Could inappropriate content be considered as adultery?

Could inappropriate content be considered as adultery?

  • Yes

    Votes: 29 78.4%
  • No

    Votes: 5 13.5%
  • I'm not sure

    Votes: 3 8.1%

  • Total voters
    37

Reluctant Theologian

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Indeed, the suggestion that the Song of Songs is inappropriate contentography is strange, bizarre, unwarranted and represents the worst kind of Puritanism
...

Maybe you're unnecessarily tripping over the term 'inappropriate content', while I submitted that: IF inappropriate content is defined as 'explicit erotic material' then Song of Songs would fall in that category, and thus ... be inappropriate content.

Are you willing concede that Song of Songs is erotically explicit literature? If not, than our position on what the text meant back then differs, and then of course, any discussion on what is means now is futile. :)
 
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RDKirk

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Maybe you're unnecessarily tripping over the term 'inappropriate content', while I submitted that: IF inappropriate content is defined as 'explicit erotic material' then Song of Songs would fall in that category, and thus ... be inappropriate content.

Are you willing concede that Song of Songs is erotically explicit literature? If not, than our position on what the text meant back then differs, and then of course, any discussion on what is means now is futile. :)

Song of Songs is certainly not "explicit." It's about as figurative as it can be.
 
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Reluctant Theologian

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Song of Songs is certainly not "explicit." It's about as figurative as it can be.

Well, metaphors by definition are indirect, but I would call referring to male and female genitals (in aroused state) and sexual acts fairly explicit.

We can debate about the level and style of explicitness; but erotic literature it is ...
 
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Hazelelponi

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Well, metaphors by definition are indirect, but I would call referring to male and female genitals (in aroused state) and sexual acts fairly explicit.

We can debate about the level and style of explicitness; but erotic literature it is ...

Sex between a husband and wife is holy and need not be ashamed... Song of Solomon teaches us this, if we missed it elsewhere.

Not all erotic things are evil, there is a place for erotic, sexual expressions of love - and a place they should never be.

Sin is perverting the place of God's intent to a place where God didn't intend it to be: in the case of "inappropriate content" it's taking what belongs to the spouse and applying it elsewhere - whether in mind or body.
 
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RDKirk

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Well, metaphors by definition are indirect, but I would call referring to male and female genitals (in aroused state) and sexual acts fairly explicit.

We can debate about the level and style of explicitness; but erotic literature it is ...

If it were explicit, then by the definition of the word, it would not have been possible for both Jewish and Christian theologians to have "spiritualized" its content for centuries.
 
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bbbbbbb

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If it were explicit, then by the definition of the word, it would not have been possible for both Jewish and Christian theologians to have "spiritualized" its content for centuries.

If it were not explicit, then both Jewish and Christian theologians would have found no reason to "spiritualize" it. They certainly haven't bothered to "spiritualize" the geneaologies in I Chronicles.
 
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RDKirk

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If it were not explicit, then both Jewish and Christian theologians would have found no reason to "spiritualize" it.

Definition of "explicit":
stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.
"the speaker's intentions were not made explicit"


If it were explicit, it could not be spiritualized.
 
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bbbbbbb

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Definition of "explicit":
stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.
"the speaker's intentions were not made explicit"


If it were explicit, it could not be spiritualized.

Trust me, for the most explicit statements there are ways to redefine them to suit one's purpose, especially when they disagree with one's views. That is one reason our courts are overflowing with lawsuits.
 
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NBB

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inappropriate content is very harmful and a grave sin, you will quench the Holy spirit to nothing if you are christian, contaminate your mind and spirit, get addicted, view women in a wrong way, its sickness of worst for the spirit and sometimes very hard to get off from and etc etc.
 
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The Liturgist

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Are you willing concede that Song of Songs is erotically explicit literature?

I can assure you as someone with a worldly and decadent past that there is precisely nothing in common between the Song of Solomon and erotic literature. @RDKirk has the right idea on this point.
 
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bbbbbbb

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inappropriate content is very harmful and a grave sin, you will quench the Holy spirit to nothing if you are christian, contaminate your mind and spirit, get addicted, view women in a wrong way, its sickness of worst for the spirit and sometimes very hard to get off from and etc etc.

Thanks for chiming in. Few, if any, of here disagree with you. The discussion is now fairly much focussed on what inappropriate content actually is. Is it merely the stuff on the internet? Must it be visually oriented? Can romance novels with no illustrations be inappropriate content?
 
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NBB

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Thanks for chiming in. Few, if any, of here disagree with you. The discussion is now fairly much focussed on what inappropriate content actually is. Is it merely the stuff on the internet? Must it be visually oriented? Can romance novels with no illustrations be inappropriate content?

Depends on what it says, if its provoking bad thoughts then yes its bad, not as bad as the 'visual' things in my opinion. But it can contaminate you depending on what it is, i doubt unbeliever authors can write 'nice or godly' 'erotic novels'.
 
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bbbbbbb

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Depends on what it says, if its provoking bad thoughts then yes its bad, not as bad as the 'visual' things in my opinion. But it can contaminate you depending on what it is, i doubt unbeliever authors can write 'nice or godly' 'erotic novels'.

Actually, there are a multitude of novels written by unbelievers which are as innocent as any G-rated movie. Not all visual things are erotic in nature, either.
 
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GallagherM

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I have started to think that inappropriate content might be that serious. If we think it's wrong, yet don't take it for the seriousness as it is, we may not do our best to avoid it. Thoughts?

inappropriate contentography pretty much destroyed my mind to the point of objectifying women... oh how many promises have whispered into a persons ear; yet to go off on them later by telling them how much I hated them, and to go on home... like they were an object.

Now having not looked at inappropriate contentography in about 3 weeks or so thankfully to the Father in heavens help through the spirit of Christ to hold me back on those urges.

The beauty of a woman comes out more; of how they may talk, the defining neck line, nose, eyes, and over all trying to listen to their soul. Now most people that are around me mostly are all married, so can not fall for any of them... but still hope one day to find a woman in which can understand me for whom I am and what have suffered through and also a long towards them understand them and what they have suffered through, and to try to enjoy our time together; by understanding each others weaknesses and strengths even likes and dislikes but having a healthy love for each other and not just all about the sexual thing even though sex is a part of our nature and God created us to be able to have sex and even procreate.

Just my thoughts on the subject have struggled with it for years since the day a friend gave me a whole book bag full of nude magazines.
 
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The Liturgist

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I appreciate you bringing this up, and thanks for sharing that.

However, I meant the flesh of this body cannot be saved, (wherein the works of the flesh are obvious) the resurrected body is a separate body.

The resurrected body is a new body, in the sense that the old is gone (the one we currently have now) and the new has come.

That's the main difference in how I read it.

Thats not accurate, though - the resurrected body is our existing body, reassembled and restored, no matter how completely it was destroyed, and glorified. Not a new body, but the body we have now.
 
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zoidar

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inappropriate contentography pretty much destroyed my mind to the point of objectifying women... oh how many promises have whispered into a persons ear; yet to go off on them later by telling them how much I hated them, and to go on home... like they were an object.

Now having not looked at inappropriate contentography in about 3 weeks or so thankfully to the Father in heavens help through the spirit of Christ to hold me back on those urges.

The beauty of a woman comes out more; of how they may talk, the defining neck line, nose, eyes, and over all trying to listen to their soul. Now most people that are around me mostly are all married, so can not fall for any of them... but still hope one day to find a woman in which can understand me for whom I am and what have suffered through and also a long towards them understand them and what they have suffered through, and to try to enjoy our time together; by understanding each others weaknesses and strengths even likes and dislikes but having a healthy love for each other and not just all about the sexual thing even though sex is a part of our nature and God created us to be able to have sex and even procreate.

Just my thoughts on the subject have struggled with it for years since the day a friend gave me a whole book bag full of nude magazines.

I doubt we can overcome this by our own. I think this has to be cured from the center of the heart. Only Christ can do that. We need to love Jesus to the degree, that the very root of lustful behavior is gone. A pure heart hates sin and gives us the strength to overcome sin. That's the work of the Holy Spirit. Maybe this verse fits here?

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
— Matthew 6:33

It's not that we need more strength to fight back harder, that will never work in the long run. It's the temptation that needs to be removed, by the washing of our heart. We need a good heart. I come to think of this verse, even it's not from the same context.

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
— Matthew 7:18
 
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coffee4u

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Maybe you're unnecessarily tripping over the term 'inappropriate content', while I submitted that: IF inappropriate content is defined as 'explicit erotic material' then Song of Songs would fall in that category, and thus ... be inappropriate content.

Are you willing concede that Song of Songs is erotically explicit literature? If not, than our position on what the text meant back then differs, and then of course, any discussion on what is means now is futile. :)

No it is not. Have you ever read any erotica or even a romantic graphic novel? To compare them is laughable. I think how 'dirty' SoS appears to the reader has far more to do with the readers own mind than the text. You know what they say about the pure?
Titus 1:15
To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

I would ponder that seriously if I was you.

Also by saying SoS is inappropriate content you are accusing God of allowing inappropriate contentography in his word.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Is all scripture God breathed or not?
 
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GallagherM

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It was having love for God and others that changed me that change came by the Holy Spirit. I take no credit but give credit to Jesus Christ who gives strength. @zoidar.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice; let your forbearance be known to all men; the Lord [is] near; for nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer, and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, that is surpassing all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

As to the rest, brethren, as many things as are true, as many as [are] grave, as many as [are] righteous, as many as [are] pure, as many as [are] lovely, as many as [are] of good report, if any worthiness, and if any praise, these things think upon; the things that also ye did learn, and receive, and hear, and saw in me, those do, and the God of the peace shall be with you.

And I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length ye flourished again in caring for me, for which also ye were caring, and lacked opportunity; not that in respect of want I say [it], for I did learn in the things in which I am — to be content; I have known both to be abased, and I have known to abound; in everything and in all things I have been initiated, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in want. For all things I have strength, in Christ's strengthening me;”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:4-13‬ ‭YLT98‬‬
 
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Reluctant Theologian

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No it is not. Have you ever read any erotica or even a romantic graphic novel? To compare them is laughable. I think how 'dirty' SoS appears to the reader has far more to do with the readers own mind than the text. You know what they say about the pure?
Titus 1:15
To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

I would ponder that seriously if I was you.

Also by saying SoS is inappropriate content you are accusing God of allowing inappropriate contentography in his word.
...
Using the term 'inappropriate content' obviously sets off some alarms for you (I didn't call SoS 'inappropriate content', I used the 'IF' predicate) - forget that term I'd say. My statement still would be that indeed Song of Songs qualifies as erotically explicit literature (about Solomon with his n-th future wife or concubine); and ... here's the connection to Titus: I still think that explicit eroticism for a couple is indeed pure and not sinful.

Take that idea to the next step: if a couple records and re-watches their own love-making: would that be impure or sinful? I don't think so; personally I don't think it's wise in this day and age, but nevertheless not impure.

...
2 Timothy 3:16-17


16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Is all scripture God breathed or not?

Ah, that verse is a theological enigma, you realise that? What writings would Paul refer to here you think? The current set of OT books? The books that were included in the LXX in those days? His own letter he was writing there? Any letter that was circulating among believers in those days?
 
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Reluctant Theologian

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Definition of "explicit":
stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt.
"the speaker's intentions were not made explicit"


If it were explicit, it could not be spiritualized.

Personally speaking, having studied the Song of Songs metaphors, indeed it doesn't leave room for confusion or doubt, so that's why I don't hesitate to classify Song of Songs as erotic, yet pure, literature.
I also agree with @bbbbbbb that it was the fairly obvious explicitness that caused some awkwardness with Jewish theologians in the BC era, and already in those days felt compelled to find another less explicit interpretation. Christian theologians later just simply followed this Jewish allegorical interpretation effort.

We have to keep in mind asceticism in the early Christian church was very strong, and sexuality was perceived as something negative by definition; even for married couples.

Nowadays luckily there are plenty of believers that find no issue in reading Song of Songs in it most natural state.

For me, purely using the allegorical interpretation for Song of Songs causes awkwardness, because why would God use the metaphor of a clearly polygamous man who marries his n-th (n > 100) woman as a symbol between the marriage between God and Israel, or Christ and the church? (both target analogies would ask for a natural 'monogamous' love story to be the symbol of that). So in my opinion that weakens the whole allegorical interpretation effort even more.

Btw, I'm not implying polygyny is sinful - as OT Law didn't define it as such; so it's not. It just would be very unexpected symbolism in this context.
 
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