We examine an understudied connection between religion and sexuality: beliefs about the reality of supernatural evil (Satan, hell, and demons). After controlling for multiple other aspects of religiosity, beliefs about religious evil remain a strong and consistent predictor of attitudes about issues involving sexuality, including abortion, homosexuality, premarital sex, extramarital sex, and pornography use. Further, the effects of religious service attendance on attitudes about sexuality are contingent upon beliefs about religious evil. Moral condemnation of non-traditional sexuality is significantly higher among regular religious participants who believe strongly in religious evil compared to actively religious people who disbelieve in religious evil, as well as compared to people who do not attend religious services. Beliefs about religious evil are therefore central to understanding the empirical connections between religion and support for conservative, traditional views of sexual morality.

中文翻译：

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肉体与魔鬼：信仰宗教邪恶与性道德观

我们研究了宗教与性之间一种未被充分研究的联系：关于超自然邪恶（撒旦、地狱和恶魔）现实的信念。在控制了宗教信仰的多个其他方面后，对宗教邪恶的信念仍然是对涉及性问题的态度的强烈且一致的预测指标，包括堕胎、同性恋、婚前性行为、婚外性行为和色情使用。此外，参加宗教仪式对性态度的影响取决于对宗教邪恶的信仰。与不相信宗教邪恶的积极宗教人士以及不参加宗教仪式的人相比，强烈相信宗教邪恶的普通宗教参与者对非传统性行为的道德谴责明显更高。