Religion plays an essential role in shaping human behavior throughout their lives, including sexuality and gender roles. It provides guidelines for how people should act based on religious beliefs about right and wrong conduct and teaches individuals to follow moral principles that influence them from birth until death.
Religion also frames lifelong sexual identity through its teachings on marriage, procreation, sexual ethics, and spiritual purity. This paper will discuss these issues in detail, focusing on Christianity as one example of a dominant religion worldwide.
Marriage
Christianity emphasizes monogamy as the ideal form of marriage between a man and a woman who are bound together by God's covenant. The Bible defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman for life, where they commit themselves exclusively to each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The purpose of marriage is to create a family unit, which produces children, raises them, and serves God and society. Therefore, Christians consider it sinful to engage in premarital sex or homosexual relationships because they violate God's design and break this sacred bond between spouses.
Procreation
Procreation is another aspect of sexuality influenced by religion, particularly Christianity. According to Genesis 1:28, humans were commanded to "be fruitful and multiply," implying that having children is a divine calling. In addition, Christian couples are encouraged to have sex only within marriage to ensure offspring with the best genetic makeup possible. Children are seen as blessings from God, and parents must protect their innocence and raise them according to biblical values. Nonetheless, some modern Christians believe that contraception can be used responsibly to space out births and prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Sexual Ethics
Sexual ethics refers to moral principles governing how people express their sexuality. The Bible teaches that sex should occur exclusively within marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 4:1-25), while any other form of sexual activity is considered unnatural or perverted. This includes masturbation, adultery, prostitution, incest, bestiality, pornography, same-sex relations, and polygamy. These behaviors are regarded as sins that disrupt God's perfect order for humanity and lead individuals away from Him.
Some Christians allow exceptions for consensual non-monogamy, such as BDSM and polyamory, if all parties involved agree and it does not harm anyone else.
Spiritual Purity
Spiritual purity means avoiding anything that could defile or corrupt an individual spiritually.
Pornography, lustful thoughts, and promiscuous behavior can pollute one's soul and separate them from God. Therefore, believers are expected to control their desires and resist temptations, focusing on chastity and holiness rather than gratification. Purity culture encourages abstinence until marriage, which requires self-discipline, character development, and supportive communities.
Some Christians reject this doctrine due to its rigid rules about gender roles, victim-blaming mentality, and lack of inclusivity towards LGBTQ+ people.
Religion shapes lifelong sexual identity by establishing moral guidelines that impact people throughout their lives. While Christianity emphasizes monogamy, procreation, sexual ethics, and spiritual purity, other religions may have different beliefs about these issues. Understanding how religion influences personal values is essential for developing a healthy relationship with oneself, others, and God.