Part of the Christian Kyriarchy Project
Last updated 08/07/2025
In case any of these terms are unfamiliar, you can check out my site glossary.
This link spam contains more information you may find helpful.
1. Sexless marriages are presented as broken and incomplete. Also, Christian purity culture is a big fan of the idea that women have lower libidos than men. But they still have to have sex with their husbands, or else they're “selfish” and “sinful”.
See this document for examples.
2. Discussions I've seen in Christian spaces often operate under the assumption that complete disinterest in sex is always caused by trauma. They then think that they need to “fix” this so asexual people can have a “healthy” sexuality.
As I've said in other entries, Christian culture is awful at handling abuse and mental health problems.
Uncritical examples
None yet
Commentary
CEP: Oh, here we go... | The Ace Theist (May 2014)
3. I'm aware of at least one instance when a Christian group outright stated that asexuals don't exist. Others say things like “we are all sexual beings” or equate sexuality with being human.
Uncritical examples
Eight myths about religious life by David Nantais, S.J. and Scott Opperman, S.J. | VISION Vocation Network (scroll to myth 8 for the aceantagonism)
Archived on Wayback Machine and Archive.today
.The Book Of Discipline Of The United Methodist Church 2012 (page 161, “Social Principles”)
Archived on Wayback Machine
Why Dethroning Sex Doesn't Work: Reclaiming the Centrality of Conjugal Love by Talley Cross | Flesh Of My Flesh (August 2022)
Archived on Wayback Machine, and Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
The Sexually Anorexic Marriage by Traci Wright | Pure Desire Ministries (October 2019)
Archived on Wayback Machine, Archive.today, and Ghost Archive
Commentary
Growing up ace and Christian | Cinderace Blogs (February 2015)
CEP: Discovered | The Ace Theist (May 2014)
4. To combat the idea of Christians as anti-sex, many will emphasize how sex is a great gift from God. This can end up alienating sex-averse people.
Uncritical examples
None yet
Commentary
On Christians & the Sanctification of Sex | The Ace Theist (May 2014)
More about asexuality and aceantagonism in Christian spaces
The Ace Theist's Church Email Project, in which ey emailed various churches to get their opinions on asexuality.
What does it mean to be asexual and Christian? by Carly Delavan | Queer Grace (April 2016)
Asexuality and One View of a Religion? (TW homophobia) | foolishfiish and greenchestnuts
Purity culture made me feel trapped. Finding asexuality set me free. by Tyger Songbird | LGBTQ Nation (October 2023)
No Sex *After* Marriage? | The Ace Theist (September 2014)
Sex-aversion and purity culture | Cinderace Blogs (February 2015)
Guest Post: Children, Marriage and Family Expectations | asexy beast (May 2011)
Aces in the Church | The Ace Theist (August 2016)
Growing Up As An Asexual Christian by Kaitlin Smith | Believe Out Loud
Christianity as Trauma | The Ace Theist (February 2015)
For This Asexual, Purity Culture Was All About Fear | Tell me why the world is weird (June 2017, discusses sex in some detail, mentions rape and victim blaming)
The Puritans Freaking Loved Sex, Okay | The Ace Theist (August 2014)
Sex Aversion Is Sex Aversion | The Ace Theist (December 2014)
I love the smell of asexual invalidation in the morning | swankivy (September 2014)
A hatemonger returns to my inbox | swankivy (July 2017)
[video] Letters to an Asexual #47 (Religion and Asexuality) | swankivy (June 2017, touches upon other religions as well)
What do we do with Christians who are never going to accept queer people? | Tell me why the world is weird (January 2024)
[audio] Bigoted Article: Playing the Ace Card | The Ace Couple (July 2022, also covers sexism, homoantagonism, transantagonism, racism, and ableism; mentions intersex-antagonism, Nazis, and a derogatory term for sex workers)
Available on the creators' website (with a transcript), YouTube, and Spotify
Further information
An Ace Survivor's Manifesto | queenieofaces (published in 2014 I think?)
How do you talk about sexual norms in an ace-competent way? | The Ace Theist (April 2020)
Available on Wordpress and Pillowfort
Asexuality in rightwing media | A Trivial Knot (April 2022)
Queer, non-nuclear, non-conformist: Family is what we make it by Sherronda J. Brown | Prism (September 2022, includes a section called "The demonization and othering of non-sexual relationships")
(TW: rape) Stop bringing up sexual assault to dismiss asexuality! | swankivy (September 2012)
Acephobic conspiracy theories have transphobic and fascist roots by Sherronda J. Brown | Prism (January 2023)
Christian hostility towards LGBTQIA+ people
general | additional homoantagonism | additional transantagonism | framing anti-LGBT acts as "loving" or "brave" | intersex-antagonism | aceantagonism | other anti-LGBTQ+ bigotry