Sex and relationships
This is definitely one of those 'hot topics'. Christianity has traditionally held that the only place for sex is in marriage. Since contraception became widely available in the 1960s, more and more people have been having sex outside marriage. The church would look at the unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, and argue that their position is correct.
On the other hand, times have changed, and having sex no longer means being ready to have a baby with someone. In the past, couples were kicked out of churches when they moved in together unmarried. Is this still the right way to go?
Also, opinions have changed about homosexuality. Traditional church teaching has been against homosexual sex, and in the past Bible translations used words like 'abomination' to describe homosexual acts. It seemed clear that Christianity did not allow practising gay relationships. Christians from many denominations now believe that the Bible doesn't deal with the kind of commited, long-term relationships that gay Christians aspire to. How should Christians react to Civil Partnerships?
