Celibacy or sexual abstinence has been practiced and valued by women and men within many religious traditions with particular importance being placed on women’s virginity. Is the idealisation of female virginity an attempt to keep women’s sexuality in check or is it an empowering choice?
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What’s the big deal about virginity?
Read now to access more details of What’s the big deal about virginity?Celibacy has been valued by women and men within many religious traditions. But why has such high spiritual significance been associated with women’s virginity?
Level: 1 Introductory
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Video interview: Catholic bishop, Elizabeth Stuart
Watch now to access more details of Video interview: Catholic bishop, Elizabeth StuartIn this video Elizabeth Stuart, Bishop in the Liberal Catholic Church International, talks to the Open University's Graham Harvey about celibacy in religion
Level: 1 Introductory
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Kathleen Mortimer - 29 April 2012 12:00pm
Yes I belive that virginity can be used as a form of power and authority over women in religion by men. In society it has been used to ensure that property goes to the correct son or daughter of the father, ie. property rights and this has been very much the state of things in the history of the UK, right up to the marriage of Charles and Diana Spencer and even today where adopted children are not allowed to inherit aristocratic estates.
In Christinaity today I would say that sexual abstinence of all unmarried Christians, and also the Christian virtue of fidelity within marriage, is really related to a relationship with God, whether male or female. All sin corrupts the human relationship with God, and separates us from God, whether male or female. Also, in the New Testament it states that the body is a "temple of the Holy Spirit". This refers to both male and female bodies and the Bible is telling Christians to keep clear the channels of communication between themselves and God by;-
No. 1 Steering clear of sexual immorality (fornication) before marriage
No. 2 Remaining faithful to your husband or wife within marriage.
This is not to appear prudish about sex, far from it, but to urge Christians to maintain their relationships with God to the best of their abilities and the Bible (New Testament) lays down the standard for Christians.
I think the Bible is extremely clear and explicit about this in the New Testament and it really is talking to men and women equally so. Any attempt of men to control women through the concept of virginity is a sin in itself and an abomination of the authority of God.
Maria Booker - 6 November 2013 3:31pm
Just to comment on the last post...very well put! Thanks for posting..
I remember my Grandmother explaining to me as a child that the church saw women as virgins or prostitutes. This was from a woman who had a deeply held faith and was a regular church goer but I got the feeling this was a source of disappointment and anger for her.
As I grew up I attended church with my Mother and became heavily involved with church life, but we were never accompanied by my Father who always stayed in bed on a Sunday morning.
I eventually considered devoting my life to the church but the thought of never having a family or a partner put me off as I could not see how a life devoid of love could be more holy. Surely to celebrate love is to celebrate the divine.
Eventually my mother died and when I looked to the church for comfort I found men who could not relate to my life and who could not connect me to the feminine divine which was what I needed. I came to the view that separating yourself from love and family not only goes against what it means to be human but it separates you from the ability to give spiritual guidance to those who very often need it the most.