Best viewed at minimum 600px screen width (Rotate your device to landscape orientation)
Featured Advertiser
Visit our
Christian Business Directory
Church needs to help Gen Z to understand the bonding power of sex
Church in the Community - Media Release in the Herald: 6th November 2023
Source: TCN / Benjamin Friedemann
Date Added: 2023-11-06
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Moral Regeneration,
Date Added: 2023-11-06
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Moral Regeneration,
Our world is changing at an unprecedented pace.
The release of the first iPhone in 2007 marked an historic turning point. From that moment on, life as we knew it would never be the same.
Fast forward 16 years and we now have an entire generation that has grown up with unlimited information at the swipe of a finger.
When someone refers to digital information, it encompasses the entire digital data universe, measured in zettabytes (1 zettabyte is approximately 1 trillion gigabytes). Compare this to just 20 years ago, when we measured all digital information primarily in gigabytes (GB) sometimes terabytes (TB), equivalent to a thousand gigabytes.
During my eight years as a Youth and Young Adults Pastor, I have become increasingly aware of a crisis faced by Generation Z (Gen Z).
While digital addiction, rising depression, and suicide rates linked to social media are deeply concerning, the most troubling aspect of this crisis is the digital sexual assault that every young person faces.
Sexual assault refers to any non-consensual sexual contact or behaviour.
Young people can hardly go online, open Netflix, or browse social media without encountering unwanted sexual advances.
In many ways, we have an entire generation that has grown up experiencing a form of sexual assault through these relentless online invitations.
Some psychologists have even speculated that understanding the full effects of pornography on the brain is impossible due to the lack of a significant control group that has never viewed such material.
Another interesting psychological observation is that that the first source to tell us about any subject becomes the greatest authority on that subject.
The consequences of this can be severe, for example if a child first learns about sex from say a social media app, a movie or a classmate.
The parents’ authority and influence in this area is immediately challenged, and it takes a significant amount of rewiring for the child to unlearn this “truth.”
Jesus teaches us about the profound bonding power of sex, a concept that modern science has only recently embraced.
When teaching on marriage in Mark 10, Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24, stating, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
Modern science has helped us understand that when a woman gives birth, the hormone that facilitates bonding mom and baby is oxytocin.
Interestingly, this same bonding chemical is released during sexual intercourse.
God, in His infinite wisdom, designed sex to powerfully bond husbands and wives.
In contrast, the world's message is to have sex with whomever and whenever, misleading a generation that is busy forming bonds with phone screens, strangers, and temporary lovers, without teaching them that each bonding experience outside of marriage is practicing for divorce, rather than a lifelong union.
As aggressive as culture has gotten, it seems the church is shying away from discussing matters of sexuality.
In Western church culture, these conversations are often relegated to more private settings.
This approach, however, is problematic in two ways. Firstly, this conversation the from the secular world is only becoming louder and more intense.
Secondly, the Bible, and especially the teachings of Jesus, openly addressed matters of marriage and sexuality.
As the world gets louder, we, as the church, need to become bolder, more compassionate, and adhere more closely to the teachings of Jesus.
While our historic silence is maybe understandable, it is not excusable.
We have witnessed countless stories of heroes of the faith experiencing moral failures or facing increasingly prominent accusations.
Too often, we have employed fear and shame to silence genuine questions.
Curiosity has terrified us, but sexual sin has undoubtedly petrified us.
Have we forgotten the transformative and redemptive power of the blood of Jesus?
The truth is none of us will ever get it perfectly right. We all deeply need Jesus.
He chose the church as the vehicle through which to reveal His goodness to the world.
In many ways, one could say that the church is like Gen Z. Its sexual circumstances are messy, but its future is glorious.
Jesus loves the church, not only the aspects she chooses to display, but every part of her, even things hidden in shame.
It is incumbent upon me to do the same through every mistake and mess. I don't get to change my assignment.
The world's message on sex is to have it with whomever and whatever, whenever, implying that it holds no real value.
Jesus' message on sex is that it is incredibly powerful. As with any powerful force, it should be used carefully in the way it was designed, following the instructions of the Designer.
There is a generation in pain over the conflicting and confusing messages surrounding sexuality.
It is essential for the church to delve deeply into this mess, just as Jesus did, to help this generation experience the freedom He paid for.
If there is any way we can help you have the conversations needed or provide tools please reach out at wildones@walmermethodist.co.za
Benjamin Friedemann
Youth & Young Adults Pastor at Walmer Methodist Church
The release of the first iPhone in 2007 marked an historic turning point. From that moment on, life as we knew it would never be the same.
Fast forward 16 years and we now have an entire generation that has grown up with unlimited information at the swipe of a finger.
When someone refers to digital information, it encompasses the entire digital data universe, measured in zettabytes (1 zettabyte is approximately 1 trillion gigabytes). Compare this to just 20 years ago, when we measured all digital information primarily in gigabytes (GB) sometimes terabytes (TB), equivalent to a thousand gigabytes.
During my eight years as a Youth and Young Adults Pastor, I have become increasingly aware of a crisis faced by Generation Z (Gen Z).
While digital addiction, rising depression, and suicide rates linked to social media are deeply concerning, the most troubling aspect of this crisis is the digital sexual assault that every young person faces.
Sexual assault refers to any non-consensual sexual contact or behaviour.
Young people can hardly go online, open Netflix, or browse social media without encountering unwanted sexual advances.
In many ways, we have an entire generation that has grown up experiencing a form of sexual assault through these relentless online invitations.
Some psychologists have even speculated that understanding the full effects of pornography on the brain is impossible due to the lack of a significant control group that has never viewed such material.
Another interesting psychological observation is that that the first source to tell us about any subject becomes the greatest authority on that subject.
The consequences of this can be severe, for example if a child first learns about sex from say a social media app, a movie or a classmate.
The parents’ authority and influence in this area is immediately challenged, and it takes a significant amount of rewiring for the child to unlearn this “truth.”
Jesus teaches us about the profound bonding power of sex, a concept that modern science has only recently embraced.
When teaching on marriage in Mark 10, Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24, stating, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
Modern science has helped us understand that when a woman gives birth, the hormone that facilitates bonding mom and baby is oxytocin.
Interestingly, this same bonding chemical is released during sexual intercourse.
God, in His infinite wisdom, designed sex to powerfully bond husbands and wives.
In contrast, the world's message is to have sex with whomever and whenever, misleading a generation that is busy forming bonds with phone screens, strangers, and temporary lovers, without teaching them that each bonding experience outside of marriage is practicing for divorce, rather than a lifelong union.
As aggressive as culture has gotten, it seems the church is shying away from discussing matters of sexuality.
In Western church culture, these conversations are often relegated to more private settings.
This approach, however, is problematic in two ways. Firstly, this conversation the from the secular world is only becoming louder and more intense.
Secondly, the Bible, and especially the teachings of Jesus, openly addressed matters of marriage and sexuality.
As the world gets louder, we, as the church, need to become bolder, more compassionate, and adhere more closely to the teachings of Jesus.
While our historic silence is maybe understandable, it is not excusable.
We have witnessed countless stories of heroes of the faith experiencing moral failures or facing increasingly prominent accusations.
Too often, we have employed fear and shame to silence genuine questions.
Curiosity has terrified us, but sexual sin has undoubtedly petrified us.
Have we forgotten the transformative and redemptive power of the blood of Jesus?
The truth is none of us will ever get it perfectly right. We all deeply need Jesus.
He chose the church as the vehicle through which to reveal His goodness to the world.
In many ways, one could say that the church is like Gen Z. Its sexual circumstances are messy, but its future is glorious.
Jesus loves the church, not only the aspects she chooses to display, but every part of her, even things hidden in shame.
It is incumbent upon me to do the same through every mistake and mess. I don't get to change my assignment.
The world's message on sex is to have it with whomever and whatever, whenever, implying that it holds no real value.
Jesus' message on sex is that it is incredibly powerful. As with any powerful force, it should be used carefully in the way it was designed, following the instructions of the Designer.
There is a generation in pain over the conflicting and confusing messages surrounding sexuality.
It is essential for the church to delve deeply into this mess, just as Jesus did, to help this generation experience the freedom He paid for.
If there is any way we can help you have the conversations needed or provide tools please reach out at wildones@walmermethodist.co.za
Benjamin Friedemann
Youth & Young Adults Pastor at Walmer Methodist Church
Source: TCN / Benjamin Friedemann
Date Added: 2023-11-06
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Moral Regeneration,
Back to News IndexDate Added: 2023-11-06
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Moral Regeneration,
_______________________________________________
Please read our disclaimer
This section of our site aims to keep you informed about news in the local church, and worldwide.
Please email us any items of interest.
Please email us any items of interest.
 |
| Christian News to strengthen God's people at www.gatewaynews.co.za News that is fresh, relevant, edifying and which glorifies Jesus! |
Worthy News is a website with a good selection of news articles from around the world in a number of categories, both Christian and secular. They also offer a free subsciption service to deliver daily news headlines to your email box. Click here to pay them a visit.