Response to:
"Sex is for pleasure, and pleasure can't be wrong"
My first thought is, "You're kidding aren't you? You're not? You're serious? What lame reasoning!" I'll bet this person doesn't live the rest of his life like this. It would be far more pleasurable to not go to class, get drunk, watch MTV all day and never open a book or take a test. If he does he won't be in school long. If he drops out he may only be able to get a minimum wage job flipping hamburgers-and that is not pleasurable. He won't be able to freeload off others forever. Eventually he'll have to work at something, sometime, in order to make a living to at least buy more beer. As long as he lives only for pleasure, he will never experience the deeper, more fulfilling and lasting pleasure of the rich marriage relationship God wants to provide.
But, most likely, he is not a complete hedonist. On top of that he certainly wouldn't want another person to have pleasure at his expense like stealing his beer! This guy simply wants to have pleasure at a girl's expense. He may have pleasure in the short run, but he will have to pay for it later. His pleasure will vaporize when he gets a really annoying sexually transmitted disease (STD) or even AIDS.
Look out women! You'll have to pay for his pleasure, as well. Please don't be naive. If he can't control his desire for immediate sexual gratification then he won't take "no" for an answer. This is how date rape happens. In addition, he won't want to wear a condom because that will interfere with his pleasure. You risk getting his disease and/or pregnant.
Guys, have you ever fantasized about being like one of those hedonistic kings in a movie who has a harem of beautiful women? I'll admit I have. Did you ever read about King Solomon in the Bible? He was the epitome of what most guys would love to do and have. He became the richest king in the Middle East. To sum it up he had it all: brains, power, wise legal judgment, a list of accomplishments and achievements a mile long, musical talent and, get this, 700 wives and 300 concubines! (Can you imagine a bathroom with 900 pantyhose hanging around?) He could have sex with a different woman every night and it would take him 2 and a half years to do it again with the same woman! This guy could buy pleasure non-stop 24/7/365. And do you know what he concluded? He wrote,
"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."
That monumental pleasure turned into monumental depression. He wrote,
"Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!"
The richest, most sexed man on the planet at the time thought it was utterly worthless. If he spoke like we do today he'd say, "Pleasure, sex, yeah, right!"
So didn't he learn anything positive? Absolutely. At the end of his autobiography, the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, he concluded,
"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
Conclusion
We can learn from King Solomon who realized that ultimate meaning in life and happiness doesn't come from anything the world has to offer. It only comes from God. Therefore, it doesn't matter how much money, power or sex you have or don't have. Having those things or not having those things will not make you happy. Happiness only comes as a result of walking with God and following His ways. It is so tempting to think, "If I choose God's ways I won't have any fun. He'll take all the pleasures out of life." That couldn't be farther from the truth. God gives us rules like no sex outside of marriage to follow for two very positive reasons. First, he wants to protect us from the harmful consequences of doing things our way. Second, he wants to provide a pleasure that is deeper, more fulfilling and meaningful than anything on earth can give us. If you will trust Him and obey Him you will see for yourself. His way is definitely the best.
References
Budziszewski, J. How to Stay Christian in College. Colorado Springs: NavPress. 1999. p. 86.
Copyright 2005. Gary C. Burger and New Media Ministries. This article may be reproduced and distributed freely as long as it is done so in its entirety. If quoted it must be properly cited as a reference.
