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When you became an atheist or agnostic did you change your attitude to sex?

In other words when you awoke to the realisation that the morality of the religion that you came from was a construct of the religion, did you change your attitude to sex at the same time, or did it take some time for that to change, or have you not changed at all?

Squirrellglider 7 Oct 25
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25 comments

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8

Yes, complete acceptance of being gay, as well as celebrating sexuality in general. I am a very sexual person and I celebrate sex as often as possible. For me there is two types of sex. One is recreational, which is great. The other is both recreational and cements the pair bond in a relationship. I have always been monogamous in a relationship. That is what works for me, but it is not based on some arbitrary moral code.

6

No, I don't find they are related at all and will, on occasional still mumble, "Oh God!"

LOL

6

Yes, having sex even in a monogamous relationship no longer carried loads of guilt for me.

5

No, I just don't have to be ashamed of my sexual feelings anymore; that's the only difference.

4

No change for me. Age and kids have changed things a little, but being atheist hasn’t.

3

No, it wasn't related. I became less of a prude after having it, and learning related topics, so my attitudes have definitely changed.

3

I became an atheist long before I knew sex existed. ( I was 25 🙂 )

2

I was never much of a theist to begin with. I was agnostic as preteen. I happen to no longer be interested in casual sex, where I once was some. But that change is unrelated to the evolution of my atheism/anti-theism. For personal and psychological reasons I feel this way but there is nothing immoral about consensual sex of any kind.

2

I changed a lot when I left religion. I no longer associate consensual sex among adults with morality. I no longer believe in sin. Sin is simply something that someone else disapproves of. Since leaving religion and soon after being divorced by my religious wife I have only had open relationships where sex is not viewed as sin. As a result of my changed thinking I am polyamorous and also a swinger.

What is your distinction between a polyamorous person and a swinger?

Hi Treasurehunter. In my opinion polyamorists claim a right to carry out more than one loving relationship simultaneously. Swingers primarily engage in sex with people outside of their primary relationship as a recreational activity; forming romantic or loving relationships outside of the primary relationship are optional for swingers whereas polyamory cannot exist where there is no loving relationship. I have noticed a significant crossover of swingers into polyamory and a significant minority of polyamorists are also swingers. Some swingers hold the view that polyamory is nothing new; some swingers have been forming romantic and loving relationships with multiple partners ever since swinging came onto the radar. In that case polyamorists could be considered a subset of all swingers. Do you see a distinction between polyamory and swinging ?

2

I think I did change my views about sex, actually, as much as I hate to admit it. In my youth, I believed homosexuality, open relationships, etc., were sins. I even considered masturbation sinful. So called "sexual purity" was preached to me from a very young age. Fortunately, I no longer make such judgements about sexual behavior among consenting adults.

2

It didn’t change any thing for me except now I’m not creeped out thinking my grandparents are up there watching me have sex.

2

When I stopped believing I started actually having it, started doing better in school because I was less ashamed less stressed and wasn't furiously beating off in my closet so god couldn't see me and strike me down with leprosy and make my genitals fall off. I'm sorry what was the question again?

2

Nope , not at all. Always been open minded, open to new things, and accepting that there are all kinds of odd and interesting likes and dislikes out there !

2

For the thirty plus years that I was religious, sex was an area wherein I never accepted religious attitudes and it was an area that made me realize that I needed to get out.

gearl Level 8 Oct 25, 2017
2

It's really difficult to get the religious bullshit out of your head and see sex as the beautiful thing that it is.

SamL Level 7 Oct 25, 2017
2

I think people's attitudes towards sex change with age and experience regardless of their beliefs, so it is probably hard to tell for a lot of people, how much the change in religious views changed their attitudes towards sex.

I was not accepting of my own sexual orientation (gay) until I stopped trying to be religious. Of course getting a better education about sex and sexual orientatin in college courses helped too.

1

I knew from a young age I was not a believer. I like sex. I’ve had it a lot over the last thirty years. Did that answe the question?

1

I did not become a non-theist overnight. At first I realized my religion was a sham (Catholic). Only later did I include other religions and eventually all religions. This took a woman from Iran who was a lifelong Atheist to strengthen my identity. As far as sex goes I could never understand how those who took a vow of chastity (supposedly) could tell others how to run their sex lives. I did as my own conscious dictated and still do. Nothing changed (except the death of my last partner).

1

It happened the other way around for me. I realized my attitude toward sex (and so much more) did not line up with my religion.

1

I was 8 years old, I hardly knew more than it is what causes babies. So not much at all.

0

No but I was raised atheist so...

0

No. No change for me. Not comfortable with anything but monagymy but enjoy being pushed to the edge so I can prove my "morality" to myself.

0

No, I still think it is great.

0

My attitudes towards sex developed along the same time as my atheism, so it's difficult for me to say. I don't seem to have as many hang-ups when it comes to sexual morality as many of my religious peers.

0

Always liked sex.

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