Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site uvm-cs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!decvax!dartvax!uvm-gen!uvm-cs!hartley From: hartley@uvm-cs.UUCP (Stephen J. Hartley) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: premarital sex Message-ID: <337@uvm-cs.UUCP> Date: Sat, 15-Dec-84 14:09:01 EST Article-I.D.: uvm-cs.337 Posted: Sat Dec 15 14:09:01 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 19-Dec-84 02:48:07 EST Organization: University of Vermont Lines: 32 According to the New Testament, adultery is indeed a sin. As for sexual intercourse between unmarried men and women, I came across the following article that I thought other people might be interested in. This article is by Bruce Malina and appears in Volume 14 of the journal Novum Testamentum. The title is "Does Porneia Mean Fornication?" Porneia is the Greek word that is usually translated as fornication or sexual immorality in the New Testament. I will quote the conclusions of the article. From all of the above instances, it would seem quite clear that porneia means: 1) unlawful sexual intercourse; 2) specifically, sexual intercourse with a cultic or commercial prostitute; 3) unlawful conduct in general. What makes a given line of conduct proneia, hence unlawful, is that it is expressly prohibited by Torah -- both oral and written. Now it would appear that in no case is pre-betrothal, non-commercial, non-cultic heterosexual intercourse (what is called "fornication" today) prohibited! The obvious reason for this is that there is no injunction in the Torah prohibiting such "fornication". To sum up: porneia means unlawful sexual conduct, or unlawful conduct in general. What makes a particular line of conduct unlawful is that it is prohibited by the Torah, written and/or oral. Pre-betrothal, pre-marital, non-commercial sexual intercourse between a man and a woman is nowhere considered a moral crime in the Torah. ... there is no evidence in traditional or contemporary usage of the word porneia that takes it to mean pre-betrothal, pre-marital, heterosexual intercourse of a non-cultic or non- commercial nature, i.e. what we call "fornication" today. -- "If that's true, then I'm the Pope!" Stephen J. Hartley USENET: decvax!dartvax!uvm-gen!uvm-cs!hartley The University of Vermont CSNET: hartley%uvm@csnet-relay (802) 656-3330