Editing Sexual abstinence (section)

===Christianity===
{{further|Evangelical counsels}}
{{quote box
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| quote="But because of sexual sins, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband."
| source = — 1 Corinthians 7:2, [[Evangelical Heritage Version|EHV]]<ref>{{cite web |title=1 Corinthians 7:2 Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+7%3A2&version=EHV}}</ref>
}}

{{quote box
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| quote="Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers."
| source = — Hebrews 13:4, [[New Revised Standard Version|NRSV]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Hebrews 13:4 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A4&version=NRSV}}</ref>
}}
Most Christians teach that sexual intercourse should occur exclusively within marriage, and that sexual [[abstinence]] is the norm outside of that. Sex between people not married to each other is either [[fornication]] or [[adultery]]. But for married couples, [[Paul of Tarsus]] wrote that they should not deprive each other, except for a short time for devotion to [[prayer]].<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%207.3-5;&version=31; 1 Corinthians 7.3-5]</ref>

The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es and the [[Oriental Orthodox Church]]es teach [[chastity]] until marriage. But even then, in accordance with the teaching of the Apostle Paul, periods of abstinence are encouraged among married couples. Traditionally, Orthodox spouses abstain from physical relations on Wednesdays (the day Jesus was betrayed), Fridays (the day Jesus was crucified), the eves of [[Great Feasts]] and throughout the four fasting periods ([[Great Lent]], [[Nativity Fast]], [[Apostles' Fast]] and [[Dormition Fast]]). This is to allow believers "to give themselves time for fasting and prayer ({{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|7:5|KJV}})."<ref name="Samaan2024">{{cite web |last1=Samaan |first1=Moses |title=The Meaning of the Great Lent |url=https://www.lacopts.org/story/the-meaning-of-the-great-lent/ |publisher=[[Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii]] |access-date=10 March 2024 |date=9 April 2009 |quote=The Church teaches us to fast until sunset. Fish is not allowed during this period. Also married couples should refrain from physical relations to give themselves time for fasting and prayer (1 Cor. 7: 5). We would like to emphasize the importance of the period of strict abstention during fasting. It is refraining from eating and drinking for a period of time, followed by eating vegetarian food. ... True fasting must be accompanied by abstention from food and drink until sunset as designated by the Church.}}</ref><ref name="Menzel2014">{{cite web |last1=Menzel |first1=Konstantinos |title=Abstaining From Sex Is Part of Fasting |url=https://greekreporter.com/2014/04/14/abstaining-from-sex-is-part-of-fasting/ |publisher=[[Greek Reporter]] |access-date=27 May 2021 |language=English |date=14 April 2014}}</ref>

[[Catholic Church|Catholicism]] defines [[chastity]] as the virtue that moderates the sexual appetite.<ref>Thomas Aquinas, ''Summa Theologia'' I-II q. 60 a. 5; ''Catholic Encyclopedia'', "Chastity"</ref> Unmarried Catholics express chastity through sexual [[abstinence]]. Sexual intercourse within marriage is considered chaste when it retains the twofold significance of union and procreation.<ref>''Humanae vitae'' 12</ref> This is why the Catholic Church does not condone the use of contraception, even within the confines of the marital union.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Birth Control |url=https://www.catholic.com/tract/birth-control |website=Catholic Answers}}</ref> Pope [[Pope John Paul II|John Paul II]] spoke on contraception not only as its nature as sinful in the eyes of the church, but also in regards to its dangerous nature to harm married couples. Without the openness to life, John Paul said, the gift of oneself within the bond of marriage is incomplete. The Catholic Church does, however, condone the practice of periodical abstinence during a woman's natural cycle of fertility for married couples who, for just reasons, do not wish to have a child at that time. This is a key component of Natural Family Planning, which is set apart from contraceptive measures on the grounds that it does not interrupt the natural order of the marital union with artificial means.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Natural Family Planning |url=https://www.usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning |website=United States Council of Catholic Bishops}}</ref> The entirety of the Catholic Church's stance on contraception is predicated by the way the Catholic Church views marriage, insofar as marriage is an intimate human union between man and a woman wherein the two mutually give of themselves in their entirety for the good of the other and live in such a way that is open to procreation.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church |publisher=Librenia Editrice Vaticana |pages=400 |language=English}}</ref>

The [[Methodist Church]] teaches that "Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are only clearly affirmed in the marriage bond."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1728|title=Human Sexuality|year=2014|work=[[The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church]]|publisher=The United Methodist Church}}</ref>

The [[United Church of Christ]] is "liberal in their approaches, believing that individuals must decide for themselves how to express their sexual nature."<ref name="Buehler2013">{{cite book|last=Buehler|first=Stephanie|title=What Every Mental Health Professional Needs to Know About Sex|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ccI7AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA55|access-date=19 June 2014|date=29 July 2013|publisher=Springer Publishing Company|isbn=9780826171214|page=55|quote=Religions notably vary in their view of sexuality and its expression, especially regarding premarital sex, sexual orientation, and masturbation. Some religions, such as the United Church of Christ, are liberal in their approaches, believing that individuals must decide for themselves how to express their sexual nature. Others, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism) and Catholicism, take an austere view of premarital experimentation and masturbation.}}</ref>