Extreme views

When it comes to the perception of the human body and dealing with the thought that we are sexual beings, 2 unhealthy extremes can stem from the same line of thought that the body is ONLY sexual.

The first extreme is the carnal view - "We are sexual beings and our drives are there for a reason, so we should listen to these urges now and fulfill our longings immediately. We were meant to have sex and actually the real 'sin' would be in waiting and wasting our prime."

The other extreme grows in opposition to the above. Often found in religious literalist, they see the depravity towards this natural desire from God and decide "We are only sexual and the world is trying to trick us into being sexual and sexy 24/7 so we must shun all notions of intimacy and not interact with our bodies AT ALL. The body is evil and should not be indulged EVER. And when I marry, I will endure sex so I can have kids that will then distract us from sex."

Neither of these are a healthy view of God's gift to us. Sex is suppose to be a glimpse into the beauty and ecstasy of being completely one and in-sync with another soul.
As my good friend, whose been greatly helping me break-down this topic, put it: "When it comes to sex, we must understand that it was designed by God to be enjoyed within the context of marriage. Marriage itself is a beautiful metaphor and allegory of our relationship with Christ. While we can't be perpetually having sexual intercourse with our spouse, we can be in a perpetually rapturous love affair with the Most High."

Sex can/should be two souls speaking to each other deeply and purely - no shields, no guards, no barriers, no pretensions or demands. A gentle but earnest discovery of 1 other's innermost person and deepest desires and longings. An inter-mingling of 2 courses of life seeking to fulfill the other's delight in pure devotion and love.

Please feel free to add any thoughts on this topic.