Episode 93: ”No Sex Before Marriage” Isn’t Biblical: Rethinking Purity Culture and Sexual Immorality w/ Mattie Mae Motl

"No sex before marriage" isn't actually in the Bible, and neither is the single "biblical marriage" purity culture sold us. Jaisa and Rachael sit down with Bible scholar Mattie Mae Motl to ask what scripture really says about sex, gender, and sexuality once you strip away the rules we inherited.

They dig into what "sexual immorality" actually meant (exploitative sex, not premarital sex), how religion has long been used to control women's bodies, and why the body is an access to the divine, not an obstacle to it. Mattie shares her own purity culture upbringing, why "praying the gay away" is harmful, why sexuality is a spectrum, and what the Trevor Project data says about affirming homes. It closes on reading the Bible through love of God and neighbor, raising kids around sex without shame, and a little astrology to send us off.

About our guest: Mattie Mae Motl is a Bible scholar and PhD candidate at the University of St Andrews, a writer, creator, mother, and an openly queer voice in this space.

Follow X: @mattiemaemotl (Instagram) / @mattiemaemotl (TikTok)
Follow her Substack

If you enjoyed this episode be sure to check out:
 
Episode 59 - What We Got Wrong About Homosexuality: Culture, Politics & The Church (Part 2)

Episode 58 - The 1946 Mistake that Changed Christianity: How "Homosexual" Entered the Bible

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