Sexual intercourse is not required for individual happiness, social adjustment, or spiritual maturity. Christianity has a long tradition of respect for celibate men and women who, by the grace of God, deny their own desires and offer a special service to God and the community. Such individuals are citizens of God s kingdom and the state in the fullest sense. The fact that the unmarried have different responsibilities and receive different benefits does not imply that they have been deprived in any way. The bodies of the partners do make a difference in marriage.
Marriage is far more than just an intense emotional experience of love.
It is the mystery of how the two become one flesh. That mystery necessarily involves the leap across the great divide between the two sexes, male and female, which God created for each other. Childbearing does have a necessary connection to marriage. The most vital interest that society has in marriage is its concern for the healthy upbringing of the next generation of citizens. Sociological studies have shown conclusively that a child fares best under the care of a father and mother who are married to one another.