Today's question is from an outsider, Sarah.

Sarah is not a Christian.

She says she may never become a Christian either, but she has some Christian friends,

and they encouraged her to send this question in to ask Pastor John.

Why do Christians make such a big deal out of sex?

Why all the prohibitions about something so natural and personal?

Here's what Sarah wrote to us, a student at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.

Pastor John, thank you for considering this question from me, a college student who didn't grow up as Christian,

and someone not really convinced that I will become a Christian either.

But here I am, surrounded by Christians at school, and even have a few good Christian friends.

I've asked them this, and they suggested that I ask you this, too.

Here it goes. I often wonder them this, and they suggested that I ask you this, too. Here it goes.

I often wonder why Christians get so hung up on sex and what constitutes what is forbidden or wrong, which is many, if not most, sex acts, as far as I can tell, certainly anything and

everything outside monogamous, heterosexual marriage.

From the outside, it looks like a lot of unnecessary prohibitions around something so physical,

natural, instinctive, and personal. Can you explain why sex is such a big deal for Christians?

Sarah, you are probably more right than you know. Christians do make a big

deal out of sexual behavior, probably a bigger deal than you realize. So your question is a good one.

Why is sex such a big deal for Christians?

Why do Christians preserve the act of sexual intercourse for monogamous heterosexual marriage?

Let me try to answer this first with just a personal question for you, Sarah,

and then a longer explanation from the Bible. Sarah, wouldn't you say that deep inside your

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