Saturday, April 4, 2009

Islam and Legalism in the Bedroom

One of the law's most controversial articles legislates the frequency of sexual relations between Shiite husbands and wives. Article 132 says the husband has a right to sex every fourth night unless the wife is ill.


But the United Nations Development Fund for Women has said the law "legalizes the rape of a wife by her husband."


Quotes taken from here.

Isn't it sad when sexual relations within marriage come down to this ... legalism in the bedroom!

If one is going to go so far as to be legalistic and define rights "to sex every fourth night unless the wife is ill", next will be the need to define what qualifies as sex (length of time, type of activity, the quality, etc., etc., etc.) ... And besides, where does God proclaim "every fourth night" as a right ... or only every fourth night as a right?

How much better the ideal set forth in the Scripture of mutual and sacrificial love between a husband and wife where "The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife." (1 Cor 7:14)

Legalistic religion begets legalistic needs and restraints, but grace based relations and truth (as found in Christianity) leads to freedom and mutual self-offering.

1 comment:

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:3-5
    The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

    Christians are "worse" than Muslims. This says that we should give ourselves to our spouse's sexual desires, which in a healthy relationship is more often than once every four days. I say, "we," because I assume you're a Christian as I am.

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