A God We Could Believe In What did Church teach us about sex?
Sep 15, 2025
The hosts delve into the impact of church teachings on sex, exploring memories of purity culture and the shame that often accompanied it. They discuss the gendered expectations surrounding male and female sexuality, highlighting the lack of consent discussions. Each host shares their unique experiences, from navigating bisexuality to facing sexual violence, and the struggle for bodily autonomy. The conversation evolves, advocating for open dialogue, improved support systems, and a shift from rigid moral rules to a more nuanced understanding of sexuality.
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Childhood Purity Exercises
- Rachel recalls youth-group purity games like wet paper analogies and roleplays that taught sexual shame.
- These embodied exercises made purity feel urgent and fearful rather than informative.
Gendered Messaging About Desire
- Church often acknowledged male desire but denied or ignored female sexual desire and agency.
- That created asymmetry where boys knew desire existed while girls lacked language or normalisation.
Teach What Good Sex Looks Like
- Create honest conversations that normalise sexual feelings instead of shaming them.
- Tell young people what healthy sexual behaviour looks like rather than only forbidding acts.
