Sending me 1 Co 6:16 as biblical evidence of soul ties ain’t gon do what you think it’s gon do.

1) Soul ties ain’t even what Paul was talking about.
2) Folks in Corinth had sexual desires that Paul didn’t want them to express because he felt it made the church look weak.

3) Paul referred right back to “the law” in that scripture to reinforce his point and he—and y’all—stay claiming we ain’t under that anymore.
4) “Two becoming one” and this idea of Biblical marriage was only to regulate women’s agency and strip them of it.

4a) Hence a man could have one wife and several concubines but if a wife tried to the same, she’d be stoned.
4b) Also, scholars have done a lot of work around ‘two becoming one’ having everything to do with the share and transfer of property and rights in marriage.

5) By yall’s logic, if verse 16 is talking about sexual soul ties with people, it could be argued that Paul’s lobbying for yall to never have sex at all in the very next verse because a “soul tie” with God is better. See how dumb we just got because of yall?
6) Go back to 1.

I make no secret about my Paul side eye. Dude murdered Christians and then became one. Ain’t no way a rational person is going to let the one who wanted them dead now dictate every step of their lives.

Add to that, I believe Paul’s overzealous leadership was rooted in his projection and attempt to outrun his past. God changed him. God can change all of us. And those Christians were still dead. The impact of who we used to be is still felt. *We* remember the things we have done.

Be very clear: I am a Christian who is sex positive. I believe that sex is healthy, necessary and productive for reasons beyond reproduction. I believe physical intimacy is holy and our agency concerning it is respected by God.

I believe those of us who have the privilege of experiencing physical intimacy (because all bodies do not for various reasons) should do so as often as we deem necessary for our health, wellness and desires.

And I believe sexual agency should be grounded in an ethic that honors who God created us to be, aiding in our flourishing—not taking from it.

Do I believe premarital sex is sin? No.
Do I believe remaining in a relationship where my light and worth are diminished is sin? Yep.

Unless my desires place people in physical harm and danger or rely on unhealthy power dynamics to take place, I don’t believe God cares that much about my sex life.

I believe God cares more about whether I am a healthy, well adjusted, ethical human contributing to society.

You can be mad and say I am unbiblical. I don’t care.

I am a Black woman and come from a people who had to read themselves (back) into the Bible and God’s love because White folks read them out of it.

This is part of the work my ancestors couldn’t complete. This is my Sankofa.

I’m not evangelical. I am a liberationist and consider myself a process theologian. I have a MA in Sociology with a concentration in the Sociology of Religion and a MDiv.

I am as Black as I am feminist as I am Christian. That’s how God and I decided I would show up in the world.

I believe Black womanhood is its own spirituality and has had to be in order to endure various structural and social oppressions.

When Black women are statistically the most religious demographic in America, I will always speak out when religion is used against them.

If you want to engage in dialogue about the vast ideological beliefs existing under the Christian umbrella, I welcome it. But if you think you finna shut me down with scripture because you don’t like what I’m saying, it won’t bode well for you.

Be blessed and walk in victory.