The same cannot be said of other sexual relationships which may manifest some forms of love and may bring some benefits, but which nevertheless violate God s design for the right use of the good gift of sexuality. On the contrary, there is no universal entitlement to a socially approved sexual relationship. 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. On the contrary, biblical faith has always made demands on the body as well as the soul.
Marriage is far more than just an intense experience of love.
That mystery necessarily involves the leap across the great divide between the two sexes, male and female, that God created for each other. On the contrary, we know that every deep relationship has a ripple effect out to the whole community. Every married couple strengthens or weakens the institution of marriage by the example it sets for its neighbors. The church must, therefore, take great care about the relationships to which it gives the honor due to marriage. They are seeking more than just inclusion inside the institution of marriage.