Andi Lynch

Human Sexuality
12/4/13

How Religious Sexual Values Impact Sexual Behaviors

By Andi Lynch

One of the main driving forces that help people make sense of
this world is religion and spirituality. Your religion gives you purpose, a
reason to live in the world, guidelines to follow for your life, and
something to look forward to after death. Religion provides rules for
every aspect of ones life especially when it comes to sexual behaviors.
In this paper I hope to be able to communicate how religion, spirituality
and our sexual behaviors are intertwined. I want to show the meaning
of sex is and how sexual ethics are different between the religions of
Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Tanta.
Every person living on the earth follows a religion of some sort,
even people who claim to be atheists (having no god) still live to their
own rules and make themselves their own god. But what is religion
defined as, and how is it connected to our behaviors as people?
Religion according to the article Sexuality, Spirituality and Religion
Traditions written by Miracle, Miracle, Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister
is defined as a personal or institutional system grounded in a belief in

a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of

the universe. Your religion is defined by who or what you believe
controls the world around you and depending on what religion you
believe those are the rules that you base your life on. Spirituality
according to Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister concerned with the spirit
or soul rather than the body or physical things, spirituality is about
consciousness, meaning and hope. As people we use spirituality to
connect with our religion (gods, universe, etc.) and to other people
around us. Spirituality is a lens in which we as people define our
morals (what we believe is right), values (what we believe is
desirable), and ethics (how we believe others should behave).
(Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister) Our sexual behaviors help us form
deep connections to other people and our religion provides appropriate
guidelines to follow and help give us an idea of what is right and what
is wrong. There are many different religions that have different rules
and guidelines, what is right and proper in one religion could be wrong
in another. Depending on what your religion is there are many
different reasons for sexual relations among people and different rules
about what sexual relationship (or act) is right or wrong. According to
the research completed by Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister religious
people have reported higher rates of physical and emotional
satisfaction with their sex lives these people are also less likely to
participate in act of giving or receiving oral sex, participating in anal

sex, masturbation, or consider themselves homosexual or bisexual.

What is it about that religion that has people happier with sex and less
likely to complete a wide variety of sexual acts? The religion that the
person is active in says what is right and what is wrong, many of the
acts listed above like masturbation, and oral sex are wrong in many
religions. People do not wish to do the wrong thing especially when
there are consequences for their actions. If someone does participate
in wrong acts they have to worry about both what their god will do as
punishment and what other people will do as a result of their sinning.
For many people shame and guilt consumes them and they are less
happy with their actions, sex lives, and themselves. On the other hand
when you do the right thing according to your religion and have right
sexual behaviors then the person is more satisfied with their sex lives
because they know that they are doing a good thing, the right thing.
When a person follows their religions sexual guidelines they do not
have to worry about the negative opinions of their god or of others.
When a person is following the sexual guidelines of their religion the
people feel better connected to each other and to god. The actual act
of sex is a very personal experience that effects many people
especially women. There are chemicals that are released in a womans
brain while she participates in sex called oxytocins, which helps her
connect to her sexual partner (husband in most cases). Many religions

encourage this connection between a woman and a man and further

the connection by having them become closer to god in their union.
Even though a person actively participates in their religion does
not mean that they will follow the rules all the time. If anything
religion appears to shape peoples attitudes more than their
behavior. (Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister) People still participate in
sinful sexual acts and behaviors even though they know it is wrong and
it goes against their religion. The religion Christianity has a good
explanation why people still do sinful things even though they know
what is right and wrong. They say that people still do wrong, sinful
things because people are naturally sinful and will act of their sinful
human nature.
Judaism is a religion that is based on the Old Testament in the
Bible, Torah (the 5 books that God gave to Moses on Mt. Sinai), and
Talmud (oral law passed down from Jewish rabbis). They view sex as a
treasured gift from God that is a deep and intimate part of a marital
relationship. In the first book of the Bible (Genesis) God created sex to
be between one male and one female so that they could become one
flesh and multiply. That is why a man leaves his father and mother
and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. (Bible, Genesis
2:24) The main goal for marriage is to produce Godly offspring but it is
also a good thing if it is pleasurable. Marriage for Judaism is
considered a natural state for men and women and women are

encouraged to play an active role and initiate sex but the can also
deny the man sex if they so wish to. (Miracle, Miracle and
Baumeister) It is expected of men and women to marry and to
produce children. Some of the sexual ethics that Judaism deals with
are adultery, and masturbation. The act of adultery is wrong and is not
just considered a sexual sin but also a misuse of property rights,
because women are considered the mans property after the two are
married. Masturbation is seen as a sin too because it is misusing the
ability to produce children, and disrespecting your wife by ruining the
relationship between a man and his wife. Masturbation changes the
way the masturbator responds and thinks about sex, because of this
change many times it is harder for the masturbator to react to sexual
intercourse between his or her spouse. For a man masturbation also
wastes his seed or sperm which is how children are made, this
wasting of seed is a sin in the religion of Judaism. Women who are on
their period and even seven days after they are done with their period
are considered unclean because having sexual intercourse with her at
this time disrespects the woman and her womanhood. However
women who are not menstruating or bleeding are clean and are good
to have sex with their spouse and are in fact encouraged to do so.
Christianity is a religion that is based on the Bible, which they
believe to be the inerrant word of God and because it is made from
God it is true. In the Bible the New Testament talks about Jesus, which

is the Son of God and man. Meaning that Jesus is both God and man.
Jesus had an earthly ministry for 3 years an on that time on earth He
taught us what Gods will was and how to live our lives. The Bible and
Jesus are rooted on Law and Gospel. The meaning of this is that God
made the world perfect and with out sin, however the first people
Adam and Eve went against Gods will and brought sin and death into
the world. Because God is a Holy God and does not accept anything
but perfection we were condemned and we could not save ourselves.
God loved us so much (agape love) sent us His Son, Jesus as a Holy
Sacrifice to save us from our sin. Out of our love and gratitude for
being saved by Jesus we willingly follow the guidelines, rules, and
restrictions that God has placed before us written in the Bible,
especially when it comes to restrictions of sexuality. Christianity is split
up into two main groups Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
According to Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister the roman catholic
viewpoint has been that genital sexuality is good and moral only within
a heterosexual, monogamous union that is at least potentially
biologically procreative, based on mutual love and fidelity, and
sanctioned by some kind of covenanted marriage commitment. For
Catholics sex is suppose to be between one man and one woman for
the purpose of making Godly children. Marriage is also seen not only
as a union between a woman and a man but also as a promise (a
convent) between God and the couple. Abortion (the act of killing a

baby in the womb), all contraceptive, masturbation, homosexuality,

and means of reproduction that involve technology are sinful. At the
beginning of Catholicism the practice of abstinence (not having sex)
was thought of being holier than participating in marriage and then
sex. The early teachers believed that if you remained celibate then
you could focus your time on God rather than on your spouse our your
family. The involvement of sexual acts only for pleasure was seen as a
sin too because it does not complete the goal of producing godly
offspring. However, having sexual desires toward your spouse has
been reconsidered and is not though of as a sin anymore.
Protestantism has a more literal interpretation of the Bible and has
strict rules for sexual behavior. Some of the differences from Roman
Catholicism include seeing sex and desires as natural drives and not
seeing those drives as sinful unless it is not about your spouse.
Protestants still see premarital sex, adultery, masturbation, and
homosexuality to be wrong and sinful. Because these things ruin the
gift of marriage that God has given to us.
Islam is a religion that is based on the teaching of the prophet
Mohammad, and they get their teachings from the Koran, Holy
Scripture, and the basic code (the Islamic moral system). One of the
basic beliefs of the Islamic religion according to Miracle, Miracle and
Baumeister is that one can only find peace in life by submitting to
Allah, the Almighty God the Islam religion values marriage and sexual

fulfillment (this means pleasure, happiness, and producing children.)

Marriage is taken very seriously and sex outside of marriage is seen as
a grave sin. People who follow the Islamic religion believe that
celibacy is a sin and that everyone should marry and produce children.
When it comes to sexual ethics unlike Christianity and Judaism
polygamy is allowed for people of the Islamic religion (Muslims) one
man is allowed to have four wives however one woman is only allowed
to have one husband. When it comes to gender roles and
responsibilities Islam is very male dominated and says that Allah
created men to be superior to women (Miracle, Miracle and
Baumeister) Like in Judaism women are seen as the property of the
husband, however women are seen as inferior to men and are cursed if
they refuse to allow the man to have sexual intercourse with them if
the man so wishes to do so. Within marriage oral and anal sex is
permitted, masturbation is not condemned, transvestism among men
was historically common, bestiality was tolerated, and homosexuality
has been tolerated. (Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister) This religion
allows the husband to get rid of a wife if he decides that he does not
want to be married to her.
Taoism is a religion that is based after a Chinese philosopher
Lao-tzu and the religion emphasizes importance of harmony with all of
nature. (Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister) One of the basic beliefs is
that the only thing that is constant in the world is change. Sexuality is

a part of nature and does not have any limits; there is no wrong when
it comes to sexuality. They see sex as a change that happens in the
world and it is an action that will present itself and then leave at any
moment. There are even some sexual techniques that you can
complete that Taoism teaches that prolong the act of intercourse. In
Taoism the Yin Yang sign is significant, the Yin which is the dark side
represents earth, femininity, and receptiveness while the Yang is the
light side and represents heaven, penetrating, and masculinity.
Hinduism is a religion that is more of a way of life or philosophy
which means everlasting or eternal religion/truth/rule. (Miracle,
Miracle and Baumeister) Because Hinduism is a philosophy the
practices and beliefs vary greatly with the person. Some people who
practice Hinduism believe in reincarnation, which is having another life
as a different organism once you die in this life. However sex is seen
as a duty that leads to a spiritual union with the Infinite. When two
people have sex they are not only connected with each other but also
with the Infinite. Marriage is a good thing and it is good to have
pleasure with sex within the marriage, it is also important to produce
children in the marriage. For Hinduism marriage is very important,
both homosexuality and adultery is looked down upon and not
approved of. Homosexuality and adultery hinder from the goal of
marriage, which is to have children.

Buddhism like Hinduism it can be considered a philosophy or a

way of life, but for others it is a religion. It is highly influenced by
Hinduism and is focused on enlightenment. Because it is so influenced
by Hinduism the same ethical issues such as premarital sex,
masturbation, contraception, and homosexuality are accepted.
However celibacy is mandatory for priests, and recommended for
monks and nuns. (Miracle, Miracle and Baumeister) People who are
Buddhist believe in constant changing energy and that when people
participate in sexual behaviors they give off a lot of energy. They do
have an ethic system that calls them to not act violently, take things
that are not freely given, or deceive each other. They also talk about
with freedom comes the ability to let go of obsessions, and
compulsions and having restraint on life. (Higgins)
Lastly the religion of Tanta is based from both Hindu and
Buddhist writings and is focused on the powers of the universe. They
accept all emotions, sensations, and desires and do not count anything
as wrong or bad. People who practice the Tanta religion see sex as a
heightened awareness of all life.
Looking into all of these different religions we see that all of them
have some say when it comes to the sexual behaviors of the people
following it. Some have a creator and a god that creates the rules and
guidelines for our sexual behaviors, while others have no rules and rely
on how people feel. What most of the religions have in common is that

one of the uses for sex is to produce children and to create a family.
The religions that have a god attached to it like Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam all think highly of marriage and all consider adultery as a sin,
granted Hinduism believes this too but that is because it ruins the
marriage. Religions that focus more on change or energy like Taoism,
believe in changing energy and their sexual behaviors are more
promiscuous because they believe that when people participate in sex
it is just a movement of energy. The reason why we have so many
different sexual behaviors is because all of the religions have different
guidelines for how our sexual activities should be. However many
people know what these guidelines are but they do not uphold the
guidelines. This is because we are people and we are faulty and
cannot keep the guidelines that are set before us. Religion is all
around us and shapes all people in how we live our lives and make our
decisions. Our sexual behaviors are influenced by our religious
guidelines in which we live.

Works Cited

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Miracle, Tina S., Andrew W. Miracle, and Roy F. Baumeister.
Human Sexuality: Meeting Your Basic Needs. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003. Print.
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