Religious Preference Affect Opinion Sex Marriage

Religious preference affect opinion sex marriage..

Religion has a strong influence on how people perceive the idea of sex before marriage, as while some religions consider it wrong to perform the practice others support it or are indifferent with regard to it. The fact that most world religions express an opinion concerning this matter reflects on society as a whole as there are numerous individuals who believe that it is morally wrong for a person to have sex with another person if they are not married. A culture's sexual norms are strongly connected with religious beliefs associated with the respective culture.

Sexual decisions are typically associated with personal choices as they are largely based on how individuals feel at the time when they are presented with the opportunity to engage in a sexual activity. However, social influences are particularly important when considering this topic. Religious practice and beliefs have a strong influence on premarital sexual activity rates and provide less permissive attitudes concerning sexuality (Herbert & Duane).

Religious laws are generally inclined to promote particular actions as deviant and individuals thus end up having second thoughts with regard to ideas they have concerning sexuality. "Some religions provide strong opinions on issues such as premarital and extramarital sex, homosexuality, sexual variations, abortions, masturbation, contraception and sex education" (Carroll 34). This means that individuals who prefer these particular religious ideologies have trouble expressing (and putting into action) thinking that is deviant when regarding matters from a religious perspective. Their affiliation with these religious ideologies thus has a strong influence on how they behave and on how they perceive matters such as sexuality.

Christianity is one of the major religions that catalogue premarital sex as being immoral. "Christian doctrine stated that sex before marriage was wrong because sex was primarily for procreation" (Carroll 34). Numerous individuals feel the need to turn to religious institutions in an attempt to find answers to questions related to sexuality. The fact that religions as a whole promote a series of moral beliefs influences these people to believe that it would only be normal for them to act in accordance with laws promoted by religious ideologies.

While most would agree that religious ideologies have an effect on sexual attitudes and on the way people behave when considering sex, the truth is that it is very difficult to assess the exact effect that religion has on behavior. It is certainly true that attitudes change significantly as individuals guide themselves in accordance with religious principles. According to Jeremy Uecker, "premarital sex is widespread even among religious Americans and abstinence pledgers." However, religious persons are apparently less likely to engage in premarital sex when compared with non-religious individuals. Even when they do have premarital sex, many religious persons are probable to put across such behavior toward their future spouse.

Conservative Protestants are considered to be among the groups that are most concerned about the issue of premarital sex. This group has devised a movement meant to encourage individuals to take abstinence pledges. This act is virtually an attempt to have people (adolescents in particular) get actively involved in promising that they are going to remain abstinent until they are married (Uecker).

It is intriguing to observe how particular religious groups use scientific fact with the purpose to influence individuals. It appears that religion and science work together in this situation with the purpose of having people acknowledge the fact that premarital sex represents more than a morally wrong activity. Religious groups "endorse a variety of reasons to abstain from sex until marriage, including what they perceive to be the "failure" of contraceptives, the "horrors" of STDs, the importance of giving your spouse the "gift" of virginity, and biblical teachings about sexual morality" (Uecker, 2008). Although it is obvious that religious groups and pledging organizations have had a series of successes in preventing adolescents and individuals in general from engaging in premarital sex, it is actually impossible to assess the exact effects that such groups have had on society as a whole.