There are a number of issues that Christian young people may or may not be surprised to be confronted with when starting university. One of these is compulsory attendance at sessions on the subject of sexual consent. Universities want to provide a safer community for young people in which sexual misconduct and violence are prevented. This is a good aim. The sessions claim to be designed for everyone regardless of how people identify or what they believe.
But for the Christian believer trying to live in obedience to God’s word, this is not so simple. Firstly because of the basic premise that pervades the discussions. This is that sexual activity between any persons conducted within the framework of the law is to be considered normal providing the persons involved give their consent. So, the consent of an individual becomes the morality on which the issue depends, in other words individualism or moral relativism is the philosophical basis for these discussions.
This is very different from believing that moral principles are given to us by God and that the Bible teaches us that sexual intimacy is God’s gift to be reserved for marriage, when it is both a special way of a husband and wife expressing their love for each other and the means for them to have children. Following what God says blesses a relationship in so many ways[1] (both in the short and the long term).
Secondly, some Christian young people have expressed that they did not feel comfortable being asked to contribute to discussions of such a personal nature in mixed gender groups and particularly with people they are just getting to know, who may live on their corridor in a hall of residence. In most cases, the organisers give the option to leave the session at any point if a student feels personally upset. Christians should feel free to take up this option if appropriate.
As a single Christian, rather than believing that your body simply belongs to you, God’s word tells us that this is not the case. The apostle Paul reminds Christians in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ‘that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…You are not your own; you were bought at a price’ and that ‘price’ is the precious blood of Jesus Christ which He gave for us on the cross. As we remember this amazing sacrifice, we should make it our goal to glorify God in everything we do and especially to ‘honour Him with your body’. To achieve this as Christians, we need to be prepared so we are not making vital decisions in the heat of the moment[2] when emotions or hormones are involved. Nor should we underestimate the power of peer pressure, alcohol (even a little) or provocative clothing.
Whilst being grateful that universities desire to stop sexual misconduct and violence, Christian young people who are expected to attend these sessions on sexual consent need to be prepared by having a clear understanding of what God’s Word teaches about sexual intimacy outside marriage and be covered by prayer, their own prayers and the prayers of those who love them.
[1] Saving Sex for Marriage: 10 Reasons Why; “Safe Sex”… is it really safe?; Dating Despair…
[2] The decision before the decision…
