Kate Orson responds to comments from Samantha Niblett about creating a UK “summer of sex” and expanding lifelong sex education. While statistics show that evangelical women experience more sexual pain than the general population, Orson argues that the answer is not the culture’s increasingly liberal approach to sex, but a deeper understanding of sexuality rooted in Christian faith and biblical boundaries.
Samantha Niblett, Labour MP for South Derbyshire has declared that the UK will have a ‘summer of sex’ this year. She has arranged to have a debate on ‘lifelong sex education’ in the autumn and hopes to have an exhibition in parliament this summer, if she can get the necessary clearances to bring sex toys into the building.
Niblett has teamed up with ‘sextech’ entrepreneur Cindy Gallop who has founded a website of DIY pornography called ‘MakeLoveNotPorn,’ which features consensual acts of real sex with real bodies rather than artificially enhanced ones in staged scenarios.
READ MORE: What do the new rules around sex education mean for your child?
The aim of Niblett’s move is to reduce abuse, and violence and raise awareness of how childbirth, menopause and health conditions can affect sexual satisfaction.
As a former sex coach who went into sex education after dealing with health issues that affected my own sexual satisfaction I know how much this knowledge is needed. However, I don’t think this campaign is the right way to go about it.
A person in a sexual encounter in a state of sexual arousal won’t have the ability to use their prefrontal cortex - the part of the brain responsible for rational, reasonable decision making
Satan, masquerading as an angel of light comes to mind. Teachings of consent are being pushed to help prevent abuse, but they also come with problems of their own. These teachings actually promote casual sex in the sense that it’s about drawing people into what feels good in the moment, ‘is it a yes or a no for my body?’ Yet the Bible tells us ‘the heart is deceitful about all things’ (Jeremiah 17.9). A person in a sexual encounter in a state of sexual arousal won’t have the ability to use their prefrontal cortex - the part of the brain responsible for rational, reasonable decision making, so may not make the same decision that they might make at another point in time. God gives us good boundaries around sex, to keep it in marriage. However, for many modern sex educators a healthy relationship could be anything that involves two consenting adults, whether they’ve known each other for two years, or two minutes.
READ MORE: REAL TALK: I want more sex, why doesn’t my husband?
An online petition from the website CitizenGo has been circulating, accusing the campaign as being aimed at having plans to focus on sex education for children.
An online petition from the website CitizenGo has been circulating, accusing the campaign as being aimed at having plans to focus on sex education for children. They draw attention to Niblett’s plans for ‘lifelong learning,’ and that the campaign is aimed at ‘all ages.’ While it’s not clear what Niblett’s plans are for sex education in schools, in an interview for PoliticsHome she refers to her own sex education as being ‘pretty medical’ and not focused on pleasure. The autumn debate is definitely one to watch so we are aware what Niblett’s plans are for incorporating her ideas about ‘pleasure’ into schools.
READ MORE: My thoughts as a Christian sex historian on children being same sex attracted
Statistics show that evangelical women experience more sexual pain than the general population, so sexual education is needed for Christians. However when an educational campaign is coupled with companies that sex toy companies benefit financially from their participation, and lies about casual sex and masturbation, it’s not healthy for anyone.
As Christians, we need to find the balance between being unwilling to talk honestly about sex and embracing worldly ideas that promise freedom and fulfilment, but can ultimately damage our sexual and spiritual wellbeing. At its heart, this is a spiritual battle, with the enemy distorting sexuality from both extremes. I know this personally: after years of sexual dysfunction, I tried countless ways to “liberate” my sexuality, from sex toys to Tantra workshops and other spiritual sexuality practices, yet I found more healing, peace and restoration through Jesus than I ever did through the world’s solutions.
No comments yet