Download Chapter 17

Chapter 17
Sexuality, Spirituality, and
Religious Traditions
Quote for the day
That living things should exist at all, let
alone make copies of themselves, is
nothing short of wonderous…Sex expensive and extravagant though it be conquers death.
- Sparks, 1999, p. 197
Spirituality v. Religion
• Spirituality is concerned with the spirit or
soul rather than the body or physical things.
• Religion is a personal or institutional
system grounded in a belief in a
supernatural power or powers regarded as
creator and governor of the universe.
Spirituality and Sexuality
• Spirituality is about consciousness, meaning
and hope - about our connections to one
another and with something beyond
ourselves.
• Your spiritual needs are defined by:
– Your morals: What you believe is right
– Your values: What you believe is desirable
– Your ethics: How you believe people should behave
Sexuality and Religion
• Religion is a universal phenomenon that plays a
part in all human cultures.
• For thousands of years, religion has offered
explanations of the origin of the world, life after
death, the mysteries of nature, as well as moral
ideas of right and wrong.
• While most religions have promoted sexual virtue
among their believers, at the same time some of
them sought to associate sexual vice and
perversity with their spiritual rivals.
Sexuality and Religion
• The religions of the world have become truly
global
• Religion can play a significant role in promoting
an understanding of healthy sexuality as an
expression of respect, caring, equality, and love.
• Religion can also provide the justification for
sexual guilt, intolerance, and oppression.
• What all religions seem to have in common is an
effort to control sexuality.
Religious Positions on Some Sex
Issues
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Sexuality and Religion
• Religious affiliation and religiosity
(strength of beliefs and religious service
attendance) may influence sexual attitudes
and behaviors.
• Difficult to measure this in research
• Link between religion and sexual restraint
Religion and Sexual Attitudes in
the United States
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Sexuality and Religion
• Research suggests that religious people
report they are less likely to:
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give or receive oral sex
perform anal sex
be homosexual or bisexual
masturbate
• On the other hand, religious people report
higher rates of physical and emotional
satisfaction with their sex lives.
Sexuality and Religion
• Religion appears to shape people’s attitudes more
than their behavior. For example:
– Religious people are just as likely to commit adultery
– One study found only 10% of Catholic priests lived up
to vows of celibacy
• Restrictions are not the only effect religion has on
sexuality. In some religious cults, female devotees
are permitted or even encouraged to have sex with
male leaders.
Sexuality and Religious
Traditions
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Judaism
Christianity
Islam
Taoism
Hinduism
Buddism
Tantra
Judaism
• Based on the Old Testament, the Torah, and
the Talmud.
• View sexuality as fundamentally positive
and marital sex as a gift from God.
• Sexuality is seen as a deep and intimate part
of a relationship
– “to know”
Judaism
• The creation stories in Genesis explain
biological sex and the reasons for two
sexes.
– The goal of union is sexual pleasure, not just
procreation
• Ambivalence about sex can be found early
in the Bible.
– Interpretations of original sin
Judaism
• Importance of sexuality in the first year of
marriage.
• While Judaism recognized sex as being
pleasurable, the emphasis was on procreation
• Adultery was clearly condemned by the Old
Testament, not only as a sexual sin but also as a
violation of property rights.
Judaism
• In Judaism, marriage was considered to be the
natural state for men and women.
• Onanism is another term for masturbation. But
many scholars interpret the sin of Onan not as
masturbation but as Onan’s refusal to honor the
Levite law to procreate with his dead brother’s
wife. He engaged in coitus interruptus.
Judaism
• Pregnant, nursing and postmenopausal women are
all encouraged to continue sexual relations.
• Menstruating women are considered to be
“unclean.”
• Jewish women are encouraged to take an active
role and to initiate sex if they wish. They are also
permitted to reject their husbands advances.
Judaism
• Three major movements:
– Orthodox
– Conservative
– Reform
– A smaller movement: Reconstructionist
Christianity
• Based on traditions of Old Testament and
teachings of Jesus, believed to be the Son of
God, that compose New Testament.
• Two primary divisions:
– Catholicism
– Protestantism
• Teaching of Jesus focused on love and
tolerance
Christianity
• Rooted in a belief in a God of Love, a God of
agape… “the love religion.”
• Early Christian expression and interpretation of
New Testament emphasized the control and
restriction of sexuality.
• The Christian ideal of rising above the sins of the
flesh and abstaining from all sexual activity has
presented a difficult struggle throughout church
history.
Christianity
• The ideal of sexual abstinence has consistently
presented greater problems for Christian men than
for women.
• Paul’s teachings
– Importance of overcoming “desires of the flesh”
– Homosexuality
– Role of women
• Despite the mixed messages, Christianity has
always appealed to women.
Christianity
• St. Augustine - only celibacy will open the
heavenly gates
• Thomas Aquinas - condemned sexual acts done
only for pleasure
• According to research by John Boswell: No
explicit prohibition against homosexuality until
the writings of St. Augustine in the 4th century.
• Over the centuries, a greater understanding of the
importance of joyous sexuality has evolved.
Christianity
• 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, base d on
mutual love and fidelity, and sanctioned by some
kind of covenanted marriage commitment.
• Abortion, contraceptive devices, masturbation,
homosexuality, and technologically-assisted
means of reproduction are all still prohibited.
Christianity
• Protestant Reformation began in the 16th century
lead by Martin Luther and John Calvin
• Sex and sexual desires seen as natural drives,
although premarital sex, adultery, masturbation,
and homosexuality continued to be sinful.
• Protestant Reformation gave rise to Puritanism.
• Today some Christians support a literal
interpretation of the Bible and strict rules of sexual
behavior.
Islam
• The prophet Mohammad founded Islam,
which comes from the Arabic meaning
“peace” and “submission”
• Koran, the Holy Scripture and basic code.
• Founded in the Middle East
• One can only find peace in life by
submitting to Allah, the Almighty God.
Islam
• Five Pillars of Islam
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Testimony of faith
Prayer
Alms
Fasting
Pilgrimage to Mecca
• Islamic tradition highly values marriage and
sexual fulfillment in marriage.
Islam
• Polygyny is permissible for Muslims. A
man is allowed to have four wives. A
woman can have only one husband.
• Islam is a male-dominated religion that
teaches that Allah created men to be
superior to women.
• Women seen as sexual; they are subject to
restrictions.
Islam
• Within marriage oral and anal sex
permitted, masturbation is not condemned,
transvestism among men was historically
common, and bestiality was tolerated.
Homosexuality has been tolerated.
• Sex outside of marriage is a serious offense
• Traditional Islam accepts sensuality and
sexuality as being of high value.
Taoism
• Originated in sixth century B.C. is based on
Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu; emphasizes
importance of harmony with all of nature.
• Toaism, along with Buddhism and
Confucianism, became the three great
religions of China.
• Life is made up of cycles, and the only
constant is change.
Taoism
• Early sex manuals can be traced to China
around 2500 B.C.
• Sexuality is considered part of nature and is
not associated with any kind of sin or moral
guilt
• Yin (earth, dark, receptive, female) and
Yang (heaven, light, penetrating, male)
• Taoist sexual technique: prolong intercourse
Yin and Yang
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Hinduism
• A.k.a. Sanatana Dharma, which means
everlasting or eternal religion/truth/rule.
• A way of life or philosophy
• Includes a highly varied complex of
practices and beliefs.
• Sex is considered a duty that can lead to
spiritual union with the Infinite.
Hinduism
• Hindu male can pursue four goals:
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Kama
Artha
Dharma
Moksha
• Only three Hindu scriptures on the art of
eroticism have been translated into English
– Kama Sutra
Buddhism
• For some it is a religion, for others it is a
philosophy or a way of life.
• Founded in India in the 5th century B.C.,
influenced by Hinduism
• Four Noble Truths of Buddhism
• Eightfold Path of virtue, concentration, and
discernment
• Enlightenment
Buddhism
• Human Individuality is divided into five skandhas:
Form, Feelings, Perceptions, Intentionality, and
Consciousness
– Karma is part of Intentionality
• Celibacy mandatory for priests, recommended for
monks and nuns
• Followers instructed to enjoy sexual activity.
Premarital sex, masturbation, contraception, and
homosexuality are acceptable.
Tanta
• Based on Hindu and Buddhist texts that provide
practical methods of developing awareness of
physical potential and acceptance of all emotions,
sensations, and desires.
• More than the practice of specific sexual acts or
rituals, Tantric sexual systems emphasize
cosmology and celebrated heightened awareness
of sex and all of life.