[OBW]

So let's look at the science.

Originally Posted by 77150

A few years ago I read an interesting study. They put a female mouse into a cage with two male mice. Each of the males was tied up and kept in separate “rooms” of the cage. The female mouse could travel freely between the two rooms. The female mouse mated with both mice but in the end spent all of her time with the first mouse she had mated with. I think the Bible refers to this as “first love”. Apparently the biologists have determined that experience is imprinted on the brain in such a way that you prefer that first love. I think this is part of what God is referring to, something special happens in that first love, fornication is therefore contrary to the design of God.

This clearly is the design of God. I will not state otherwise. But it is not because of the "flesh." It is a psychological pattern. And every time we try to go against this designed pattern, it damages the pattern. Those that continually cheat eventually have problems with the "first love." Or their first love was just an experiment in high school with someone they didn't really love. They eventually break the mental link between sex and love and relationship and none of it matters.

But it is not about "flesh." There are some places where "flesh" is used to represent the fallen desires of the heart — something not physical. But none of it, done right or wrong, makes us a single "flesh" in the physical sense.

Originally Posted by 77150

The brain has “mirror neurons” which cause us to mirror in our brain facial expressions and body movements that we see, voices we hear, mannerisms, expressions, etc. So if you are married and spend a lot of time with your spouse you will unconsciously mirror expressions. This will literally be etched into your face. We have all seen boys that seem to unconsciously mimic their dad, or an old couple whose faces look remarkably similar. Paul talks about beholding and reflecting the glory of the Lord. Therefore I think it is very reasonable to think there is a spiritual reality to mirror neurons. This shows that spending time in the presence of the Lord will change you, it will change your expressions, your mannerisms, your words, your speech.

And your examples are perfectly clear. We have a psychological makeup that tends toward uniformity. If we are around someone who says "yada yada" a lot, eventually we say it. It does not make us one flesh with them, although in some ways we might be "one."

Originally Posted by 77150

But the act of sex has far more consequences than fornicators wish to admit. Half of all the DNA in your body does not belong to you. Our Body is a host of a myriad number of organisms. Many of these we could not live without which is why taking antibiotics can have very negative consequences.

I would agree that the sex act is more than many want to admit. As mentioned above, it is more than an act of physical gratification. It is best when pure. They can't explain it away.

But my body has only my DNA. Other organisms that may be within me, from viruses, to the strep that is alway present, to the E coli in our bowels; all the "pro biotics" that people are now trying to drink in, etc., are not our DNA. We may have a need for them, or at least some of them. But that does not make them us. I recently read of studies in which enemas made from small amounts of fecal matter from individuals with desirable characteristics were used to infuse individuals with something lacking that ultimately resulted in a cure for certain kinds of things far beyond irritated bowel syndrome or any other problems with the digestive system. But that does not infer that what was introduced became part of the actual person, just part of the environment in which the person lives. Our environment is more than the air around us. It includes much within us. But it is not us. It can be changed.