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Sex and religion: no two subjects can turn a conversation tense more quickly. And it's no wonder: the carnal and the spiritual are the extreme ends of the human spectrum. To get a better sense of what your neighbor or date might be thinking during those awkward silences, check out the results of our Moral Values issue poll, which was taken by 2,195 Hooksexup readers between April 15-27.
I identify as:
| Straight woman |
 31% |
| Gay woman |
2% |
| Bi woman |
10% |
| Straight man |
51% |
| Gay man |
2% |
| Bi man |
4% |
My age:
| 18-24 |
33% |
| 25-29 |
25% |
| 30-34 |
16% |
| 35-40 |
13% |
| 41-48 |
7% |
| 49-55 |
4% |
| 56+ |
2% |
| I consider myself: |
I was raised/my family is: |
| Agnostic |
37% |
Agnostic |
13% |
| Athiest |
20% |
Athiest |
5% |
| Baha'I |
0.2% |
Baha'I |
0.1% |
| Baptist |
0.4% |
Baptist |
3% |
| Buddhist |
3% |
Buddhist |
0.8% |
| Christian - Catholic |
8% |
Christian - Catholic |
28% |
| Christian - Mormon |
0.2% |
Christian - Mormon |
0.8% |
| Christian - Protestant |
7% |
Christian - Protestant |
21% |
| Christian - other |
6% |
Christian - other |
8% |
| Hindu |
0.5% |
Hindu |
1% |
| Jewish |
6% |
Jewish |
9% |
| Lutheran |
0.7% |
Lutheran |
3% |
| Methodist |
0.4% |
Methodist |
3% |
| Muslim |
0.4% |
Muslim |
0.8% |
| Satanist |
0% (1 vote) |
Satanist |
0% (0 votes) |
| Secular Humanist |
5% |
Secular Humanist |
1% |
| Scientologist |
0% (1 vote) |
Scientologist |
0% (1 vote) |
| Taoist |
1% |
Taoist |
0% (1 vote) |
| Unitarian |
2% |
Unitarian |
2% |
| Wiccan |
1% |
Wiccan |
0.1% |
Do you think that calling oneself "spiritual" is a cop-out?
| No. |
65% |
| Yes. |
35% |
Do you believe all faiths worship the same God (or, if you prefer, higher power)?
| No. |
51% |
| Yes. |
49% |
How do you define your personal morality?
| Entirely my religious beliefs. |
1% |
| I pick and choose values taught by various religions. |
1% |
| A mix of religious beliefs and personal beliefs driven by experience. |
29% |
| The golden rule. |
10% |
| Personal beliefs driven by life experience. |
49% |
| I prefer to leave it undefined. |
10% |
How often do you pray?
| Often. |
6% |
| Somewhat often. |
6% |
| Sometimes. |
17% |
| Rarely. |
29% |
| Never. |
42% |
How often do you attend religious services?
| Often. |
6% |
| Sometimes. |
9% |
| Rarely. |
40% |
| Never. |
45% |
Do you think you will become more religious as you age?
| Yes. |
3% |
| Yes, it's already happening. |
8% |
| Probably. |
11% |
| Perhaps. |
46% |
| Definitely not. |
32% |
If someone holds a gun to your head and asks "Do you believe in God?," you say:
| No. |
35% |
| Yes. |
53% |
| Shoot me. |
12% |
Which of these books have you read? You can choose more than one.
| The Bible |
72% |
| The Mahabharata |
8% |
| The Ethical Slut |
10% |
| The Kama Sutra |
42% |
| The Torah |
19% |
| The Book of Mormon |
9% |
| The Koran |
15% |
| The Book of Tao |
20% |
| The Tao of Pooh |
30% |
| The Celestine Prophecy |
13% |
| The Da Vinci Code |
33% |
| Dianetics |
4% |
| None |
12% |
How does God (or, if you prefer, a higher power or "the universe") view sex?
| Sex is intended for married people to procreate. |
3% |
| Sex is a gift to be used with respect. |
37% |
| Sex is a gift to be shared freely. |
13% |
| Why do these humans keep making such a big deal about sex? |
47% |
Homosexuality is:
| A temptation that God (or, if you prefer, a higher power or "the universe") means us to overcome. |
2% |
| A gift from God to enable loving reltionships between all people. |
4% |
| A genetic aberration. |
8% |
| A natural part of human life. |
86% |
Should religions embrace gay marriage?
| Yes, to do anything else is antithetical to religious teachings of love. |
57% |
| No, it's up to them. |
41% |
| No, it's wrong. |
2% |
What's going to happen when you die?
| I'll be dead. End of story. |
44% |
| I'll go to heaven or hell, depending on how I'm judged. |
9% |
| I'll go wherever everyone else goes — probably an afterlife of some kind. |
31% |
| I'll be reincarnated as someone (or something) else. |
10% |
| I'll stick around and haunt somebody. |
6% |
Do you think Scientology is a cult?
| No. |
22% |
| Yes. |
78% |
Is organized religion dying?
| No. |
73% |
| Yes. |
27% |
Politically, I am:
| Conservative. |
4% |
| Moderate. |
13% |
| Liberal. |
60% |
| Not easy to categorize . |
23% |
How much does religion affect your politics?
| A lot. |
7% |
| Somewhat. |
15% |
| A little. |
21% |
| Not at all. |
57% |
Did your religious faith or spiritual beliefs affect how you voted in the last U.S. presidential election?
| No. |
62% |
| Yes. |
17% |
| I didn't vote. |
6% |
| I'm not American. |
15% |
Do you think John Kerry lost because of the electorate's concern about "moral values"?
| No. |
54% |
| Yes. |
46% |
Do you think that the American populace is more or less religious than it was five years ago?
| Significantly more. |
8% |
| More. |
38% |
| The same. |
45% |
| Less. |
8% |
| Significantly less. |
1% |
Does George W. Bush allow his religious beliefs to have excessive, inappropriate influence over his policy decisions?
| No. |
13% |
| Yes. |
87% |
The problem with sex in our society is:
| We have made sex cheap when it should be sacred. |
6% |
| We're made to feel shameful about sex, when it's perfectly natural. |
53% |
| We're confined by Puritan ideas of gender and monogamy. |
26% |
| Sex has become too casual. |
1% |
| Sex is not casual enough. |
4% |
How do you feel about the death of the Pope?
| Saddened; the world lost a great leader. |
19% |
| Angry; he didn't do enough about the priest sex-abuse scandals. |
5% |
| Indifferent; I'm unsure why network TV dedicated so much time to the leader of a faith so many people don't share. |
29% |
| Just indifferent. |
47% |
Should the words "under God" be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance?
| No. |
13% |
| Yes. |
42% |
| They don't bother me. |
36% |
| I'm not American and couldn't care less. |
9% |
Which are you more comfortable discussing with a near-stranger on a first date: sex or religion?
| Sex. |
61% |
| Religion. |
39% |
Is marriage mainly a legal or religious ceremony?
| Legal. |
76% |
| Religious. |
24% |
How important is shared faith in the person you're dating?
| Very important. |
6% |
| Somewhat important. |
24% |
| Not important. |
35% |
| It's important that they have faith in something — I don't care what, though. |
16% |
| It's important that they not be religious. |
20% |
Have you ever dumped someone because of their religious beliefs (or spirituality, or moral values)?
| No. |
84% |
| Yes. |
16% |
Have you ever refused to date someone because of their religious beliefs (or spirituality, or moral values)?
| No. |
71% |
| Yes. |
29% |
Would you marry someone outside of your faith?
| N/A. |
35% |
| Definitely not. |
1% |
| Maybe. |
48% |
| Probably not. |
7% |
| Yes, but my parents might disown me. |
9% |
Do you believe you have a soul mate?
| Yes, but I haven't found him/her yet. |
15% |
| Yes, and I've found him/her. |
19% |
| No, although I once thought so. |
14% |
| No, and I don't believe there's a single person "meant" for me. |
52% |
What of the following sexual acts, if any, do you consider immoral? You can choose more than one.
| Masturbation |
0.4% |
| Anal sex |
1% |
| Oral sex |
0.5% |
| Gay sex |
4% |
| Group sex |
6% |
| Casual sex |
4% |
| Anonymous sex |
11% |
| Polyamory |
10% |
| Premarital sex |
2% |
| Sex in public |
5% |
| Strap-on sex |
1% |
| Threesomes |
4% |
| Prostitution |
16% |
| Bondage |
2% |
| Domination & humiliation |
6% |
| Role-playing |
0.6% |
| Water sports |
4% |
| Rimming |
3% |
| Talking dirty |
.5% |
| None |
71% |
Growing up, did you feel religious or spiritual guilt about masturbation?
| No. |
75% |
| Yes. |
25% |
Do you believe premarital sex is immoral?
| No. |
95% |
| Yes. |
1% |
| Yes, but I do it anyway. |
4% |
Do your religious or spiritual beliefs affect how much sex you have now?
| Yes, I don't have as much as I'd like to have. |
5% |
| Yes, they encourage me to have more. |
4% |
| No, they have no effect. |
91% |
If religion hadn't convinced so many of us that it is "wrong", I would try more/like to try: (You can choose more than one.)
According to my personal morality, abortion is immoral:
| Never. |
49% |
| After the first trimester. |
14% |
| After the second trimester. |
24% |
| Within a committed relationship. |
1% |
| In all cases outside rape or incest. |
7% |
| Always. |
5% |
Do you think Roe v. Wade will be overturned in your lifetime? (Not should — do you think it will.)
| No. |
66% |
| Yes. |
34% |
Have you ever seen God (or, if you prefer, a higher power) or had a religious experience during an orgasm?
| No. |
93% |
| Yes. |
7% |
Do you believe what you've done sexually will affect your status in the afterlife?
| No. |
53% |
| Yes, and I'm in the clear. |
2% |
| Yes, and I'm going to hell. |
1% |
| No, but I've got some explaining/apologizing to do. |
14% |
| No, there is no afterlife. |
30% |
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