Sex and religion

From early childhood, society forms in our minds the idea of sex as something mysterious and forbidden. Closed at night at the key door in the parent’s bedroom, films with age restrictions, adult conversations turning into whispers, mysterious advertising banners with three letters “XXX”...

Over the centuries, religions have treated sex differently and have created their own norms. Christianity has always put forward strict taboos regarding any intimate relationship before marriage. Moreover, only an innocent person or a married person was perceived as a full-fledged person.
In Islam, sex before marriage was also strictly excluded. Under Sharia law, it was even punishable by jail or whiplash.
Most of the representatives of other religions believe that if Islam dresses women in the veil, hiding their beauty from men’s eyes, then religion considers intimate life dirty and shameful. In fact, Islam encourages sex, but requires strict religious guidelines. Hijab is a symbol of piousness and modesty.

In earlier times in Judaism, after the wedding night, the bride’s parents were required to present the elders with sheets with blood stains as proof of the virginity of the girl. If the elders had any doubts, the wife was stoned to death. Fortunately, such severe punishments are not currently practiced.

For Buddhists, virginity is not essential. But at the same time, their attitude to sex is specific. According to Buddhism, sex is an evil that interferes with mental balance.
Hinduism generally refers to sex as sacred. The Torah has always forbidden adultery. Through intimate relationships, the spouses fulfill the basic commandment of the Torah - childbearing. The act of childbearing for Judaism has a special sacred power. The spouses had a special requirement - the husband had to be 3 times older than his wife.

In addition to the main religions, there were representatives of a special direction - asceticism. Ascetics engaged in self-flagellation, suppression of physical desires, and often resorted to at least castration. People united in sects, disfigured the genitals, calling themselves scoops. They were of the opinion that it is from sexual passion that magic follows.

Also in different eras, each religion established its own sexual customs and rituals, as an example, and the famous right of the first night, which existed in the Middle Ages in Europe, and the deprivation of virginity by priests of Buddha in Southeast Asia, and the tradition of sexual orgies with dancers in most Hindu temples.

Yunna Zuzenkova