“Is sex outside of marriage a sin? Is it a public matter? Is it forgivable?”
No, of course sex outside marriage is not a public matter, and yes, of course it is forgivable. Only a person infected by the sort of sanctimonious self-righteousness that religion uniquely inspires would apply the meaningless word ‘sin’ to private sexual behavior.
It is the mark of the religious mind that it cares more about private than public morality.
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/1926-banishing-the-green-eyed-monster
According to Dawkins, sexual morality and fidelity to marriage vows is an entirely private matter, and nobody else’s business. Married men who want to have sex outside of marriage should be allowed to do so, with no shame or disapproval from others.
You don’t need a degree in psychology to wonder why a man who’s on his third wife might want to believe that, do you?
According to the words spoken by a man in the historic English marriage ceremony, here’s what I promised to my wife:
I call upon these persons here present to witness that I take you to be my lawful wedded wife. to have and to hold, from this day, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death us do part, and this is my promise to you.
I was then asked:
Will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
To which I replied, “I will”.
The intention to marry is, by law, published in advance. Those present at the wedding are given an opportunity to state if they know any reason why the marriage might be unlawful. It is then registered with the state. Various laws to do with the state of marriage then come into play. The state then has laws for divorce; and adultery gives an automatic right of divorce.
Yet, according to the new atheists’ chosen champion of reason and rationality, one’s faithfulness to their marriage is all a private affair that nobody else has any legitimate interest in. Marriages are made publicly and registered and regulated publicly – but whether you follow your marriage vows or treat them as a joke – well, what’s that got to do with anything? Meaningless!
Dear new atheists: please find a new champion of reason and rationality. This one has been making you look silly for too long.
Is anyone aware of empirical research into correlations between vociferous atheism and sexual deviancy?