Asexuality in Religious Perspectives?

muichimotsu

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While I'm not absolutely certain, I've come to terms with being asexual and I wonder about religious perspectives on it, since I myself don't really see it as an issue (not sure where else in the forums this works, because this isn't a Struggle With Sexuality)

There are misconceptions, like this is celibacy, which it isn't, because that's a choice, while I don't have sexual desire (desire to have sex with someone).
 

Daniel Marsh

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You really need to define what you are talking about in more detail.

Definition of asexual
1: lacking sex or functional sex organs
asexual plants
2a: involving or reproducing by reproductive processes (such as cell division, spore formation, fission (see FISSION entry 1 sense 2), or budding (see BUD entry 2 sense intransitive 3)) that do not involve the union of individuals or gametes
asexual reproduction
an asexual generation
b: produced by asexual reproduction
asexual spores
3a: not involving, involved with, or relating to sex : devoid of sexuality
an asexual relationship
b: not having sexual feelings toward others : not experiencing sexual desire or attraction
In general, an asexual person does not feel or otherwise experience any sexual attraction, according to The Asexual Visibility & Education Network (AVEN). Basically, it is an inborn absence of sexual desire.
— Lindsay E. Mack
4: not having or showing a particular sexual identity : neither male nor female
… parents who first encounter the world of Pokemon through their youngsters may have no idea what this land of soft, rounded, asexual creatures is or what drives it.
— Vince Horiuchi
 
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muichimotsu

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3b was my intended definition, though I honestly think most of them are not really applicable to human beings, to be fair and 4 is probably more androgynous or intersex, not asexual, but terminology's fuzzy sometimes in dictionaries

And this is why asexual visibility is important, in the same vein as conveying proper understanding about things like pansexuality or polyamory, etc, because there are misconceptions there too
 
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bèlla

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Sex is required in marriage. Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 7.

For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.


Asexuality doesn’t set aside his words.

~Bella
 
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Tinker Grey

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Sex is required in marriage. Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 7.

For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.


Asexuality doesn’t set aside his words.

~Bella
And if both partners are asexual? Then no one is deprived.
 
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muichimotsu

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Sex is required in marriage. Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 7.

For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.


Asexuality doesn’t set aside his words.

~Bella
And by particular interpretations, marital rape doesn't exist according to those verses. How do you contest against those? I don't agree with either, because marriage and sex are not required, otherwise my parents and older couples in general who don't intend to have children aren't really married. Unless you want to just say they have to have sex and children, in which case, you're still just question begging that your position is right and exercising major confirmaition bias
 
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Chrystal-J

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If I was asexual, I wouldn't marry unless it was to another asexual. There are Catholic saints who married and lived a chaste life.

From Wikipedia: Josephite marriage - Wikipedia
Josephite marriage, also known as spiritual marriage, chaste marriage, and continent marriage, is a religiously motivated practice in which a man and a woman marry and live together without engaging in sexual activity.
 
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muichimotsu

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If I was asexual, I wouldn't marry unless it was to another asexual. There are Catholic saints who married and lived a chaste life.

From Wikipedia: Josephite marriage - Wikipedia
Josephite marriage, also known as spiritual marriage, chaste marriage, and continent marriage, is a religiously motivated practice in which a man and a woman marry and live together without engaging in sexual activity.

I mean, that would be ideal, but it's as unrealistic as me wanting to marry someone who's also autistic, because the numbers wouldn't add up that easily and there are other factors in my relationship requirements of compatibility, it's almost astronomical odds

But we have to understand asexuality is orientation, chastity is a conscious choice. The two are similar, but the exact nature is different in the individuals having or not having sexual desire
 
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Silmarien

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While I'm not absolutely certain, I've come to terms with being asexual and I wonder about religious perspectives on it, since I myself don't really see it as an issue (not sure where else in the forums this works, because this isn't a Struggle With Sexuality)

There are misconceptions, like this is celibacy, which it isn't, because that's a choice, while I don't have sexual desire (desire to have sex with someone).

I've identified as asexual in the past, and in some circles would be considered grey-sexual, though I don't use the label anymore.

I've never seen any actual perspective on it, though it dovetails so nicely with celibacy and monasticism that it wouldn't be an issue, except in groups that stress marriage and procreation to the exclusion of all else. Marrying someone who is not asexual would likely be an issue, unless the asexual person is willing to see to their partner's needs or the partner is for whatever reason interested in a chaste marriage, but that problem would come up in any marriage, Christian or otherwise, barring polyamorous arrangements.
 
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muichimotsu

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I've identified as asexual in the past, and in some circles would be considered grey-sexual, though I don't use the label anymore.

I've never seen any actual perspective on it, though it dovetails so nicely with celibacy and monasticism that it wouldn't be an issue, except in groups that stress marriage and procreation to the exclusion of all else. Marrying someone who is not asexual would likely be an issue, unless the asexual person is willing to see to their partner's needs or the partner is for whatever reason interested in a chaste marriage, but that problem would come up in any marriage, Christian or otherwise, barring polyamorous arrangements.

It's a spectrum for a reason, I'm still divided between asexual and demisexual, but lean towards asexual

I think a creator I follow is a Christian and asexual and her husband is not asexual, and they also have 2 kids and she has acknowledged they had sex to conceive them

Polyamorous relationships can be mischaracterized too: I seem to recall it emphasizes communication a great deal, it's not the same as an open relationship, although even that can have constraints in some sense, versus just all bets are off
 
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ananda

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While I'm not absolutely certain, I've come to terms with being asexual and I wonder about religious perspectives on it, since I myself don't really see it as an issue (not sure where else in the forums this works, because this isn't a Struggle With Sexuality)

There are misconceptions, like this is celibacy, which it isn't, because that's a choice, while I don't have sexual desire (desire to have sex with someone).
In Pali Buddhism, asexuality is a sign that the individual was possibly reborn from the Brahma heavens (or higher). The Brahma-devas there are asexual. Alternatively, one could have practiced eqanimity in this lifetime towards physical attraction, and produced the kamma-vipaka that leads to asexuality.
 
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muichimotsu

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In Pali Buddhism, asexuality is a sign that the individual was possibly reborn from the Brahma heavens (or higher). The Brahma-devas there are asexual. Alternatively, one could have practiced eqanimity in this lifetime towards physical attraction, and produced the kamma-vipaka that leads to asexuality.

Didn't know there were heavens higher than the Brahma, but I'll admit my familiarity with the Buddhist/Hindu cosmology is not that great

Suggesting you can just turn on asexuality with the latter practice is...iffy, since it suggests sexuality is so malleable I can just activate my sexual desire with asceticism or such, rather than it being inborn, in the same vein as my friend being trans always being a disposition that he just realized (had to correct myself, known them as a woman for decades, will take some time)
 
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ananda

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Didn't know there were heavens higher than the Brahma, but I'll admit my familiarity with the Buddhist/Hindu cosmology is not that great

Suggesting you can just turn on asexuality with the latter practice is...iffy, since it suggests sexuality is so malleable I can just activate my sexual desire with asceticism or such, rather than it being inborn, in the same vein as my friend being trans always being a disposition that he just realized (had to correct myself, known them as a woman for decades, will take some time)
All "personal" traits are clearly malleable in samsara of Pali Buddhism. It is a consequence of one of the three traits of samsaric existence, in this case anicca (impermanence). An endless stream of change is a core teaching, and though something can be "inborn", it is still subject to change.

Causality in Pali Buddhism is not inevitable. Past actions which produces present effects, can be modified through attention and will in the present, both which combine to produce future effects.

Attention is a key factor which provokes that change. This is the basis behind the Eightfold Path; in essence, attention is associated with View, which leads to Intention, Actions & Effort, Concentration, and thus, change, hopefully towards greater skillfulness. Nothing is unchanging or permanent except for nibbana; samsara is all about change, and the suffering that results when we cling to changing things we wish wouldn't change (identity with self).
 
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Chrystal-J

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Julian and Basilissa were a married couple (saints) who remained virgins through-out their marriage.

From: Julian and Basilissa - Wikipedia

Forced by his family to marry, he agreed with his spouse, Basilissa, that they should both preserve their virginity, and further encouraged her to found a convent for women, of which she became the superior, while he himself gathered a large number of monks and undertook their direction. The two converted their home into a hospital which could house up to 1,000 people.

Basilissa, after having stood severe persecutions, died in peace; Julian survived her many years, but was martyred, (together with Celsus a youth, Antony a priest, Anastatius, and Marcianilla the mother of Celsus) under the Persecutions of Diocletian.
 
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muichimotsu

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All "personal" traits are clearly malleable in samsara of Pali Buddhism. It is a consequence of one of the three traits of samsaric existence, in this case anicca (impermanence). An endless stream of change is a core teaching, and though something can be "inborn", it is still subject to change.

Causality in Pali Buddhism is not inevitable. Past actions which produces present effects, can be modified through attention and will in the present, both which combine to produce future effects.

Attention is a key factor which provokes that change. This is the basis behind the Eightfold Path; in essence, attention is associated with View, which leads to Intention, Actions & Effort, Concentration, and thus, change, hopefully towards greater skillfulness. Nothing is unchanging or permanent except for nibbana; samsara is all about change, and the suffering that results when we cling to changing things we wish wouldn't change (identity with self).
Isn't malleability more the idea of being shaped from outside intentionally rather than just by general phenomena and experiences that aren't intentional?

I wonder if you mean casuality isn't sequential, but can nonetheless happen in a manner that isn't as direct as A causes B, but A causes D because B caused C or some variation thereof
 
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muichimotsu

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Julian and Basilissa were a married couple (saints) who remained virgins through-out their marriage.

From: Julian and Basilissa - Wikipedia

Forced by his family to marry, he agreed with his spouse, Basilissa, that they should both preserve their virginity, and further encouraged her to found a convent for women, of which she became the superior, while he himself gathered a large number of monks and undertook their direction. The two converted their home into a hospital which could house up to 1,000 people.

Basilissa, after having stood severe persecutions, died in peace; Julian survived her many years, but was martyred, (together with Celsus a youth, Antony a priest, Anastatius, and Marcianilla the mother of Celsus) under the Persecutions of Diocletian.
And I'm reminded of 1 Corinthians 7 (I think) where Paul seems to outline (according to some posters in threads I've formed) the requirements of marriage, and 1 of them appears to be sex, though there is the allowance of focusing on prayer temporarily, while this would seem to contradict that.
 
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ananda

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Isn't malleability more the idea of being shaped from outside intentionally rather than just by general phenomena and experiences that aren't intentional?

I wonder if you mean casuality isn't sequential, but can nonetheless happen in a manner that isn't as direct as A causes B, but A causes D because B caused C or some variation thereof
Malleability includes all those things, a combination of external & internal influences guided to various degrees by attention and intention.
 
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