Sexual ethics are moral principles that guide human behavior related to human sexuality. Religions have different views about sexual ethics which often include guidelines for acceptable sexual behaviors. Sexual ethics can be categorized into three main types: procreative, restraint, and pleasure. Procreative sexual ethics focuses on reproduction and family building while restraint sexual ethics emphasize abstinence before marriage and modesty after it. Pleasure sexual ethics encourage enjoyment within the limits of acceptable sexual activities. The religious framing of sexual ethics influences erotic scripts, fantasies, and relational expectations through various ways such as prescribing specific acts, encouraging emotional attachment, and creating social norms.
Scripts
Erotic scripts refer to the patterns of sexual interaction between individuals. Religious doctrines tend to prescribe specific sex positions, techniques, and frequency of sex.
Islam prohibits oral sex and masturbation, Christianity promotes heterosexual marital sex within certain time frames, and Buddhism discourages premarital sex. These restrictions create a script for what is considered "normal" sexual behavior, influencing people's erotic scripts.
Fantasies
Fantasies involve imagining or desiring something that isn't real. Religious teachings also influence people's fantasies by providing role models of ideal relationships and intimacy.
In Catholicism, virginity is highly valued, which may lead to fantasizing about having multiple partners simultaneously. In contrast, Hinduism considers monogamy a sacred union, which may result in fantasizing about multiple partners.
Expectations
Religion shapes people's relational expectations by defining gender roles and establishing hierarchical power dynamics. Men are expected to be dominant while women are submissive. This can result in men feeling entitled to have more sexual encounters than women. Also, religious beliefs shape how people view romantic love, which influences their expectations from their partner. Some religions view love as transcendental, while others consider it an emotion.
Religious framing of sexual ethics impacts erotic scripts, fantasies, and relational expectations by prescribing specific acts, encouraging emotional attachment, and creating social norms. While these effects may vary among individuals, they contribute to the formation of individual sexual identities and preferences.