. Essentially it implies that we can repent and be forgiven spiritually, but not physically. As we know, however, the Bible states that once we accept the atonement we wholly belong to God and, in fact, our bodies are to be treated as temples of the Lord.
I agree the church has inflated the consequences of sexual sin, but (I believe) with good intentions in mind. However, it should be universally understood that scare tactics do not keep people from having or thinking about sex. That being said, let us not be so naive to think that sexual transgression is confined to out of wedlock intercourse.
I conclude from my life experiences and individuals I have spoken with that, from a physical standpoint, one can only combat the temptations of sexual desire with one thing this society perspicuously lacks: DISCIPLINE.
