Basic HTML Version
Thc individual acceprs rhis code of
behavior as his own. He wanrs ro
obey che reners of chis code; he need
nor necessarily be forced ro do so.
Simply pur, ir means knowing righr
from wrong. And ir means making
every dfon ro apply che
right
insread
of rhc wrong.
A righr code musr be capable of
leading men and women imo rhe
kind of behavior which is wirhour
such awfu l kickbacks as illegirimacy
and forced marriages. Such a code
oudines che kind of behavior which
produces a concern for fellow human
beings. This concern musr be srronger
rhan che desire ro merely express
onc's biological and psychological
urges - no easy accomplishmenr in a
world bombarded wirh fanrasies of
romance. rhe reen-age ryranny of peer
pressurc, che fun moraliry and che
idea rhar scx is che lasr word in
human accomplishmenr.
There is, of course such a code of
behavior. les principies have been
around for a long rime: che Ten
Commandmenrs. This code's princi–
pies demand dcvelopmenr of personal
behavioral values - rhe inrer–
nalizacion of behavior. Thar is, rhis
code demands rhar rhe individual
himself
develop responsibiliry for all
his acrions. This code goes beyond
forced legalisms and srcrile moral–
isms. Ir demands a radical rransforma–
tion of rhe mind, complete reversa! in
rhe direcrion of behavior.
This code of behavior is easily sum–
marized in one phrase: ourgoing con–
cero for
)'OIIr neighbor.
Ir is a long–
neglecred Biblical principie.
"For all rhc law is fullilled in one
word," said che Aposde Paul in Gal–
arians
5:14,
·'even in chis; rhou shalr
!ove rhy neighbor as rhyself."
This code is a code of rhe mind,
nor of legal absrracrions. les under–
lying principie was summarized in rhe
New Tesramenr of your Bible by
Jesus: "Ye have heard rhar it was said
by rhem of old rime. Thou shalr nor
commir adulrery: Bur I say unro you,
rhar whosoever
looketh
on a woman
ro
lmt
afrer her harh commirred
PLAIN TRUTH
September-October 1972
adu lrery wirh her aiready in his hearr"
(Marr.
5:27-28).
1n orher words, one may avoid rhe
act of adulrery or foroicarion. yer
adulrerize or fornicare wirh his atti–
rude by simply looking wirh lusrful
eyes. The principie of ourgoing con–
cero for your neighbor would, if fol–
lowed, do away wirh all premariral
pregnancy.
Today, one says, "As long as ir
doesn' r hurr anyone ir's okay." This
really means: Have sex and ask c¡ues–
rions larer. By applying rhe Biblical
- and relevanr - code of behavior,
che individual is forced ro analyzc che
siruarion from a new perspecrive. He
srarcs our by knowing whar conse–
c¡uenccs could resulr: an illegirimare
child may be conceived; che sexual
relarion ma)' spoil rhe interpersonal
relarion; a forced marriage may resulc;
thc individual may be unable ro
responsibly carry out al! che demands
of a "one flesh" relarionship; bitrer–
ness on rhe pare of paren es may come
abou
c.
Since all rhese consec¡uences are
hurtful ro "neighbor," rhey immedi–
arely violare rhe broad principie of
ourgoing concern and loving your
neighbor as yourself.
Of course, rhe acr of inrercourse is
pleasurable. One could reason by rhe
pleasure principie and say, "Sex ar
anyrime berween consenring parries is
okay." Thar is precisely why rhc Cre–
aror of sex, foreseeing rhis possible
reasoning, ser down cerrain explana–
rory principies ro prorecr human
beings in chis very area of behavior.
·'Sex is fine," God sars, "but only
under cerrain governing condirions."
He made sex che subjecr of rwo of che
basic Ten Commandmenrs. Orher
Old Tesramcnc principies show the
extended applicarion of rhis basic law.
Jesus larer explained rhose comm:tnd–
menrs so rhac rhey covered even che
inrenr of rhe mind, as well as rhc acr.
God says rhar under any and all cir–
cumsrances, adulrery and premariral
sexual indulgence are absolurely for–
bidden. And He says ir for our own
good.
This code is nor legalisric or "mor–
alisric" in rhe religious sense. Ir is
based on rhe broad spiritual principie
of concero roward neighbor. But ir is
nor Vicrorian prudishness or rhe all–
sex-is-evil syndrome. ir gives one a
posirive basis for behavior which is
nor subjecr ro personal opinion and
has no need of expcrimenrarion.
In our chaoric moral arena. we
need rhis simple bur workable for–
mula ro ensure rhar young people can
have che righr guidance by which ro
live rheir lives.
We need ro face up ro rhe pase
generarions' steri le religious moraliry
rhar carne nor from rhe Bible bur
from pagan dualism which said rhar
al! sex is cvil. Bur we muse similarly
rejecr che modero porpourri of con–
fusing sexual •·non-srandards." \'(fe
need rhe clear-cur bur all-inclusive
Biblical guide ro charr our course
rhrough life.
The Individual's
Responsibili
ty
Humans are free moral agenrs.
deciding which course of acrion rhey
will rake. They muse choose whar
rhey will or will nor do. Sexual absri–
nence before marriage is, rherefore, a
marrer of developing personal charac–
rer. ir means deciding ro
resise
rhe
rempraríon ro ger involved in pre–
m:triral sexual intercourse.
The choice is up to every male and
female, wirh emphasis on rhe
male.
For mosr males, in chis sociery
especially, rhe remprarion will be a
real problem rhey musr deal wirh.
The will musr be ser againsr personal
sexual involvemenr. This means
avoiding siruarions which may com–
promise one's principies.
Wharever we do. che choice is
ours. Can we grasp rhe righr course
and hold on ro ir? If we do, ir wiil
bring us lasring happiness and free–
dom from social traumas. O
lf you would like positive suggesrions
abour how ro have an intercsting, fun–
lillcd
date - without gecting inro the
wrong kind of sintations - then write
for our free bookler entided
Modern
Dati11g.
25