Wow, KingPin, you and I agree... Are you
sure you're not someone else?
Obviously, I disagree with hiphop:
whenhiphopdrovethebigcars said:
No, the article is inaccurate. It doesn?t mention the fact that practically ninetynine percent of relationships are not monogamous. Thats the fact and therefore the article is totally useless and the author sucks.
The article's assertion is that lifelong monagamy between two disease-free people (gay
or straight) will prevent both from becoming infected with HIV (excluding IV drug use or the almost non-existent transfusion of infected blood).
This IS accurate, regardless of how few people actually practice monogamy. At most, that stastic means that the article's assertion is incomplete, not inaccurate. Perhaps it means that lifelong monogamy OUGHT to be further encouraged, that we should turn away from this idea that sexual liberation somehow leads to spiritual liberation (see "Pleasantville" for a good example of the insidious suggestion).
The article is NOT useless - particularly to those practicing lifelong monogamy and those encouraging the practice in others.
And, well, the author doesn't suck.
You're
absolutely right that lifelong monogamy may be a very difficult thing to achieve, but many priests practice lifelong celibacy: if a life without sex is possible, surely it's reasonable to expect a life with just one sexual partner, a husband or wife whom you love more than yourself, a soulmate.
Short of that, some sense of social responsibility is a good thing: if not monagamy, then the use of condoms and regular testing is the least you can do.
But, speaking as a Christian, I believe God intended sex within marriage, lifelong heterosexual monogamy sealed by a binding oath before God and the rest of the world - two becoming one flesh, the one remaining under God's provision.
I close with a slight disagreement with KingPin:
KingPin said:
Granted, with this model, there would be much less sex happening...
Not necessarily: it seems possible that a husband and wife could have more sex. One can hope.
Either way, I'd prefer quality over quantity. I believe - and my heart confirms this - that sex under the institution of marriage with the woman I love (my girlfriend of two years) would be far better than sex under any other circumstances. Beyond the physical enjoyment, there would be a real union of minds, hearts, EVEN souls - all with the blessing of God Almighty.
I believe God objects to sex outside of marriage, but He doesn't merely
allow it within marriage: He encourages is, almost saying, "Go ahead, kids, have fun." He created the act, and all its pleasures, for that very purpose.