• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

She's not a virgin....

KarateCowboy

Classical liberal
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2004
13,390
2,109
✟140,932.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Private
Hi everyone. I really need your prayer and help. I've been dating this girl who was not a Christian when we met but became one shortly afterward so she's quite young in the faith. Anyway about two months ago I asked her if she is a virgin and she said no, that about six or seven years ago she had sex three times with this guy who was her first boyfriend and they had been together about three years. Ironically he left her about a month after she gave him her virginity. She said she did it even though she knew it was wrong but she felt he would leave her so she wanted to try and keep him. This was back when she was about 25 and she's 32 now. She said she hasn't had sex since then but the thing is I love her and would like to marry her but I made this promise a long time ago when I was young that I would stay a virgin until marriage and would only marry a virgin. It's not so much the promise in itself that's hurting but the fact that I really, REALLY wish she were a virgin. It's just SO important. You guys know how it is. They say it's the most precious thing you can give your spouse, and that whenever you have sex with someone you 'take to bed with you every one you have slept with in the past'. I don't want that cursed stuff. How can I get over this. It's eating away at me. Please pray for me and offer some advice!!
 

KarateCowboy

Classical liberal
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2004
13,390
2,109
✟140,932.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Private
ischus said:
Until you see her as a virgin, she will never be one...
What do you mean by that? Even if I 'see her as one' it will not change the reality that she is not one. I'd only be in denial and fooling myself.
 
Upvote 0

ischus

ΙΣΧΥΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΙΜΗ
Mar 13, 2004
1,377
300
45
Visit site
✟3,170.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
Jacque said:
What do you mean by that? Even if I 'see her as one' it will not change the reality that she is not one. I'd only be in denial and fooling myself.

It's a good thing that God doesn't operate by that logic...

My point is this: You have the ability to forgive and see her in a new light. This is what God does with every person who comes to Him. I know it's difficult to do, but you need to do it. You will never have a healthy relationship if you always see her through the eyes of judgment, rather than through the eyes of Grace.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Abiel
Upvote 0

RThibeault

ThE GrInCh DaDdy--Keeper of the Popcicles
Dec 21, 2004
2,804
127
63
Eatonton, Georgia
✟26,184.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
If she has repented and given her life to Christ she has been forgiven by God. You need to forgive her. Remember the Bible tells us to forgive lest we not be forgiven. Its on you man.

If you cannot get over this, it is a problem with you and not her. And if you cannot forgive her, then you really do not love her.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Abiel
Upvote 0

CDN Red Raider

Active Member
Apr 11, 2004
194
12
40
✟22,880.00
Faith
Christian
A promise you made to yourself - its not a promise you made to God. It was a selfish promise because it is putting God in a box and saing that He would never have you marry someone who wasn't. (He had people marry people who weren't virgins in the Bible). Realize that it may be in his plan for you to be with one also.
 
Upvote 0

waterbear

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2004
1,521
27
✟1,835.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
If it isn't your will to marry a non-virgin, don't. I don't think God is going to have you marry someone you find unappealing: it's your choice if you want to marry at all.

I'd try to convince you virginity didn't matter, but I only date virgins myself :p

Edit:
To those saying 'forgive her':

Comments (numbered for convenience only)

1) A common argument is that the person is 'made new' and all the damage to the current/potential relationship caused by the non-virginity is thus nullified. Lets say someone kills someone else, on repenting and being 'made new' the damage caused to the dead person remains. Lets say someone tears out his/her own eyes, on repenting and being 'made new' the damage caused to his/her own body remains. This is all tangible evidence that being 'made new' cannot apply to all worldly entities.

Then the argument becomes it applies to the spirit only, i.e. the spirit is made new. And non-virginity is entirely a spiritual problem. But non-virgnity is largely an awareness problem: if the person had no recollection of being a non-virgin, and nobody else in the world had any recollection to proof of that person being a non-virgin either, then how is it knowable that this person is even non-virgin? The awareness of being non-virgin resides in memories, which I would think pertain more to the corporeal world. If so, the memories alone are sufficient to show that being 'made new' does not nullify lack of virginity.

2) A lot of people are treating forgiveness as forgetting or not factoring in past behavior. Okay, if the guy repents every time after he beats his wife, the wife should forgive and forget each time and not hold his past against him. Similarly, if someone cheats on you in a relationship, you are obligated through forgiveness to act like it never happened and continue the relationship.

Another problem with this approach is that it can create holes in a person's history. If someone has any history he/she doesn't like anymore, should it be treated as if it never happened and you suppose that the history has no bearing on the person's current being?

3) Yet another argument is that it isn't very Christ like to refuse to date someone because he/she isn't virgin. Christ seeks a relationship with everyone, but you can only have one romantic relationship (in the least, one at a time). Thus analogies to Christ's relationship with someone and your relationship with your spouse fail in the sense that the maritial relationship is exclusive and consequently involves discretion. You're going to be rejecting a lot of people with regards to a martial relationship whom Christ would not reject, thus how is that that your criteria for picking a person is expected to be Christ-approved? Whatever criteria applied will be of a nature that from a Christian perspective the criteria is superifical and self-serving.

4) Romantic relationships shouldn't be treated as charities. Rejecting someone unappealing to you is in many ways nicer to the person than accepting someone with very unattractive characteristics. On being rejected, the person may find someone else who finds him/her less disagreeable in a romantic sense and consequently may experience more peace/intimacy in that relationship.

http://www.christianforums.com/showthread.php?p=13576571#post13576571

 
Upvote 0
G

Godsgurl77

Guest
Jacque, I feel your pain. I am engaged to a wonderful Christian man, and I love him with all my heart. However, I am a virgin, and he is not. I am so sorry that you're hurting and struggling with this, but I can tell you I've been through the same things, and it is such an encouragement to me to know that a guy hurts the same way over it. I made the commitment to wait until marriage when I was 14, and I never even thought about marrying a non-virgin. God had other plans, and he's certainly used my situation to teach me a thing or two.
I knew early on in the relationship that he was not a virgin, but it didn't really hit home until we got engaged. The last thing I wanted to hear from anyone was anything about how I needed to forgive him and let it go. The forgiveness has been much easier than the letting it go :) I used to really hold it against him, and I am sorry to say even brought it up in an argument once to intentionally hurt him. I would never do that now because I feel like I've forgiven him, but that doesn't mean my pain goes away. The best thing I have found to relieve that pain is constantly staying in the Word of God and in prayer, with my fiance and individually. I always felt like he cheated me out of something (and sometimes I still do), but I am learning to view it as SIN that cheated me out of something. I hate sin now instead of hating him. It makes me desire purity in my life and in our relationship so much more.
If your girlfriend truly desires purity in her life, let that be an encouragement to you. I don't really like the "second virginity" terminology, but I do believe that once we are in Christ we are a new creature, we are pure. Work through these feelings with her, stay in the Word and in prayer with her, and DEFINITELY get pre-marital counseling if marriage is in God's plan for you two. I'll say a prayer for both of you.
 
Upvote 0

lisarn

Regular Member
Jan 3, 2005
210
10
54
S. Illinois
Visit site
✟15,499.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Have you ever seen anything on True Love Waits. Did you know that Teens are told if they have already lost their virginity, it is not too late to change.....that they can commit to staying pure from that moment on. Sure physically she has lost her virginity but in mind and spirit since God has washed away her sins, you can see her spiritually as a virgin. I think True Love Waits refers to this commitment as secondary virginity. I think if you really love her and she has stayed pure for the last 7 years, then you should stay with her. The question is.....do you really love her enough to let go of her past?
 
Upvote 0

Babymine

Optimistic Pessimist
Dec 8, 2004
3,232
227
✟26,999.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Private
What makes it SO important? What makes it SO important that you would be willing to give up a good woman? Isnt it more important that you are her last? Not who was her first?
Anyways, I agree with some of these people. If you are holding this aspect of a relationship so dear to your heart, so much so that you cannot fully let it go. Dont marry her. You will ruin both your lives.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Abiel
Upvote 0

Mr Wesley

Noob
Jun 2, 2004
62
3
54
Ohio, USA
✟15,198.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Married
To Waterbear:

No offense to you, but I disagree with just about everything you quoted. I was in a similar situation to Jacque's in that I was dating a wonderful woman who had slipped away from the Lord in her high school and college years and who had had a couple of different partners before we met. However, she had been walking strong for a number of years and hadn't had sex in that time.

While I do agree that it may be impossible to totally forget a person's past relationships, I think there has to be a kind of 'statute of limitations' for previous sins. If a person has a history of sexual sin or has only just recently come to Christ, that would be something else. But for a person who has repented and walked the narrow path, I see nothing wrong with forgiving him or her. If God has forgiven her, can I do nothing less?

As for the woman I mentioned earlier, we'll be celebrating our fourth anniversary this year, and she's shown no signs of a sinful sexual nature.
 
Upvote 0

KarateCowboy

Classical liberal
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2004
13,390
2,109
✟140,932.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Private
Thanks for your insights, prayers, and advice, friends. I have read what you have said and considered it and here is what I have concluded:

1) Her virginity may not be restored by any means.

2) Her purity has been restored through Christ's blood.

3) In the end, the status of her virginity is not what will keep me happy.

4) It was my choice to date her.

5) It is my choice to stay with her or leave her, and is my right to do either.

6) While virginity is important to me(you owe it to your spouse), I could not:
-marry a woman who is cranky, lazy, offensive, hates her parents, weak in
faith, says she loves me but acts otherwise, and IS a virgin.
I COULD however,
-marry a woman who is loving, has never said a bad thing about anyone in
the entire time I've known her, loves me too much, has NEVER said a swear
(in front of me anyway), treats me with respect, has a strong faith, and
loves me too much, but is NOT a virgin.

7)Forgiveness is hard to do.

8)Forgiveness builds character.

9)Fogiveness helps us grow in love.

10) Letting it go is even harder to do.

11) Letting go makes love even stronger.

My decision is that I will forgive her and let it go. I will try, as ischus said, to 'see her through the eyes of Grace'. It will be hard, but I will do my best to let it be something inconsequential.

I will thank God for you in my prayers.
 
Upvote 0

bliz

Contributor
Jun 5, 2004
9,360
1,110
Here
✟14,830.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Please, do this lovely woman a favor and walk away from her.

I am afraid that you will never move beyond seeing your relationship as a matter of you forgiving her for things she did before she knew you and before she knew the Lord. I'm afraid your attitude will pollute your sexual relationship with her and undermine a marriage.

Your list of what you want in a wife is very unrealistic. All of us have times when we are weak in our faith. Peter spent time with Jesus in the flesh and yet denied Him - do you really think you might not do the same someday? All of us have times when we are lazy, when we use inappropriate language, and when we are not respectful to people we love. It's called sin, and even when we know Jesus, we continue to sin. This woman will and you will.

She deserves to have someone unreservedly love her - someone who will count it a privilage to know her and to be loved by her. You seem to need to swallow very hard before you are prepared to do that.
 
Upvote 0

bshaw96

Regular Member
Oct 19, 2004
434
40
50
NC
✟23,299.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Jacque said:
Hi everyone. I really need your prayer and help. I've been dating this girl who was not a Christian when we met but became one shortly afterward so she's quite young in the faith. Anyway about two months ago I asked her if she is a virgin and she said no, that about six or seven years ago she had sex three times with this guy who was her first boyfriend and they had been together about three years. Ironically he left her about a month after she gave him her virginity. She said she did it even though she knew it was wrong but she felt he would leave her so she wanted to try and keep him. This was back when she was about 25 and she's 32 now. She said she hasn't had sex since then but the thing is I love her and would like to marry her but I made this promise a long time ago when I was young that I would stay a virgin until marriage and would only marry a virgin. It's not so much the promise in itself that's hurting but the fact that I really, REALLY wish she were a virgin. It's just SO important. You guys know how it is. They say it's the most precious thing you can give your spouse, and that whenever you have sex with someone you 'take to bed with you every one you have slept with in the past'. I don't want that cursed stuff. How can I get over this. It's eating away at me. Please pray for me and offer some advice!!

I don't think the problem is that she is not a virgin. The problem seems to be with you. While you are obsessing over her past (that God has FORGIVEN), you need to consider if you really love her. God tells us to love our spouses as Christ loved the church. I don't see Jesus saying "Well, you're not perfect, so I don't want you". If your way of loving is how Christ loves the church, we're all going to hell. You just referred to your potential wife as "cursed stuff". PLEASE! If it is this important to you, break up with her. You'll only hurt her in the end.
 
Upvote 0

KarateCowboy

Classical liberal
Site Supporter
Aug 6, 2004
13,390
2,109
✟140,932.00
Country
United States
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Private
LOL She committed adultery with this guy, and I'M the villain?
bliz said:
I'm afraid your attitude will pollute your sexual relationship with her and undermine a marriage.

My attitude will pollute my sexual relationship with her? Sexual sin pollutes sexual relationships, not the desire to get over sexual sins.
bliz said:
Your list of what you want in a wife is very unrealistic

I did not make a list. It was a description of the behavior she has displayed in the last few months.
 
Upvote 0