Chaplains address religious views of marriage and sex

The chaplains began by briefly explaining their own personal views of sexuality in light of their respective religions. The chaplains then opened the discussion to audience members.

“Judaism actually views intimacy as one of the holiest things a man can do in his life,” said Gitty Webb, wife of Chabad Rabbi Eitan Webb.

Father Tom Mullelly, the director and chaplain of the Aquinas Institute, added that “marriage in the Catholic Church is a sacrament — it is a symbol of God’s presence in the Church.”

While Mullelly emphasized the importance of marriage for procreation, chaplains of other religions said sexuality is very important for both marital and religious purposes.

Some religions focus more on the act of sex in marriage as a way to bring a man’s soul closer to God.

For Hindus, sex is “the highest realization of the soul’s connection with God,” Coordinator for Hindu Life Vineet Chander said. “Sexuality is seen as the most powerful force rooted in transcendence, in the spiritual.”

“The pure spiritual force is the relationship between the soul and the divine,” he explained.

In Islam, “sexuality is seen as a blessing, a gift from God,” Coordinator for Muslim Life Sohaib Sultan said.

When asked about their personal views on premarital sex, all five chaplains said that they preferred abstinence before marriage. On the other hand, all five conceded that no one should be judged for having had premarital sex.

“Sexuality should only be used in the context of marriage,” Mullelly said. If others have already had premarital sex, though, one should not treat them as objects, he added.

Webb noted that Judaism emphasizes refraining from sex until after marriage, adding that engaging in pre-marital sex takes away from the beauty of the marriage.

Hinduism also opposes engaging in sexual relationships gratuitously, Chander said. Sex should be used as a conduit or else it can be misused and can spin out of control, he added.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Protestant chaplain Terra Rover, however, said that though the Bible may prohibit many sexual acts, premarital sexual relationships are not necessarily bad if God is in those relationships.

“I thought it was really informative,” Dominique Salerno ’10 said after the discussion. “I wish there had been more time because the chaplains didn’t get to flesh out the intricacies of their own traditions.”

The discussion, co-sponsored by the Religious Life Council and Sexual Health Advisors, was held in Murray-Dodge Cafe.