Results are in!
Lately the topic of sexuality, specifically among females in the church has sparked my interest. The thoughts cross my mind because I am a female, and I am also a part of the church. These thoughts are directly related to me, and many of those whom I love. I love the church, and this is where I was raised. I also see that the church (like everything else in this world) has room to grow. Several weeks ago I conducted an online survey. I obtained results from identifying females who grew up in the church. These women were primarily raised in the Evangelical church. The 5 questions were as followed;
1. Did you feel safe asking questions about sex with others at church? Out of 316 responses, 74% of them answered “no” they did not feel safe asking such questions.
2. How was masturbation talked about at church? Out of 316 responses, 43% stated “Always sinful” and even more, 54% stated that it “wasn’t talked about”.
3. Did anyone ever comment on the level of modesty of your clothing? Out of 316 responses, 70% states “yes”.
4. If yes, how frequently did you experience this? Out of 316 responses, 30% stated “yearly” and another 30% stated “monthly”.
5. How was sexual pleasure addressed in church? Out of 316 responses, 45 % stated, “sexual pleasure wasn’t addressed”, 20% stated “it was solely to please your partner”, and 5% stated “sexual experience is not for pleasure.”
I can’t help but notice an overwhelming dismissal of the conversation of sexual being-ness. The strange thing is, God made us to be sexual. Part of who we are is that we are sexual beings. Maybe even more hurtful is not the conversation being ignored, but when it is brought up, not engaging in healthy conversations on the topic. It is sad to me to think that women who are exploring this topic would be shut down. My hope is that through this conversation, more conversations on this topic will continue to unfold.