PLEASE NOTE: The following explains my personal views regarding the original topic, and isn't intended to start a debate. It is posted with the understanding that these are the factors which directly influence my personal view on the subject.
"Oral sex", by definition, means that there's some contact with sexual organs happening. Nope, it's not "intercourse" by the strictest sense, but there is sexual gratification...Oh, and the risk of contracting sexual diseases.
One thing I've noticed regarding this subject is that the 'sexuality' of oral sex is relative to the person holding that view.
Put it this way...I've heard teenage males and females say it isn't "sex", because there's no penetration. Since Christianity puts a stress on sexual abstinence before marriage, and oral sex isn't strictly "sex", then it's okay. If that statement disturbs you, then you may want to take the time to explain to your teenager about what oral sex is, your views regarding it, and the risks involved.
However, the definition of oral sex changes when a teenage boy gets an evenly-bordered sore on his mouth that's not
herpes simplex, or other STD. Ask any parent if it isn't "sex" when the consequences are apparent. Then, it becomes a case of promiscuity, even if there wasn't actual sex involved.
(I'm sorry if this is TMI.) We had a case here in Louisiana, USA, a few years ago, where a young girl was taken to a doctor for a sore throat, and the cultures came back positive for five different venereal diseases.
Her own father was subsequently convicted of sexual molestation of a juvenile and other crimes against nature. The father was listed as a sex offender...For those who don't know, that's a label that follows the offender for the rest of life. We have "sex offender registries", where sexual offenders have to report their residence, offense, a photograph of the offender, and sometimes even employment! So even though there wasn't "traditional" sex, there was indeed a legal labelling of a sex crime.
Ask any wife (I'm thinking Hillary, for some reason) if she thinks it's okay for her husband to engage in oral sex with another woman.
There have been divorces where the 'adultery' cited came from oral sex. So from the view of this particular spouse, oral sex just isn't right unless it's performed in marriage, like penetrational sex, which according to Christianity should only be performed in a marriage to begin with.
So, let me recap this:
1. In the eyes of some teenagers, unless taught otherwise that it IS sex, then oral sex isn't really "sex" in the strictest definition, and therefore exempt from the "abstinence" doctrine taught in Christianity.
2. In the eyes of American law, oral sex is charged as a sex offense if both parties are
not consensual... And garners the offender with a lifelong stigmatic labelling, with inherent penalties. So from a legalistic view, oral sex is indeed sex.
3. You can bet that Bill Clinton was in the doghouse for a LONG time after he confessed his indescretions to his wife.
4. Oral sex can and does cause an impeachment of a world leader. It doesn't matter how many times you ask for a clarification of the word "is".
5. And yeah, if my husband confessed to doing this with another woman, it would be just as devastating if he'd gone the whole nine yards with that other woman. It would be grounds for divorce.
So yeah...I'd say oral sex is the same as sex.
As to the virginity question. A woman's virginity is a physical state, easily proven by the presence of an unseparated hyman. A man's virginity...Well, he knows whether or not he's ever "been with" a woman physically. Although it's definately a shady area, I'd have to say that virginity can be lost through oral sex, especially for a male.
Also, some food for thought is given through Mirriam-Wesbster Dictionary, which reads:
1vir·gin javascript:popWin('/cgi-bin/audio.pl?virgin01.wav=virgin')
Pronunciation: 'v&r-j&n
Function:
noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French
virgine, from Latin
virgin-, virgo young woman, virgin
1 a : an unmarried woman devoted to religion
b capitalized : [SIZE=-1]VIRGO[/SIZE]
2 a : an absolutely chaste young woman b : an unmarried girl or woman
3 capitalized : [SIZE=-1]VIRGIN MARY[/SIZE]
4 a : a person who has not had sexual intercourse
b : a person who is inexperienced in a usually specified sphere of activity <a
virgin in politics>
5 : a female animal that has never copulated
So yeah, I'd say that under 2a, oral sex would cause a loss of virginity...Perhaps not in the physical sense, but chastity would be out of the window...Not to mention the fact that the girl's morality would be in question.
