Religion and Sexuality: A Qualitative Study on the Perceptions of Believers and Non-Believers

Abstract

In human life, bio-psycho-socio-cultural and theological explanatory factors for the sexuality are determinative factors and have an effect on sexual feelings, thoughts, attitudes and behaviors. Religion is still seen as an important predictor of thoughts and attitudes about human sexuality. The aim of this research is to assess the perceptions of believers in different religions and faith groups and non-believers who different nationalities around the world, about sexuality which is based on qualitative data. The data have been analyzed by using interpretative phenomenological analysis as a qualitative research technique. Participants' views about sexuality were collected by both face-to-face and web-based surveys with an open-ended questionnaire created by the researcher as a qualitative data collection methodology and strategy. In this exploratory qualitative study, open-ended responses of the participants, have different nationalities such as Japanese, Scottish, Indian, Pakistani, Caucasian, Irish, Arabic Asia, Dutch, Portuguese and French, 13 (72%) male and 5 (28%) female, (n=18) regarding their thoughts and attitudes about sexuality such as dating, marriage, pre-marital and extra-marital sex, virginity, pornography, homosexuality have been analyzed. In conclusion, this qualitative study provides information about the personal perceptions of the participants in small-sample of different types of believers and non-believers regarding the relationship between religion and sexuality. The results indicate that (a) personal religious beliefs have a great effect on thoughts and attitudes about sexuality in different belief systems; (b) Muslim participants have more conservative orientations about sexuality than other covered religious groups and non-believers.