Aligning Religious Teachings with Scientific Evidence in the Analysis of Sexual Deviations: A Comparative Study with Emphasis on Individual, Familial, and Social Consequences

Abstract

This study aimed to compare religious teachings with scientific evidence in the analysis of sexual deviations and harmful sexual behaviors and to clarify their convergences, conceptual differences, and complementary capacities, with particular emphasis on individual, familial, and social consequences. This qualitative comparative review examined religious, exegetical, jurisprudential, ethical, psychological, psychiatric, sociological, legal, and family-related sources. The final sample was selected through purposive, criterion-based sampling and consisted of 64 sources, including 18 religious and Islamic sources and 46 scientific sources. Data were collected using a researcher-developed extraction form covering definitions of harmful sexual behavior, predisposing factors, individual, familial, and social consequences, consent and coercion criteria, preventive and therapeutic strategies, and relationships between scientific findings and religious concepts. Directed qualitative content analysis and constant comparative analysis were applied. The extracted themes were classified according to convergence, complementarity, conceptual difference, and apparent contradiction. The analysis indicated substantial convergence between religious teachings and scientific evidence regarding self-regulation, protection of human dignity, prohibition of coercion and exploitation, personal responsibility, respect for others’ rights, family preservation, and harm prevention. The principal conceptual difference concerned the definition of deviation: religious approaches emphasized moral and legal legitimacy, whereas scientific approaches focused on clinical distress, functional impairment, compulsion, lack of consent, and demonstrable harm. Individual consequences included anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, impaired self-regulation, intrusive preoccupation, and reduced academic or occupational functioning. Familial consequences included loss of trust, marital conflict, infidelity, emotional detachment, sexual dissatisfaction, and family instability. Social consequences included sexual violence, exploitation, abuse of authority, stigmatization, victim silencing, and increased healthcare, judicial, and welfare costs. Integrating religious teachings with scientific evidence can provide a comprehensive, dignity-centered, and evidence-informed framework for preventing, assessing, and addressing harmful sexual behaviors, provided that clear distinctions are maintained among religious wrongdoing, criminal conduct, risky behavior, marital conflict, and clinical disorder.