Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
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What is the church’s teachings concerning sexual relation between husband and wife? What is right and what is not wrong?

Sex within marriage in not wrong, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled" (Heb 13:4). There is a number of facts that you need to be aware of in your marital life: abstinence from sexual relation and committing yourself to the Lord during all the fasting days including Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays, and on any other day you receive Holy communion.The spiritual aim here is to dedicate that day to the Lord for worship and praise.

Having said that, I would like to add that a husband and wife have to come into an agreement regarding this matter as St. Paul says, "The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control" (1 Cor 7:4-5).

In everything we do, there must be moderation, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any" (1 Cor 6:12).

There are some practices (e.g. oral sex and anal sex) that must  not happen between husband and wife because they are considered sinful. "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from unchastity that each one of you know how to take a wife for himself in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like heathen who do not know God" (1 Thess 4:3-5). Also  condemn such practices "for this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural" (Rom 1:26).
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