Combining the incompatible: how do sex and religion coexist in the world?
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According to the old saying, there are three things you shouldn”t discuss in polite company: sex, politics and religion. Why not? Partly because they don”t realize how much these topics overlap because they are within themselves. A person”s sex life influences his politics, religion influences his sex life, religion influences his sexual politics. There is an endless stream of emotional energy flowing through each of these themes, so it would be foolish to deny their overlap.
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Sex and religion — a difficult conversation
It has always been believed that sex and religion have a complex relationship with each other. But at the same time they existed hand in hand. Every religion on the planet has something to say about what sex should be like, what is right and what is wrong. Society thinks about this differently. If a person is religious, the topic of sex is alien to him, and vice versa. Question: can sexuality and religion be interpreted separately or as oil and water?
Back to history
To find the answer, we need to look back to past centuries. In prehistoric times, matriarchs ruled. Before people realized that sperm were important for fertilization, women were thought to reproduce on their own. This led to the deification of female sexuality. Even when patriarchy replaced patriarchy, people believed that sex was a healthy and sacred part of life.
The Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) have many stories and rules regarding intimate relationships. There is one strange story known (it was not yet in the Bible). Lilith was the first wife of that same Adam. She was kind of feminist because she didn”t want to come from below during sex. For this reason, she was expelled from Paradise, and Adam received the humble and submissive Eve. This story has been around for a long time, where sex is considered shameful.
Some religions saw sex differently
All religions and countries around the world interpret sex differently. For example, Hinduism glorifies sex. It was elevated to cults with them. Hindu temples are full of images of sexual intercourse in various positions, and there is nothing wrong with that. The Kama Sutras outline the path to sexual pleasure and its realization, there are ideas about the third sex (hijra), and sex in tantric yoga is described as a sacred union.
Read also: How to combine career and relationships: 5 important tips
We only live once. I need time everywhere. Sometimes we need to be in two places at once. Unfortunately, progress in human development has not yet been achieved.
Modern religion grows in understanding of sexuality
To date, the religion has made several adjustments regarding the understanding of sexuality. Pope John Paul II wrote Theology of the Body. It is based on the study of the beauty of the body and the purpose of sexuality in Catholicism. Today, religions such as Islam and Judaism are increasingly discussing previously taboo topics such as homosexuality and transgenderism.
What about perversions?
Fetlife has a special religious community. The question was discussed there: is it possible to combine faith and sexual perversion (in a rational sense)? Obviously it can, as the answer suggests.
One of the believing community members, Natalie West, shared her thoughts on this matter. If God created me this way, with this sexuality, then it must be good. I began to think about sexuality in ways that would help strengthen my spiritual connection with God. For example, I began to appreciate the Almighty for giving me the opportunity to enjoy my carnal desires.”
Psychotherapist Lauren Barnes argues that sexual deviance and religion can exist in the same person. If spirituality is important to a person, there are ways to ensure it is practiced while still respecting her sexuality.
However, the nuances of how these two areas of life intersect vary greatly from person to person. Each person has a unique sexuality and spiritual life. For some people, finding a clear balance between these areas of life means finding a religious community with which they feel more comfortable.
So this involves reading the literature and researching what the theology of sexuality actually states. In fact, other followers often do not care enough about this, and their views actually support the dominant culture more than their religion. Sexuality and spirituality are the two most opposite, but at the same time the most vulnerable sides of the same person.
In other words, sexuality and religion can exist in the same person without it conflicting with spiritual beliefs. It is important to learn to interpret sexuality from a religious person”s perspective, as this is the most important aspect of sexuality. Once you learn how to interpret your sexuality through spiritual principles, there will be no conflict between your mind and body.
Religion is against sex. Why does faith limit sexuality? Christianity and the sin of sex. Atheists.
