Watching porn 'makes people more religious'
'For religious Americans, pornography use is at odds with their view of sexual morality'
Watching pornography more than once a week can cause people to develop stronger religious beliefs, according to new research that explores the correlation between porn-viewing habits and faith.
Over a six-year period, Dr Samuel Perry analysed data from more than 1,300 Americans and found that those who viewed pornography at least once a week in 2006 reported praying more often and attending worship services more often by 2012 compared to those who had viewed pornography once a month or less.
"For religious Americans, pornography use is at odds with their view of sexual morality. This is a huge moral problem for these folks, especially when they're using it rather consistently," said Perry.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Published in the Journal of Sex Research, the surprising results come amid other findings that "fit more readily with traditional ideas of religious aversion to pornography", says The Independent. For example, those who never watched porn were the most pious and had the fewest doubts about their faith.
Perry suggested that the link between porn and faith was most likely related to guilt in some way.
He said that some people who watched pornography might have turned to religion for repentance, while in other cases compulsive behaviour towards both religious participation and pornography use might be the cause.
"Basically, it could be that pornography use has become something they're so wedded to that it no longer makes them feel guilty and they just do it daily, like brushing their teeth or exercising. This allows them to be very religious while using pornography at the highest frequencies," said Perry.
He suggested they "may be saying something like, 'Ok God, I may be disobeying you in this area of my life, but look at all the religious stuff I'm doing over here!'"
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 carefully selected cartoons about the Trump-Daniels jury selection process
Cartoons Artists take on a stress-free life, rare peers, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Loire Valley Lodges review: sleep, feast and revive in treetop luxury
The Week Recommends Forest hideaway offers chance to relax and reset in Michelin key-winning comfort
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Myanmar: the Spring Revolution and the downfall of the generals
Talking Point An armed protest movement has swept across the country since the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown in 2021
By The Week Staff Published
-
Modi opens contentious Ram temple at one of India's 'most vexed religious sites'
Talking Point Indian PM kicks off re-election campaign by affirming Hindu nationalism, while Muslim minority feel pain of history and threat of future
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
South Sudan and the ‘Pilgrims of Peace’
feature LGBT rights likely to overshadow religious leaders’ visit to African nation
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
Pope admits that priests and nuns watch porn
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
How Salman Rushdie exposed fault lines between the West and Islam
feature Stabbing of The Satanic Verses author has stirred debate about censorship and religious violence
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Unification Church: who are the Moonies?
feature Man who killed former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe cited grudge against the global religious movement
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Russian religious leader providing ‘spiritual cover’ for Vladimir Putin’s war
Why Everyone’s Talking About Patriarch Kirill I facing EU sanctions over support for Ukraine invasion
By The Week Staff Published
-
Jackie Weaver did indeed have ‘no authority’
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By The Week Staff Published
-
An ancient demon spirit may be loose in Japan
Speed Read
By Grayson Quay Published