Why do many religions condemn sexual pleasure?

[Aquitaine]

I would guess that the older, more literalist faiths which depend heavily on their scripture held a more conservative view of sex in order to try and limit the amount of complications associated with unprotected sex at the time.
Now that we have the technology to nullify most of the complications of unprotected sex we can hold a more liberal attitude towards it, and the aforementioned religions in comparison appear to be "anti-sex".

 

[Flippypie]

The clitoris's sole purpose is pleasure. Why would your particular deity create the clitoris but not want it used? Why would your deity make your arms long enough for you to reach your genitals but not want you to masturbate?

But my main questions: Why do so many religions hate sex? What about sex inspires religions to villianize it?

Which religions specifically are you talking about (a few prominent examples)?

 

[ak.yonathan]

How would you know that the clitoris's sole purpose is pleasure?

 

[Aupmanyav]

Now that we have the technology to nullify most of the complications of unprotected sex we can hold a more liberal attitude towards it, and the aforementioned religions in comparison appear to be "anti-sex".

Perhaps the physical consequences can be controlled (in controlling physical consequences, sex becomes nothing more than masturbation), but there are psychological consequences as well.

 

[Aquitaine]

Perhaps the physical consequences can be controlled (in controlling physical consequences, sex becomes nothing more than masturbation), but there are psychological consequences as well.

Like any human interaction, there is potential for both positive and negative consequences.

 

[roger1440]

The only person I know that advocates feeling miserable during sex would be my ex.

 

[Smart_Guy]

But my main questions: Why do so many religions hate sex? What about sex inspires religions to villianize it?

Examples?

 

[Tumah]

I would guess that the older, more literalist faiths which depend heavily on their scripture held a more conservative view of sex in order to try and limit the amount of complications associated with unprotected sex at the time.

So you're basically making a guess and then making a guess based on that guess.
Is that correct?

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

God also gave us arms long enough for us to reach other people's necks and choke them to death.
We're capable of a lot of things. Doesn't mean they're good, for us or for others.

And it's not a hatred of sex, It's a belief that sex (and specific kinds of sex) can hinder ones spiritual walk.

But why does sex hinder one's spiritual walk? Catholics believe it's mortally sinful to masturbate. I don't care about the "spiritual" reasons. I'm curious about the psychological reasons.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_on_masturbation

It seems like every religion listed has a negative view of masturbation. Some view as very evil, some view it as merely "impure," some view is as "losing energy," and all those views can be considered some degree of negative. None views it in a positive light.

We as a species seem to be ashamed of sexual pleasure.

 

[Tumah]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_on_masturbation

It seems like every religion listed has a negative view of masturbation. Some view as very evil, some view it as merely "impure," some view is as "losing energy," and all those views can be considered some degree of negative. None views it in a positive light.

We as a species seem to be ashamed of sexual pleasure.

Are you aware that you are taking one item from a list and then generalizing to the whole list based on that item?

 

[Riverwolf]

None views it in a positive light.

You didn't read the whole article.

On the contrary, Wiccan ethics, summed up in the Wiccan Rede "An it harm none, do as thou wilt", are interpreted by many as endorsing responsible sexual activity of all varieties. This is reinforced in the Charge of the Goddess, a key piece of Wiccan literature, in which the Goddess says, "all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals".[80]
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Besides that the article only lists a small number of religions, making it less than comprehensive.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

Are you aware that you are taking one item from a list and then generalizing to the whole list based on that item?

I'm not "taking one item." Every religion on that list (except maybe Hinduism) condemns sexual pleasure to some degree.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

You didn't read the whole article.

On the contrary, Wiccan ethics, summed up in the Wiccan Rede "An it harm none, do as thou wilt", are interpreted by many as endorsing responsible sexual activity of all varieties. This is reinforced in the Charge of the Goddess, a key piece of Wiccan literature, in which the Goddess says, "all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals".[80]
​

Besides that the article only lists a small number of religions, making it less than comprehensive.

Um. I did read it.

 

[Riverwolf]

Um. I did read it.

No, you didn't. I just proved it. Or if you did, not very closely, and thus became a victim of confirmation bias.

If you had read it, or more closely, you would have not said "none of them." You would have seen that both Hinduism (which isn't a single religion in any case) and Wicca are totally cool with sex, according to this very poor article.

You would also have noticed that the article on Daoism has two paragraphs and only one (non-Chinese) source. Thus, it is questionable in authority at best.

And, again, this is only listing a very small number of religions. It's unwise to base one's entire view of something so broad as religion on a single wikipedia article, especially one so questionable.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

No, you didn't. I just proved it. Or if you did, not very closely, and thus became a victim of confirmation bias.

If you had read it, or more closely, you would have not said "none of them." You would have seen that both Hinduism (which isn't a single religion in any case) and Wicca are totally cool with sex, according to this very poor article.

You would also have noticed that the article on Daoism has two paragraphs and only one source. Thus, it is questionable in authority at best.

And, again, this is only listing a very small number of religions. It's unwise to base one's entire view of something so broad as religion on a single wikipedia article, especially one so questionable.

The point I'm trying to make is that human beings shun sex so much that they've allowed their hatred to pour into their mythology. Yes, I'm sure that a handful of Catholics or Muslims or Klingon-Methodist-Kung Fu-Jedis condone sexual pleasure, but mainstream religious thought condemns it. Let's not beat around the bush here.

 

[George-ananda]

The clitoris's sole purpose is pleasure. Why would your particular deity create the clitoris but not want it used? Why would your deity make your arms long enough for you to reach your genitals but not want you to masturbate?

But my main questions: Why do so many religions hate sex? What about sex inspires religions to villianize it?

'Hate' is the wrong word. Speaking for my religion (and much of this applies to other religions) man is considered between the animal and the divine. The repeated pull of the animal urges keeps one's mind grounded to his lower nature. Hence spiritual teachers that wish to raise our spiritual level towards the divine encourage detachment from and disinterest in sexuality. And for an average person a 'controlled' sexual life is recommended. People at the higher spiritual level will be best served by celibacy.

 

[Riverwolf]

The point I'm trying to make is that human beings shun sex so much that they've allowed their hatred to pour into their mythology. Yes, I'm sure that a handful of Catholics or Muslims or Klingon-Methodist-Kung Fu-Jedis condone sexual pleasure, but mainstream religious thought condemns it. Let's not beat around the bush here.

Moving the goalposts. You implied "all religion", not "mainstream religion." And your only source is a questionable wikipedia article, in any case.

I'm not beating around the bush; I'm illustrating that your "point" has no grounds.

Furthermore, what's mainstream in one region may not be so in another. I don't know about where you are, but out here, Paganism is prevalent enough to be well within the mainstream, even if somewhat fringe mainstream.

 

[The Ardent Atheist]

Moving the goalposts. You implied "all religion", not "mainstream religion." And your only source is a questionable wikipedia article, in any case.

I'm not beating around the bush; I'm illustrating that your "point" has no grounds.

Furthermore, what's mainstream in one region may not be so in another. I don't know about where you are, but out here, Paganism is prevalent enough to be well within the mainstream, even if somewhat fringe mainstream.

Religion moves the goalpost every day.

 

[Tumah]

I'm not "taking one item." Every religion on that list (except maybe Hinduism) condemns sexual pleasure to some degree.

This is false.
According to your list, Buddhism is not concerned with pleasure as much as subduing passions. I'm not well versed in Buddhism, but it seems like they are trying to distance themselves from any form of extreme states, this being only one of them. So its not really about condemning pleasure per se.
Judaism makes no mention of condemning pleasure and is primarily concerned with wasting seed.
For a religion that offers multiple Houri as heavenly reward, saying that Islam condemns pleasure is absurd.
Taoism as well doesn't seem to be primarily concerned with pleasure as much as the effect it causes to their energy levels. Presumably this would be true of other actions that have this effect as well.

So I don't see very much here about condemning pleasure specifically.