Pornography in Context - Pornography, Religion, and Shame | Dr. Adam Scalese

Episode 10: Pornography, Religion & Shame — How Faith Shapes Sexual Identity and Self-Worth

Season 1 — Pornography in Context

Why do religious teachings make porn feel spiritually dangerous? Why do so many people raised in faith traditions interpret desire as moral failure? And how does purity culture shape sexual shame for a lifetime?

In this powerful episode of Complex Sex, Dr. Mallorie Sorce sits down with psychologist Dr. Adam Scalisi, a specialist in Out-of-Control Sexual Behavior (OCSB) and sexual health, to explore how religion, morality, and sexual development collide. Together, they unpack the emotional, relational, and cultural fallout that comes from growing up in conservative or purity-based environments—especially within LDS and Christian communities.

This episode offers a compassionate, research-informed lens on how faith shapes desire, shame, identity, and the meanings people attach to pornography.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why religious frameworks position sex as both sacred and dangerous
• How purity culture became a dominant force (and its ancient theological roots)
• The difference between shame vs. guilt—and why shame is far more destructive
• How gendered messaging teaches women to be “gatekeepers” and men to “control their urges”
• Why women often feel responsible for men’s behavior
• How men internalize the belief that sexual desire = moral weakness
• How these teachings create lifelong anxiety, secrecy, and sexual confusion
• Why many people mistakenly label themselves “porn addicts” due to moral incongruence
• What scrupulosity looks like—and how OCD shows up as religious sexual anxiety
• How porn becomes accidental sex education for teens raised in silence
• Why choking and other high-intensity behaviors are showing up in teen sex encounters
• Why purity culture leaves adults underprepared for real intimacy and communication
• How early experiences with porn + parental reactions shape lifelong sexual identity
• Why sexual shame reinforces the very behaviors people fear most
• What healthy sexual development looks like outside purity culture
• How couples can renegotiate sexual values, boundaries, and agreements with honesty
• Why sexual self-compassion—not shame—is the foundation of erotic healing

Perfect for listeners who:

• Grew up LDS, Christian, or in any conservative religious community
• Feel shame, fear, or confusion about their sexual desire or porn use
• Experience anxiety, guilt, or panic related to sexuality or morality
• Have partners who struggle with porn distress
• Want to understand OCSB without addiction-based models
• Are deconstructing purity culture and reclaiming their erotic identity
• Want compassion-driven, research-backed sexual education

Mallorie and Adam offer insight, humor, lived experience, and clinical depth to help listeners untangle shame from values—and desire from doctrine. Their conversation highlights the nuance missing from religious discussions about sex and shows how healing is possible when people are supported, informed, and validated.

If religion has ever shaped the way you see your body, your desire, or your worth, this episode will help you reclaim your sexuality with clarity, compassion, and choice.

Up next: Ethical porn, feminist porn, and how to navigate desire responsibly and safely.