From the Courier Mail: Catholic monk’s sex guide

A CELIBATE Polish monk has established a website [Akt małżeński]The site is being heavily trafficked because of this article. I wouldn’t try visiting for a few days. And for those with prurient interests – it’s all in Polish so good luck… offering a guide to good sex for married couples, dubbed the ‘Catholic Kama Sutra’.

Father Ksawery Knotz’s site gives graphic lovemaking hints and describes sex as a deeply spiritual act in which the couple can experience God.

“In Catholic teaching, the conjugal act is presented as a meeting that occurs not only between a husband and a wife who love each other, but also between the married couple and God,” he said.

The Franciscan monk, who runs the site with the help of a panel of married couples, is also the author of a book titled The Marriage Act: A Chance to Meet God in Your Marriage Partner.

He said on his website sex should be seen by couples as a gift from God…

This sort of fits with one of the current trends in some churches that offer sex courses and advice in order to attract people to the church. It is an interesting marketing phenomenon (see an MSNBC article about Joe Beam for instance). One of our local evangelical churches, a member of the Lifechurch network offers courses like this.

The problem with many of these is that they are perspective based. I would think that Father Knotz’s advice follows Roman Catholic teaching on the subject, which is highly regulated, so much so that people miss the core message, and focus rather on guilt for missing the regulatory mark. Minister Joe Beam’s activities appear to reach down to the level of pandering as part of marketing. How does a Christian make sense of it all?

I personally think that any message in regard to sexuality and the Christian life has to flow from the basic tenants of the Christian life. This discussion cannot be boiled down to rules with do’s and don’ts because rules are formulaic and process oriented – they are not relational. Christianity is relational and is all about community, including the family as community.

Frankly, I like that way Christianity Today covers the issue in Christian Sex Rules by Melissa and Louis McBurney, M.D. This makes sense because their message meets the standard of Christian practice. Faithfulness to essential truths, freedom in non-essentials. Sexual practice is not the core issue or problem in people’s lives (excepting the few who have physical or mental issues which inhibit them), it is rather focusing on how every aspect of married life goes to fulfilling the humanness of the couple, their mutual giving, their ability to sacrifice beyond themselves, and their ability to meet God in every aspect of their life.