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hi i'm new here and I am a parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Byzantine Catholic church in Mesa,AZ and i have a question- my friend goes to a "christian" church and said something about "second virginity" that means that if a person has not remained abstinant until marriage, that once they stop having sexual relations until marriage, that god will still forgive them... is this true?? do we as catholics beleive this?? if anyone can help that would be great!!! Thank you!! Alyssa Hvasta 
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Alyssa
I'm not sure I am the right person to answer this one - hopefully one of the clerics will also pick this up.
However my response is that premarital sexual relations are wrong , sinful .
However if the person concerned truly repents of this and confesses it in the Sacrament / Mystery of Confession, with the intention of not repeating it and is fully contrite , then the priest will give absolution and a penance. From that moment their sin is Forgiven - God has pardoned them , it is wiped out.
The difference between your friend who attends a 'christian church' and you is that he/she does not have the wonderful God given opportunity for the wonderul spiritual healing that we Catholics can receive in this most neglected Sacrament/Mystery.
Do you remember as a young child how you felt when you ran to your Mother or Father after you had done something wrong , and you told them and they said that she/he forgave you for your misdeed ? Do you remember the joy and relief and gratitude ? That is how we Catholics feel after we have been given Sacramental Absolution.
If your friend is truly repentant then God will surely forgive their sins ,
But it is truly wonderful to hear the words of absolution and know that you are forgiven.
These are, I think ,the words that are said by a Byzcath Priest [ I am Latin ] May our Lord and God Jesus Christ, through the grace and mercies of his love for mankind, who�has given his divine authority to his holy disciples and apostles to bind and loose the sins of the fallen and from whom in turn, we have received the obligation to do likewise, forgive you spiritual child, (name) all of your transgressions; and I, an unworthy priest, through His power given me, forgive and absolve you from all of your sins, in the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I hope this helps you
Anhelyna the Eastward inclined Latin
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They were just starting to sell this . . . um . . . idea when I was getting out of Evangelical Protestantism. They're trying to say that God makes them "whole" after they are forgiven.
They are forgiven after they say, "Hey God, I'm really sorry and I won�t do it again." Then God makes it like they never did anything wrong, as if nothing happened. As long as they stay on that path, they are "virgins" because they were "born again" and made whole.
It also goes along with their sense of "holiness." You can't be unmarried and "holy" if you're not a virgin, so some folks dreamed this up so they wouldn't feel unholy (or dishonest when they wear white at their wedding). This idea is supposed to get them off the road of sin and back on the straight and narrow path to salvation.
So now they are back on the heavenly way and you're a lost sinner headed for hell unless you get saved.
Of course it doesn't work that way. There are still consequences to our actions. With sex, pregnancy or VD can be a result, but a loss of virginity is certainly one consequence. (I think it would be interesting if someone entered second virginity after getting pregnant. What are the implications?)
This particular movement was popular among girls when I was still an Ev.Prot because they could tell their boyfriends and fianc�es that they were virgins when they weren't and believe they weren't being deceitful. Yes, there are still some guys, especially Ev.Prots, out there who demand (and I mean demand) a virgin when they get married. (Someone close to me married a divorcee who was a �virgin.� It was a requirement of his.)
I think they confuse the cause and effect. The cause of sinfulness is pride and disobedience and the effect is sin. The lack of virginity doesn�t cause sin, but is an effect of it. So we go to confession for healing of the disease. The effect of what we did is still there, but the cause is being cured. Focusing on the symptom is no way to treat a patient. Focusing on the effects of sin is no way to help us poor sinners.
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Originally posted by beachbum21388: hi i'm new here and I am a parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle Byzantine Catholic church in Mesa,AZ and i have a question- my friend goes to a "christian" church and said something about "second virginity" that means that if a person has not remained abstinant until marriage, that once they stop having sexual relations until marriage, that god will still forgive them... is this true?? do we as catholics beleive this?? if anyone can help that would be great!!! Thank you!! Alyssa Hvasta Dear-in-Christ Alyssa, Christ is risen! As far as I can see your question basically is whether "[G]od will still forgive them... is this true??" As far as I understand the answer is a resounding YES!. Otherwise, why confession? Regarding the implications of "second viriginity" I think merits some further discussion but the notion that consequences equal lack of forgiveness seems to me very, very problematic indeed. Tony
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I have thought for a long time that "secondary virginity" is a bunch on nonsense. One cannot regain virginity. Someone who has had sex isn't a virgin. Unless you have a time machine, there's nothing you can do about it after the fact.
Virginity isn't even a virtue anyways. A virtue can only be lost through sin and can be regained through repentence. Virginity, of course, can be lost in ways that are not sinful (i.e., to one's spouse).
Chastity is a virtue.
That's my two cents.
Jason
-- Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.
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but even if you went back in a time machine, YOU'D not be one. Unless you could stop yourself. But then you wouldn't need a time machine and you wouldn't be there to stop yourself . . .
I'm confused.
I should also correct my statement "The cause of sinfulness is pride and disobedience and the effect is sin." The effect is a sinful act. Disobedience and pride are no-nos even if you don't commit the act.
That isn't coming out right. I need more sleep. I'm giving up for the day.
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I have to admit that the term 'secondary virginity' really puzzled me.
I cannot really accept it - virginity in my understanding is a once only 'thing' - once lost it cannot be regained
Should we not be talking about celibacy here?
Anhelyna
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There is nothing wrong with the idea of �Secondary Virginity� promoted by Protestant Christians. Essentially, it is 1) an acknowledgement that a person has sinned by engaging in sexual activity before marriage, 2) an acknowledgment that God forgives those who have sinned in this way and sincerely repent of their sin and ask for God�s forgiveness and 3) a promise to remain abstinent until marriage. In a way it can offer someone a fresh start in life.
As I have heard it described in Evangelical Christian magazines it does not pretend to wipe away the physical consequences of sexual activity (pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, or anything). God forgives all who sincerely repent of their sin. But often we must live with the consequences of our choices.
And, yes, there will always be those who misuse the pledge (as Cizinec has noted).
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In Mexico they have a herbal remedy that produces secondary virginity Stephen R.
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