Atheists and sex

General Academics Religion and Philosophy
1

But we know this of course!!! ;D

More satisfying sex please, we’re atheists May 25 2011 at 07:26am

Devoutly religious people rated their sex lives far lower than atheists and admitted to strong feelings of guilt.

Atheists have far better sex lives than religious people who are plagued with guilt during intercourse and for weeks afterwards, researchers have found.

A study found that non-believers are more willing to discuss sexual fantasies and more satisfied with their experiences.

Both groups admitted that they carried out the same activities such as masturbation, watching pornography, having oral sex and pursuing affairs.

But followers of religion did not enjoy the experiences as much due to the stigma created by their belief systems, the study found. It left them with intense feelings of regret after they had climaxed.

The findings emerged in the Sex and Secularism survey of more than 14 500 people carried out by psychologist Darrel Ray and Amanda Brown from Kansas University.

All of the people questioned were found to have sex around the same number of times a week. They also became sexually active at similar ages.

But devoutly religious people rated their sex lives far lower than atheists and admitted to strong feelings of guilt.

Strict religions such as Mormons ranked highest on the scale of sexual guilt. Their average score was 8.19 out of 10. They were followed closely behind by Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists and Baptists.

Catholics rated their levels of guilt at 6.34 while Lutherans came in at 5.88. Atheists and agnostics ranked 4.71 and 4.81.

Religious people had as much sex as non-believers but they felt bad afterwards and often prayed for forgiveness.

In individuals, the stronger the religious beliefs the more powerful the feelings of regret.

Of people raised in very religious homes, 22.5 percent said they were shamed or ridiculed for masturbating compared with only 5.5 percent of people brought up in the least religious homes.

About 79.9 percent of people raised in very religious homes said they felt guilty about a specific sexual activity or desire while 26.3 percent of those raised in secular homes did.

Children raised in strongly religious homes were more likely to get their sex education from pornography, as they were not confident enough to talk with their parents.

People who had lost their belief and became atheists reported a significant improvement in sexual satisfaction.

People who had left their beliefs behind said their sex lives were “much improved” and rated their new experiences on average as 7.81 out of 10.

The finding dispelled the belief that feelings of guilt can continue to trouble people after the religion has faded.

“We did think that religion would have residual effects in people after they left but our data did not show this. That was a very pleasant surprise. The vast majority seem to shake it off and get on with their sexual lives pretty well,” Ray said.

“Our data shows that people feel very guilty about their sexual behaviour when they are religious, but that does not stop them.

“Of course, they have to return to their religion to get forgiveness. It’s like the church gives you the disease, then offers you a fake cure.” – Daily Mail

2

So the unbelievers can deconvert the believers with the offer of mindblowing sex? >:D

3

you still end up with indoctrinated sex-guilt when your folks had 18 years to fuck with your head before you leave home. and no matter how hard you fight the good fight, you still end with mom and dad in the bedroom. or in front of the computer for that matter.

4
Religious people had as much sex as non-believers but they felt bad afterwards and often prayed for forgiveness.

Uhhh, I thought they needed to go forth and multiply?! Bonking (no condoms of course) is god’s work! (Plus they need men for their armies)

Can’t say I’ll complain about having better super-happy-funtime though.

5
Religious people had as much sex as non-believers but they felt bad afterwards and often prayed for forgiveness.

Can’t say that I’ve ever prayed for forgiveness after making love … but I’ve certainly begged forgiveness.

Mintaka

6

It was only after I accepted my skepticism that I was willing to experiment more, to try to find out more about what I enjoyed.

7

Faerie, I considered a reply, but decided to bow to your superior knowledge. 0:)

8

Does it take two (or more) atheists to have good sex? :smiley:

9

A cynic might venture that one’s enough… >:D

'Luthon64

10

;D

With age comes experience…

11

Is that one excluding oneself or would oneself count as one? :stuck_out_tongue:

12

That would depend on whether one’s a schizophrenic – or nought. 0:)

'Luthon64

13
Children raised in strongly religious homes were more likely to get their sex education from pornography, as they were not confident enough to talk with their parents.

Well they might feel guilty but they must have all the moves! Either that or they are watching entirely the wrong kind of porn… Interestingly not only was I surprised at how incredibly devoutly christian South Africa was when I moved here - I was also amazed at the number or Adult World shops! - Don’t see nearly that many in the UK and we are about 40% non- believers…

14

i think with sexual repression, comes the need for doing what you are not supposed to do. thus, plenty sex shops, with tinted windows, and goods given to you in paper packets. and you feel dodgy as all hell when you walk into one, you feel people are judging you when you just walk past a sex shop. god help you when you go into one, and recognise someone that you know inside.
it’s a case of, if you are told you shouldnt want it, then you want it even more.
and since the missus sleeps with the bible on the bedstand, and missionary is what you get. all. the. time. then you are going to want to see how mistress pixy beats the living shit out of some bloke while blowing him.

15

Was having a chat to my 14 year old about this over the weekend, his hormones are rampant and raging at the moment and he’s got a thing for boobies. Anyway, he couldnt grasp the idea that religion could have an influence on one’s (in his case, prospective) love life, until the S/O explained to him that orthodox jews utilise a sheet for the purpose… the young lad got a tad wiser with this discussion and added religious girlfriends on his list of no-go areas… Amazing what one teaches one’s spawn with good intentions, and as with everything else, one can only hope to do the right thing.

16

Perhaps the sheet thing is an extreme example, as is catholic child abuse… but this also happens to middle-of-the-road protestants: I know there have been studies in the states (of which I’ve read none, just heard of) that religious young people, not wanting to engage in sex before marriage, would do all kinds of other things; Perhaps only engaging in oral, or “dry humping”, or even performing anal sex (in a feat of rationalization it doesn’t count as “real sex”). In the latter the chances of contracting STD’s skyrockets and you have to stand in awe of the rationalization that says it’s is a-ok even though “normal” sex isn’t. I also have to wonder how these people have LESS shameful thoughts after that kind of “extreme” pre-marital sex than after “normal” pre-marital sex.

The effects religion can have on sexual behaviour can be strange even in the mildest of cases.

17

I think I made this point before: In some tribes in Ethiopia the wife is beaten if she shows ANY signs of pleasure during sex! They’re mostly Coptic Christian.

18

My ex-wife must have been Ethiopian.

19

And in this region - Eritrea across to Yemen and surrounds over 90% of women are subjected to genital mutilation while they are children - so it would be pretty difficult to enjoy anyway - and they just get sown back up every time the 7 or so kids they are expected to have rip things open. It happens in many Islamic countries but there’s debate over the religious origins of it.