Rev. Bromleigh McCleneghan from the Union Church of Hinsdale in Illinois raised a lot of eyebrows after she promoted pre-marital sex in her new book "Good Christian Sex: Why Chastity Isn't the Only Option — And Other Things the Bible Says About Sex" in an article published on The Christian Post.
Even though Christians believe that it's important to maintain chastity, McCleneghan argues that it's acceptable to enjoy sex outside of marriage just as long as it's consensual. "We can be chaste — faithful — in unmarried sexual relationships if we exercise restraint: if we refrain from having sex that isn't mutually pleasurable and affirming, that doesn't respect the autonomy and sacred worth of ourselves and our partners," she says.
Now, Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship has come forward and dismissed McCleneghan's views as wrong in a subsequent article also published on The Christian Post. Laurie says the sexual compromises allowed by some Mainline denominations are actually leading believers away from God.
"I was reading about some minister that has written a book that says that it is okay for people who aren't married to have premarital sex. Then, another article pointed out that she doesn't believe in the authority of Scripture," he says.
"Yes, this is a problem because they are misrepresenting God," Laurie says. "So, someone might believe something like that, or another idea that says they can do whatever they want regardless of what Scripture teaches and this now becomes something that can push people away from God or keep them from understanding what a real Christian really is."
However, McCleneghan also clarifies in a separate interview that she never gave Christians the go-signal to do whatever they want with their sexual lives. "My book is really an invitation for people to reflect on Scripture and their experiences in the light of their faith," she explains. "It is not an 'anything goes' approach to sexuality, but it does ask readers to consider what is at stake in the ways they order their sexual relationships."
