Shame is an unpleasant feeling often related to social rejection, embarrassment, disgrace, humiliation, guilt, and failure that can result from negative perceptions of oneself, one's actions, or one's social position. Pride is a positive feeling associated with self-respect, satisfaction, personal achievement, status, success, and honor. Both emotions are widely used in religious communities to regulate sexual behavior. Religious groups tend to view shame as a moral motivator for maintaining chastity and modesty while pride serves as a reward for adherence to norms of purity, fidelity, marriage, and procreation. Shame has traditionally been considered a powerful emotion that can be used to prevent sexual transgressions and ensure compliance with sexual norms.
Research suggests that shame may also lead to secrecy and silence about sex, making it less effective in controlling sexual behavior. In contrast, pride is more likely to promote openness and communication about sexuality within religious communities.
Some scholars argue that pride can fuel sexual desire and attraction, leading to greater risk-taking behaviors such as infidelity and non-monogamy. Therefore, a balance between shame and pride may be necessary to maintain stable sexual norms. The use of these emotions depends on cultural context and individual beliefs, and different groups may prioritize them differently.
Muslim communities often emphasize the importance of shame, whereas Christian communities may rely more heavily on pride.
Religious teachings regarding sex are not always consistent across denominations or even within individual faith traditions. Some denominations condemn all forms of premarital and extramarital sex, while others permit limited forms of sexual expression within marriage. Similarly, some religions view sex as a sacred act between married partners, while others consider it primarily a physical need that should only occur for procreation purposes. These variations in teaching may make it difficult to regulate sexual behavior through shaming and pride alone.
Shame and pride are not the only motivators for adherence to sexual norms. Other factors, such as social expectations, personal values, and cultural norms, also play significant roles in influencing behavior.
What emotional roles do shame and pride play in sustaining religious sexual norms?
The emotions of shame and pride are commonly used by religions as tools for upholding their sexual morals. Shame is associated with the idea that if one engages in sexual activities outside of what is deemed acceptable, they will be punished by God or their community. This fear can be particularly strong among those who have been taught from an early age that their faith dictates how they should behave sexually.