Pure Lifew Ministries

[Troubleshooter]

This is cute...

http://www.purelifeministries.org/index.htm

Our Mission Statement

Pure Life Ministries exists to serve Christian individuals and organizations dealing with sexual sin throughout the world by providing biblically based counseling, teaching materials and a public speaking ministry with the goal of leading Christians to victory over sexual sin and a deeper life in God.

[smoothmoniker]

and this is a problem for you how?

[Troubleshooter]

I find it hilarious that a church, any church, feels the need to build a retreat to isolate men from women for sexual "addiction".

No, wait, I'm sorry, didn't the Catholics already try something similiar?

I don't have a problem with it, I just think it's sad.

[Kitsune]

The Live-In Program is for men who are desperate for freedom and real answers to their sexual addictions.

What, exactly, do they mean by this? Sexual addiction as in, "The prostitute just punched the last spot on my card -- awesome, my next visit is free!" or "I think I'll have a look-see at a dirty website while the wife is out...?"

[richlevy]

In some religions, celibacy is encouraged for everyone, even married couples.

Celibacy was also part of the Shaker's efforts to build a more unified community by suppressing all individuality. At the core of this concept was the ideal of simplicity in all things -- dress, food and living arrangements. Thus everyone wore old-fashioned clothes of similar plain cut, women kept their hair severely simple, and (in most communities) the two genders lived in large dormitories (Gifford 1989). Though they expressed an unspoken love of beauty in their music and the quality of their furniture, neither was created solely for beauty (Andrews 1972). The music was used to reinforce the importance of God over the individual and the furniture was designed to be functional and non-intrusive, so as not to detract from the work or worship occurring in the rooms containing those furnishings (Stein 1992).

Of course, this might explain why there are only 7 Shakers left today. While I admire many advocates of religion, there are times when I wish the parents of some of the more colorful fundamentalists had practiced celibacy.

[wolf]

The early Catholic Church required celibacy of all it's adherents. They figured out very quickly that they were dooming themselves to being a minor cult. They encouraged their followers to breed like rabbits, for the good of the church, and brought us the Dark Ages and the Inquisition ...

[Brown Thrasher]

Originally Posted by Troubleshooter

This is cute...

http://www.purelifeministries.org/index.htm

Our Mission Statement

Pure Life Ministries exists to serve Christian individuals and organizations dealing with sexual sin throughout the world by providing biblically based counseling, teaching materials and a public speaking ministry with the goal of leading Christians to victory over sexual sin and a deeper life in God.

Maybe thats the problem their all so "cute". I wish someone could lead me away from my distain for any so called conservative religion. However, I'm sure their is a need in certain cultures for this view. I'm glad to be healed of the conservative religious views I was taught as a child....... I'm not sure of this sexual addiction issues. I don't think there is any phisiological craving, such as the case with alcoholism. I think it is a purely psychological problem.
Probably caused by sexual abuse or socialogical issues during puberty. I am definetely not an expert on this issue. I'd like to hear more on this subject, who is more objective than I......

[Kitsune]

I don't think there is any phisiological craving, such as the case with alcoholism.

Drinking alcohol, snorting cocaine, etc, causes dopamine release. So does sex. Basic answer I got during a discussion with an Addiction Specialist is that yes, you can become addicted to sex.

Probably caused by sexual abuse

...and he added this is usually where it comes from.

[Elspode]

Originally Posted by wolf

They encouraged their followers to breed like rabbits, for the good of the church, and brought us the Dark Ages and the Inquisition ...

Everyone talks about The Dark Ages and the Inquisition like they were a bad thing...

[Griff]

Recent scholarship questions the existence of the "Dark Ages." Pick out your random dates for the beginning and end of the Dark Ages and then look at the great artists and thinkers who did their thing inside those dates. The empire withered but its institutions devolved to local control. We could only hope to enter a new dark age.

[Brown Thrasher]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

I don't think there is any phisiological craving, such as the case with alcoholism.

Drinking alcohol, snorting cocaine, etc, causes dopamine release. So does sex. Basic answer I got during a discussion with an Addiction Specialist is that yes, you can become addicted to sex.

Probably caused by sexual abuse

...and he added this is usually where it comes from.

Actually. at one time I was an addiction therapist for the federal govt. Most of the clients I dealt with were dual addicted. When I say dual addicted, I mean to more than one psychoactive drug. After speaking with hundreds of men, I came to the conclusion, that their sexual habits were directly tied to thrir drug use. However, many people who give up their drug of choice turn to sex for instant gratification, which by the way is what they receive from addiction to psychoactive drug use. If we are talking about dopamine release, there are many drugs which will inhibit this. It has been proven that when an addict does not receive the euphoric effets from a drug due to antabuse for an alcoholic or some form of narcan for opiates they will reduce or even have a period of abstinance. However, this is not true regarding sex. You will find, that many people abstaining from drug use will substitue sex. This is my subjective view of why it is a purely psychological issue.