Religion and sexuality, a new view — from Georgetown University Press blog

Georgetown University Press blog presents a new idea on how you can be religious and sexual, without feeling shame.

The blog published a two-part series investigating and proposing some great ideas that anyone of faith might find interesting.

This is something I’ve thought about for a long time. My parents raised me going to church on and off, but religion wasn’t strictly practiced in my house. I stopped for several years, and went back to church for a few years in high school.

It was clear to me, based on my behavior and the behavior of my youth group friends, that religious organizations generally don’t address sexuality in a way that deals with issues such as unplanned pregnancy, STIs, or the emotional repercussions of sex in a way that doesn’t create shame.

Young adults have sex and young religious adults have sex. Even if they are devout religious followers, sex happens. Many young religious people (and young people in general) have unsafe sex that can cause not only physical but also emotional harm (anal sex is sex, and if you do it wrong, it can really hurt!).

Many of these sexual encounters happen because people who have decided to abstain from sex get caught up in a moment or relationship, and don’t know they have other options besides penetrative sex.

I think it is absolutely fine if you want to be religious and abstain from sex, go for it! But to have abstinence be effective, you shouldn’t shame masturbation. Masturbation might be one of the keys to successful abstinence.
I wrote about several activities you can do if you chose not to have sex with your partner, check them out here and here.

Religious Teachings on Sex Infographic (Photo credit: pseudoplacebo)

I hope people of faith can get on board with the ideas presented in the post from Georgetown University Press blog.

Talk to a leader in your church about the ideas presented in this article. If you want more information on how to teach safe solo or non-solo sex to people of faith, email me at hrileysf@gmail.com. Self Serve in Albuquerque also has several resources such as masturbation sleeves and vibrators.

The following is the first part of a two-part series from the Georgetown University Press blog written by Todd A. Salzman and Michael G. Lawler, authors of Sexual Ethics.

Here is part two.

Proposing a Renewed Catholic Understanding of the Sexual Person.