Chastity
Chastity is a virtue related to temperance, is defined as refraining from unreasonable sexual conduct or romantic relationships. Chastity is usually defined within the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization or religion. The term is closely associated with sexual abstinence, especially in the context of premarital and extramarital sex.
Etymology
The words "chaste" and "chastity" stem from the Latin adjective castus. The words entered the English language around the middle of the 13th century. At that time, they meant slightly different things. "Chaste" meant "virtuous or pure from unlawful sexual intercourse",while "chastity" meant "virginity". Not until the late 16th century did the two words come to have the same basic meaning as a related adjective and noun.
Thomas Aquinas links castus to the Latin verb castigo, with a reference to Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics: Chastity takes its name from the fact that reason "chastises" concupiscence, which, like a child, needs curbing, as the Philosopher states.
In Abrahamic religions
For many Jews, Muslims, and Christians, acts of sexual nature are restricted to marriage. For unmarried persons, chastity is identified with sexual abstinence. Sexual acts outside or apart from marriage, such as adultery, fornication, and prostitution, are considered immoral due to lust.Christianity
In many Christian traditions, chastity is synonymous with purity. Chastity means "the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being“, which could according one's marital status either mean to have no sexual relationship or not having any sexual relation outside marriage. It also means fidelity to husband or wife during marriage. In Catholic morality, chastity is placed opposite the deadly sin of lust, and is classified as one of seven virtues. The moderation of sexual desires is required to be virtuous. Reason, will, and desire can harmoniously work together to do what is good.In marriage, the spouses commit to a lifelong relationship that excludes sexual intimacy with other persons. A third form of chastity, often called "vidual chastity", is expected of a woman for a period after her husband dies. For example, Anglican Bishop Jeremy Taylor defined 5 rules in Holy Living, including abstaining from marrying "so long as she is with child by her former husband" and "within the year of mourning".
Celibacy is required as one of the evangelical counsels by the persons of the consecrated life. Furthermore, in 306, the Synod of Elvira proscribed clergy from marrying. This was unevenly enforced until the Second Lateran Council in 1139. Then it became church law. It was not uniformly enforced among the clergy until 200 years later.
Eastern Catholic priests are permitted to marry, provided they do so before ordination and outside monastic life.
Vows of chastity can also be taken by laypersons, either as part of an organised religious life or on an individual basis: as a voluntary act of devotion, or as part of an ascetic lifestyle, or both. Some Protestant religious communities, such as the Bruderhof, take vows of chastity as part of the church membership process.
Chastity is a central and pivotal concept in Roman Catholic praxis. Chastity's importance in traditional Roman Catholic teaching stems from the fact that it is regarded as essential in maintaining and cultivating the unity of body with spirit and thus the integrity of the human being. It is also regarded as fundamental to the practise of the Catholic life because it involves an apprenticeship in self-mastery. By attaining mastery over one's passions, reason, will, and desire can harmoniously work together to do what is good.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chastity is very important, quoting:
"Physical intimacy between husband and wife is a beautiful and sacred part of God's plan for His children. It is an expression of love within marriage and allows husband and wife to participate in the creation of life. God has commanded that this sacred power be expressed only between a man and a woman who are legally married. The law of chastity applies to both men and women. It includes strict abstinence from sexual relations before marriage and complete fidelity and loyalty to one's spouse after marriage.
"The law of chastity requires that sexual relations be reserved for marriage between a man and a woman.
"In addition to reserving sexual intimacy for marriage, we obey the law of chastity by controlling our thoughts, words, and actions. Jesus Christ taught,"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart"."
LDS teaching also includes that sexual expression within marriage is an important dimension of spousal bonding apart from, but not necessarily avoiding its procreative result.
Islam
Chastity is mandatory in Islam. Sex outside legitimacy is prohibited, for both men and women whether married or unmarried.The most famous personal example of chastity in the Quran is Virgin Mary :
"And the one who guarded her chastity, so We blew into her through Our angel , and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds."
"And she took, in seclusion from them, a screen. Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man.She said, "Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, , if you should be fearing of Allah."He said, "I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you a pure boy."She said, "How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?""
Extramarital sex is forbidden and the Quran says:
"And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way."
"And those who do not invoke with Allah another deity or kill the soul which Allah has forbidden , except by right, and do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. And whoever should do that will meet a penalty.Multiplied for him is the punishment on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein humiliated -Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful."
The injunctions and forbiddings in Islam apply equally to men and women. The legal punishment for adultery is equal for men and women. Social hypocrisy in many societies over history had led to a double standard when considering sin committed by men versus sin committed by women. Society tended to be more lenient and permissive towards men forgiving men for sins not forgivable when women do them. In a list of commendable deeds the Quran says:
"Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward."
Because the sex desire is usually attained before a man is financially capable of marriage, the love to God and mindfulness of Him should be sufficient motive for chastity:
"But let them who find not marriage abstain until Allah enriches them from His bounty. And those who seek a contract from among whom your right hands possess - then make a contract with them if you know there is within them goodness and give them from the wealth of Allah which He has given you. And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek the temporary interests of worldly life. And if someone should compel them, then indeed, Allah is , after their compulsion, Forgiving and Merciful." The prophet's prescription to the youth was:
Those of you who own the means should marry for this should keep their eyes uncraving and their chastity secure. Those who don't, may practise fasting for it curbs desire. "
Chastity is an attitude and a way of life. In Islam it is both a personal and a social value. A Muslim society should not condone relations entailing or conducive to sexual license. Social patterns and practices calculated to inflame sexual desire are frowned upon by Islam, such incitements to immorality including permissive ideologies, titillating works of art and the failure to inculcate sound moral principles in the young. At the heart of such a view of human sexuality lies the conviction that the notion of personal freedom should never be misconstrued as the freedom to flout God's laws by overstepping the bounds which, in His infinite wisdom, He has set upon the relations of the sexes.