Fornication is commonly defined as the sexual intercourse of two unmarried individuals. However, it is different in adultery, because even if it is still consensual; adultery refers to either or both of the persons committing the act is married to another. The term carries a connotation of moral or religious rejection for several individuals; however, the importance of sexual activities whereby the word is used differs between societies, cultures, and religions. In the current use, more judgment-neutral words such as premarital sex or extramarital sex are sometimes substituted for fornication.
Since this term is related to the sacrament of marriage, sin of adultery, and premarital sex, what could be its meaning to the eyes of the Christian community? Also, do you think that the things that defy the boy and girl gender standard, the commitment of sexual acts between two unmarried people of the same sex — in short, the LGBTQ movement is fornication?
Well, the perceptions about marriage and sexuality originated from a combination of Roman and Jewish concepts during the period of Jesus. For example, there was a large cultural rejection of polygamy among the Romans during the period of Jesus. This paved its way into the other religion, which are Judaism and early Christianity even though the Old Testament is depicting these actions between rulers and patriarchs.
The comments made by the early Church on marital relations specifically addressed appropriate reasons for divorce and remarriage. While Paul stressed that both chastity and marriage were healthy lifestyles in his epistles to early disciples, the Church thought that chastity was much more sacred and freeing after Paul’s life. This emphasis arose due to the early church, probably because of the impact of Greek ancient philosophy, was quite austere. The stress on chastity indicated that some problems for the non-celibate related to sexual morality stayed under-developed.
The viewpoints of Augustine of Hippo greatly impacted how Christians felt regarding sex later on. Before he became a Christian, he was warned by his mother to not conduct fornication, for it is a sin. Moreover, Augustine granted himself certain recognition upon writing that the sole urge that dominated his quest of looking for enjoyment was merely to love and be loved, even if his acts of showing his erotic desires were considered as a sin. He, later on, realized that the issue was that there was no limitation exerted on his love through the interchange of mind along with mind. Thus, true love was deprived by its deception to desire, while a God-centered relationship must revolve around loving and moral partnership.
Augustine was “naturally skeptical of sexual desire” in his writings and it has affected the worldview of almost all of the great Christian communities until this day. He also found two meanings of the term fornication, according to Augustine Through the Ages: An Encyclopedia, which are: “cleaving to a prostitute” and; “what men who do not have wives do with women who do not have husbands.” He also believed that those who committed this act are sinful due to their own desire to corrupt themselves, their notion of Almighty Father, and the Church.
Additionally, the term fornication is the sin of premarital sex. This entails all acts of living together beyond the bonds of marriage. It also tackles prostitution, as well as all types of adultery. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 states that those who commit this sin will not inherit God’s kingdom, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous[a] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
According also to Revelation 21:8, “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Hence, cohabiting and committing sexual acts without receiving the sacrament of marriage are completely sinful. People, especially believers of Christianity, will never be allowed to enter the kingdom of the Lord if they do such actions. Only they would be admitted to His kingdom when they ask and granted His forgiveness from all the wrongdoings that they’ve done, especially the sin of premarital sex.
Oliver’s Twist 