3. Sex
Sex@oxbridge is a blog that makes disturbing reading and will send a shiver down any Christian parents’ spine. It is a female students’ account of her one night stands and her appetite for lots of sex. This might seem like an extreme example, but is indicative of the expectation, availability and celebration of sexual encounters at university.
The media (print, Hollywood and the internet) has successfully created a fantasy world of sex. As such many Christian students arrive at university already addicted to internet porn and either looking for avenues to outwork those fantasies or doubled up with guilt as their sexual behaviour is at odds with their beliefs. Self preservation kicks in as the tension that guilt from sexual sin creates means that faith in these circumstances often becomes sidelined.
Advice for youth workers
Again values rather than rules are what we need to explore here. Too often Christians focus on the effect that is sin rather than some of the root causes. If prior to university time can be spent working on creating a high value of self and of others, for honouring our own body and other peoples, then sex become a gift that we value rather than sin or rule to stay away from. At the same time sex doesn’t become a substitute for comfort, security, self worth or significance.
Youth workers will do well to encourage single sex forums where there can be open and honest discussion around masturbation, sex and pornography and look at the reasons why we do these things as well as encouraging all the regular boundary setting.
Advice for churches near universities
Churches simply need to provide regular opportunity for students to receive grace and healing for the varying degrees of sexual brokenness we all carry.
Read the other blogs in the series:
Loneliness - A Christian Fresher’s 5 Biggest Battlegrounds
Alcohol - A Christian Fresher’s 5 Biggest Battlegrounds
Sex - A Christian Fresher’s 5 Biggest Battlegrounds
