Tales of the Talking Tiger

Whilst Australians are having sex a younger age, Pryor argues that it is good to wait to have sex, “not for moral reasons, but for the sake of good sex.” Pryor sees morality and goodness as two opposing ideas where morality prevents us from experiencing goodness. I find it interesting that we can often consider morality and God’s instructions to us in the Bible as restrictions to our freedom, not the key to experiencing freedom.

As John Dickson helpfully put it (and I now paraphrase), it’s not as though Adam and Even once discovered sex and thought, “oops, we better not tell God”. God created sex! As the creator of sex, it makes sense for us to turn to God and consider what He says about it – how He intended it to be conducted and experienced to best effect.

Imagine the following (completely illustrative) situation. I see a car for the very first time. I have no idea what it is, or what it does, and I walk around it, trying to understand these things. Eventually I open one of the doors, and sit down. It is a marvellous experience. The seats are comfortable, I have a roof above my head, I am sheltered from the elements, but can still see outside. I am amazed by this new invention, and want to tell my friends all about it. As I am sitting in the car, the owner approaches the car, gets in the drivers seat, and starts the car. My experience with the car, which is already quite enjoyable, moves to a whole new level. There is music, cool air, the car moves and is directed at the whim of the driver – there is even a special slot to place my drink! I am amazed – if the owner had not arrived and revealed the way the car could (and should) be used, I would never have known, and continued to live in complete ignorance of the car’s complete functions and purpose.

If you can spot the gaps in this illustration you are not alone! Yet the main point is clear. Outside of the creator, the object (car) or activity (sex) is devoid of meaning. We must look to the creator to understand meaning and purpose, and experience, in this case sex, in the fullness that the creator envisaged.

We would do well to remember that God’s purpose in giving us instructions, even laws, is not to spoil the party and keep us from having fun, but precisely so that we might have life, and have it to the full.