New Religious Movements (NRMs) are a diverse group that encompasses various belief systems, from spiritual to political and apolitical. They may be organized around shared interests, such as environmental protection, or they may be based on a specific set of beliefs about divinity, cosmology, and salvation. These groups often challenge existing social norms, including those related to sexual practices. In this article, we will examine how NRMs have challenged established ethical, social, and ritual norms regarding sexual practices.
Ethical Norms
One way NRMs challenge established norms is through their approach to sexual ethics. Many traditional religions, such as Christianity, emphasize chastity until marriage and fidelity within marriage.
Some NRMs promote polyamory, open marriages, polygamy, or celibacy outside of marriage.
The Unification Church promotes sexual relationships between married couples for the purpose of procreation but also encourages members to maintain celibacy during periods of spiritual training. Some NRMs even go further, such as the Raelian movement, which condones incestuous relationships between siblings.
Social Norms
Another way NRMs challenge established norms is by redefining gender roles and relationships.
The Twelve Tribes community promotes patriarchal authority structures in which women are expected to submit to their husbands and serve them sexually. This challenges traditional gender roles in Western society, where men and women generally share power equally. NRMs may also challenge societal views on monogamy, homosexuality, transgenderism, and non-binary identities.
Ritual Norms
NRMs may challenge religious norms through ritualistic behaviors surrounding sexual practice. The Tantric tradition in Hinduism, for example, includes a range of practices that integrate physical pleasure with spiritual enlightenment, including yoga positions and breathing exercises. NRMs such as Wicca often incorporate sensuality into ceremonies, such as nude dancing or meditation. These practices challenge the notion that religious practices must be completely separate from physical pleasures.
NRMs have long been known for their ability to challenge social norms related to sexual practices. From polyamory to incest to transgressive gender roles, these groups offer new ways of thinking about intimacy, desire, and relationships. While some may view these challenges as positive developments, others may find them disturbing or even dangerous.
It is important to understand how NRMs approach sexual ethics and practices and how they fit within larger cultural contexts.
How do sexual practices in new religious movements challenge established ethical, social, and ritual norms?
New religious movements often encourage members to engage in sexual practices that challenge traditional norms of morality and propriety, such as communal nudity, group sex, and polygamy. These practices can be seen as an attempt to break free from societal constraints on sexual expression and create a new, more authentic and liberating approach to intimacy.