@SuperSnekFriend I will take a stab at defending the spirit of what I believe they’re saying. In the greek traditions which respect the *nous* as the soul (some variant of this, with different traditions viewing it as higher than the soul, synonymous to the soul, or more of a spiritual eye or connection to God [note, I dont read Greek and college was long ago]), the idea of asceticism is about subordinating the body and mind to the soul. Self-control and restraint of one’s desires are therefor analogous to any exercise one might do to strengthen the body. We don’t hear that much condemnation against gluttony, likely because being fat is historically a luxury while sex for a married couple is “free”. I could expound on all of this, but I’m less interested in defending the position than contextualizing it as a message from someone likely trained in or by students of Greek schooling and delivering a sermon directed at the things he sees in front of him.

Personally I do not like abstaining from sex for fasts. I have bigger sins and things which interfere with my ability to focus on God than marital passions with my wife. Modernity is pretty awful for spiritual life all around, and intimacy is an escape from the many distractions and wicked things of the world.