Sexual abstinence outside marriage

Whether sexual activity belongs exclusively within the covenant of marriage (chastity outside, faithfulness within), per the consistent biblical sexual ethic (1 Thess 4:3, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Cor 6:18-20). The historic position of every major Christian tradition. Some churches have become permissive about premarital sex / cohabitation. "Affirms" = the historic view that sex belongs in marriage; "denies" = a permissive position. Look for explicit teaching on chastity, "sex within marriage", "purity" vs. de facto silence + welcoming language toward cohabiting couples.

This doctrine distinguishes traditions but is not a boundary of orthodoxy.