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!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!decvax!dartvax!uvm-gen!uvm-cs!hartley
From: hartley@uvm-cs.UUCP (Stephen J. Hartley)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: fornication
Message-ID: <343@uvm-cs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 23-Jan-85 01:41:54 EST
Article-I.D.: uvm-cs.343
Posted: Wed Jan 23 01:41:54 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jan-85 21:04:42 EST
Organization: University of Vermont
Lines: 42

>In article <242@bpa.UUCP>, Frank Morrell writes:
>
>	I have been following the articles on Christian Singles and sex
>and I think everyone is missing the point. It is true that single men
>and women who have sex are not committing adultery, but what about
>fornication, this is just as big a sin in God's eyes as adultery.
>
>	By the way anyone who calls themselves a Christian and thinks
>its ok to have sexual intercourse with anyone other then their husband or      
>wife, better find a Bible fast and start reading.

  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