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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1998)
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998 Sex: Why some say you should wait JOEL SHEMPERT Feature Editor Sex is infinitely valuable for capturing people’s atten tion. It’s working already. All I have to do is mention sex, and here you are reading. Advertisers know this. They’d sell Coca-Cola with nude women if they could. Hollywood knows this. They can and do sell about anything they want with glistening, na ked celebrity bodies. So, if for no other reason than to ensure that Clackamas students read at least one of my articles this year, I’d like to talk about sex. First of all, please understand that I am riot at all op posed to sex—I find the whole prospect terribly thrilling, and look forward to my first time. What I am opposed to is the twisting of the beauty of sex in our society. I believe that sex is designed by God to be the most intimate expres sion of love between a man and a woman on this earth. By now, the reader will have noticed a certain spiritual tone to this article. You might even call it religious. Let me make this clear from the outset—yes, I am a Christian, and yes, my views on sex are based on the idea that there is a God who created us and knows how we should live. The idea of marriage creates in many people’s minds an impression of narrow-minded, restrictive legalism, along with visions of Dana Carvey’s Church Lady chirping, “no sex before marriage” in a prudish tone. People tend to think of marriage as a formality, a piece of paper making “acceptable” their sexual union, and therefore incidental to sexuality—and somewhat removed from romantic love. I say that nothing could be further from the truth. Marriage is not a confinement; it is a pledge. In an age when there is so much complaint of lack of commitment, it amazes me to witness how few couples respect the cer emony that consecrates that commitment. Marriage is the bond that elevates sex to true joy. The Judeo-Christian school of thought actually has quite a lot to say about the joy of sex. Martin Luther was known to write of the ecstasy of his sex life in such vivid language as would causgthc Church Lady many a blu^h. In Rembrandt’s Danae, we seethe, artist’s nude wife waiting in bed for him. And King Solomon produced a book, the Song-gf Songs, which is one of the most passionate—arid sexual—loySkpngs ever written. The core diChristian teaching on this is set forth frdm the beginning: “The two shall become one flesh,” to whichjChrist adds, “Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate.” How much more intimately connected can you be with another hu man being? Sex is what many commenta tors have taken to calling “total dynamic oneness.” That’s why I believe in waiting for sex until marriage. Sex is a gift I want to give to the love of my life—my soulmate. If I have sex with someone else, Sex is a gift I have cheapened that gift. Solomon, setting down advice 1 want to for his son, wrote, “May your fountain be give to the blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife love of my of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful life... my deer—may her breasts satisfy you al ways, may you ever be captivated by her soulmate. love. Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress?” Joel P. As a hopeless romantic I can take Shempert ; comfort in the fact that God has such a Feature Editor healthy and robust view of sex, and that He has picked the person with whom I will spend the rest of my life. Sex with someone else before marriage is like cheating in advance. It is sharing with another what is meant for your husband or wife. I have met many people that have slept with someone they did not love. Some have regretted it. Others see nothing wrong and continue to do it. Sex has ceased to be intimate love and has become a sport. Solomon, in his quest for meaning in life, tried pleasure for pleasure’s sake and reported, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. . .Yet when I News Briefs Volunteers are needed to tutor adults in reading and writing approximately two hours a week, Contact Joe VanZutphen at ext. 2724. Qualified math tutors are wanted who have completed MTH 111, calculus, or precalculus. Starting rate is $8.02 per hour. Stop by the Math Lab for an application. The deadline for the writers’ club con test is Feb. 18. Students may submit up to three poems, one essay, and one piece of fiction. Submit four copies of each entry along with the text on disk. Include a cover page for each. Spe cifically, manuscripts should be pre pared as follows: cover page with the title, category, student’s name, social security number, address and phone number. The first page of the story should only include the student’s so cial security number and the title. Do not put your name on the first page of the entry. All entries will be consid ered for the literary magazine Synes thesia. Submit entries to Allen Widerburg in M233 or call ext. 2359. The college would like to thank the two licensed massage therapists, Susan Powell and Danny White, who came and donated their time to give free massages in December during finals week. There was a constant flow of people, and many students asked if the therapists were coming back. ASG has already confirmed five therapists to come again next term. The college is offering a free, one-day Wednesday, January 21,1998 workshop titled “Raising Cooperative Kids” from 6-8 p.m. today in Modular 7, room F106. Parenting instructor Pat Rust will lead the course, which will focus on learning techniques to handle children’s difficult behavior. The work shop is sponsored by the AWACC Connections program. For additional information, contact the Family Re source Center at ext. 2526. A free workshop titled “Women Mak ing Connections on the Internet” will be held from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Thurs. Jan. 22, in Modular IB by research li brarian Doris Munson. The workshop is sponsored by Connections. For information about the college’s scholarship application process, join Sharon Sample, Scholarship Coordi nator, during January on Thursdays from 3-4 p.m. in B114. Western Oregon University will have a representative on campus today, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Community Center Mall. Stop by the table and ask questions. On Tues. Jan. 27 Career Resource Spe cialist Ethel Swanson will begin the first of a four-part series beginning with "Exploring Tomorrow's Careers." The four workshops are designed for students as well as the general public, in preparation for the Job Fair April 17. The workshops will be held from 6:30p.m. to8:30p.m.inCC127. Early registration is advised, but may be done at the class. Register for WKS 6-0; the cost is free. surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Pleasure is temporary. It only leads to dissatisfaction between pleasures. But this is only part of the problem. The core of the whole difficulty of sexual purity is that people don’t know how to love. “Even the idea of chastity isn’t strictly that you don’t express yourself with sexual intimacy,” the late Christian singer/songwriter Rich Mullins concluded after investi gating the monastic vows of St. Francis of Assisi. “The point is that when you love, you learn to love purely. You learn how not to be a user.” That is the essence of true love: you value another’s needs more highly than your own. St. Paul understood this when he recorded a blueprint for God’s love in his first letter to the Corinthian church. Love is patient. It doesn’t need instant gratification. Love is kind. It is sensitive and nurturing to others. Love seeks not its own. It is about giving; selfish concerns vanish. To this ideal our own, imperfect love should conform. This is, of course, a monumental task—tremendous enough for me to ask it of myself. The ring I wear is a symbol of the purity which, by God’s guidance, I will main tain. I hope one day to replace it with a wedding ring. I’m not passing judgment on those who do not or have not upheld this commitment to love purely. There is no condemnation in Christ, and if there is anything to be learned from the Bible, it is that it’s never too late to change. Purity is a state of mind. To religious hypocrites, Christ exclaimed, “You brood of vipers!” but to prostitutes and adulteresses He said, “Go and sin no more.” No one will be convinced of the immorality of premari tal sex only because of this article. That is beyond my ability. I merely hope that the seed will be planted in some minds that there is a pure love to be found. Our society produces unfaithfulness, betrayal, heartbreak, and disappointment. Foolish use of a precious gift brings about long-term pain. But as Paul said, / show you a more excellent way.- Clubs On Campus Get involved, join a club! Have an interest you’d like to express with others who share similar enthusiasms? Want to meet other people on campus? From the Writers' Club, to the Coyote Circle, to the Ski and Snowboarding Club, the college offers many opportuni ties to mingle with other students. But if none of the clubs on this list interest you and you would like to start a new club, contact ASG at ext. 2247. Intramural Sports Club........................ Norm Berney.................................. ext. 2250 Racquetball Club.................. ............... Kathie Woods................................................ ..ext 2418 Rally Club (Cheerleading)........ .......... Norm Berney....................................................ext. 2250 Rodeo Club.................... .,............... Amy Lundy.......... ......................... ext. 2250 Ski and Snowboarding Club............... B ob Misley........................................... ext. 2376 Baptist Student Ministries.......... .•...... Alan Jeffries.................................... ext 2543 Chrysalis (Women's Writer Club)...... Kate Gray.................................. ext. 2371 Cat Colony Club (The Seven C's)..... Gary Nelson......................................... ext. 2587 Circle K Club....................................... Norm Berney........................................ ext. 2250 German Club....................................... Dick Stones.................................. ext. 2392 Fellowship of Christian Athletes...... Kathie Woods. .ext. 2418 The Rainbow Club............................... Kate Gray........ ext. 2371 H.E.E.L. (Environment Club).............. Jack Scrivener. ext 2490 LDSSA..................... ........................... Dick Stones..... ext. 2392 Coyote Circle....................................... Jan Godfrey or Laney Fouse.............. .’. ext 2552 Ornamental Horticulture Club........ Elizabeth Howley.................... ext. 2389 Phi Theta Kappa................................. Kate Gray................... ext. 2371 Spanish Club................... .................... Cariota Holley.................. ...................... ext. 2381 Speech Club................................ ......... Kelly Brennan............................ ..ext 2726 Students for a Free Tibet.................. . Bill Briare........ ............. ext. 2457 Tai Chi............ ,.... ....... Judy Himes or Wayne Keller................ ext. 2848 Writers' Club................................. . Allen Widerburg.................................... ext. 2359 The Clackamas Print Staff 19600 S. Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045 (503) 657-6958 ext. 2309 cccprint@clackamas.cc.or.us Co-Editors-in-Chief: Christina Mueller Brad Zimmerman (ext. 2576) Joel P. Shempert Feature Editor: John Thorburn Sports Editor: Mairin-Anne Moore Business Manger: - Copy Editor: Photo Editor: Co-A&E-Editors: Cartoonist: Mike Garcia Timothy Bell Jared Bezzant Alex Mahan Mark Hoffman Advisor: Linda Vogt (ext. 2310) Secretary: JoAnne Gale Staff Writers and Production: Laura Armstrong, Jared Bezzant, Kristina Brooks, Adam Crum, Eric Eatherton, Kim Harney, Alex Mahan, Toni McMichael, Jeremy Stailwood, and Robert Schoenberg. The Clackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbiased, professional manner. The opinions expressed in The Clackamas Print do not necessarily reflect those of the student body, college administration, its faculty or The Clackamas Print advertisers. Products and services advertised in The Clackamas Print are not necessarily endorsed by anyone associated with The Clackamas Print. The advertising rate is $2.50 per column inch. All signed letters to the editor will be considered for publication and must be submitted by 1p.m. the Friday prior to publication. The Clackamas Print is a weekly publication and is distributed every Wednesday except during finals week.
