The relationship between religion and sexuality is often complicated. Religious teachings may provide guidelines for acceptable behavior, but they can also create conflicts about what is morally permissible. One such conflict concerns the question of who has the right to desire someone else. In some cases, religious doctrine dictates that certain individuals have no moral right to desire others. This raises the question of whether those who do not meet these criteria are unworthy of love or if there are exceptions to the rule.
One example of this issue comes from the Abrahamic religions. In Islam, for instance, Muslim men are expected to treat their wives well and avoid adultery.
Muslim women are not allowed to initiate physical contact with anyone outside of marriage, even if they are married to another man. As a result, many scholars believe that it is wrong for a woman to express her sexual desires towards a non-Muslim man because she does not have the same rights as him under Sharia law.
In Christianity, similar issues arise. The Bible condemns homosexual relationships, calling them abominations in both the Old and New Testaments. Some Christians interpret this to mean that gays and lesbians should be celibate throughout their lives, while others argue that marriage between two people of the same gender is immoral. These views create tension within the community over which individuals have the right to desire romantic partners.
Judaism takes a more nuanced approach. Although it condemns premarital sex, homosexuality, and other forms of non-traditional relationships, rabbinical teachings emphasize that all humans possess equal dignity. Thus, regardless of an individual's orientation or marital status, everyone deserves respect and compassion. While this does not necessarily grant someone the right to pursue a partner they desire, it encourages Jews to be open-minded when discussing relationships and respectful of different lifestyles.
Buddhism also has its own complex views on this topic. The Buddha taught that sensual desire is one of three poisons that lead to suffering, alongside ill will and ignorance. This means that Buddhists must practice detachment from worldly pleasures like intimacy and eroticism.
Some schools believe that monks can still experience arousal without being consumed by it. Others go further, arguing that sexual activity is only permissible within marriage for procreation purposes.
There are many ways that religion defines who has the moral right to desire. These definitions vary widely across different faiths and even among followers within each tradition.
Whether someone is worthy of love depends largely on personal interpretation rather than doctrine alone.