Belief in Hell Was Linked to Lower Rates of Casual Sex and Infidelity, Study Finds

Belief in hell is associated with fewer casual sexual relationships and lower rates of infidelity than belief in heaven, according to a new study published in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. The findings suggest that fear of supernatural punishment may exert a stronger influence on sexual behavior than the expectation of heavenly reward.

The study, titled "From Damnation to Devotion: A Multilevel Investigation of Hell Versus Heaven Beliefs and Sexual Fidelity," examined how beliefs about the afterlife relate to sexual attitudes, relationship behavior, and family outcomes. The findings contribute to ongoing research exploring how religious beliefs may influence intimate relationships and decision-making.

Across many religious traditions, sexual behavior is viewed as carrying moral significance that extends beyond earthly life. Study authors Samudera Fadlilla Jamaluddin and Fakhirah Inayaturrobbani of Universitas Gadjah Mada investigated whether beliefs about heaven and hell are associated with differences in real-world romantic and sexual behavior.

Researchers Combined International and U.S. Data

The researchers used a multilevel approach that combined cross-national comparisons with individual-level survey data from the United States. This allowed them to examine both broad cultural patterns and the influence of personal beliefs on behavior.

For the international analysis, the team used data from the World Values Survey together with a large relationship dataset covering 27 countries. They examined associations between beliefs in heaven and hell, casual sexual relationships, infidelity, relationship satisfaction, and attitudes toward sexuality.

To reduce the influence of broader social and economic factors, the statistical models controlled for gross domestic product per capita, income inequality, unemployment, and gender equality. This approach helped isolate associations between afterlife beliefs and relationship behaviors.

Belief in Hell Was Associated With Greater Sexual Restraint

At the country level, stronger belief in hell was consistently associated with lower reported rates of casual sexual relationships and infidelity. Countries in which belief in hell was more widespread also tended to report less acceptance of casual sex.

The researchers suggest that these findings do not necessarily indicate differences in sexual desire between societies. Instead, they propose that fear of supernatural punishment may discourage people from acting on those desires.

Belief in heaven showed considerably weaker associations with sexual restraint. After accounting for economic development and gender equality, most links between belief in heaven and more conservative sexual behavior were no longer statistically significant.

According to the authors, these findings are consistent with broader psychological research indicating that the threat of punishment often influences behavior more strongly than the promise of reward. Fear of eternal punishment may therefore function as a particularly powerful deterrent against violating religious sexual norms.

Individual Beliefs Were Also Linked to Sexual Attitudes

The second part of the study analyzed data from the U.S. General Social Survey collected between 1972 and 2024. Depending on the specific analysis, sample sizes ranged from 388 to 4,788 participants.

Participants reported their beliefs in heaven and hell, attitudes toward premarital sex and infidelity, lifetime number of sexual partners, marital satisfaction, and number of children. Researchers also adjusted for age and income when analyzing the results.

At the individual level, both belief in heaven and belief in hell were associated with more conservative attitudes toward sexuality. Participants who reported either belief were generally less accepting of premarital sex and reported fewer lifetime sexual partners than those who did not hold these beliefs.

Belief in an afterlife was also associated with having more children. The researchers note that this finding is consistent with previous studies reporting that greater religiosity is often linked to higher fertility and a stronger emphasis on family life.

However, neither belief in heaven nor belief in hell consistently predicted marital satisfaction or the likelihood of divorce. The findings suggest that afterlife beliefs may be more closely related to sexual behavior than to overall relationship quality.

The Findings Do Not Establish Cause and Effect

The researchers emphasize that the study identified statistical associations rather than cause-and-effect relationships. The findings do not demonstrate that believing in hell directly causes people to remain faithful or that people without such beliefs are less committed to their relationships.

The authors also note several limitations. The cross-national analysis included only 27 countries, limiting how broadly the findings can be generalized. In addition, sensitive behaviors such as infidelity were measured through self-report surveys, raising the possibility that some participants underreported their experiences, particularly in more socially conservative cultures.

The researchers also acknowledge that socioeconomic conditions and social support systems continue to play important roles in shaping family structures and relationship stability. In societies with fewer public support services, religious communities may provide social cohesion and practical resources that contribute to stable long-term relationships.

The authors further caution against the ecological fallacy—the mistaken assumption that patterns observed at the population level necessarily apply to every individual. Even in countries where belief in hell is widespread and casual sex is less common overall, individuals may vary considerably in their beliefs and behaviors.

Questions for Future Research

Jamaluddin and Inayaturrobbani suggest that future longitudinal studies could examine whether changes in religious beliefs over time are followed by changes in sexual attitudes and behavior. Such research could help determine whether shifts in belief precede changes in relationship decisions.

The researchers also propose expanding this work to include religious traditions outside the Abrahamic faiths, including those emphasizing concepts such as reincarnation or karmic rebirth. Cross-cultural studies involving individual-level data could clarify whether beliefs centered on supernatural punishment consistently influence sexual restraint across different religious traditions.

Finally, the authors suggest investigating whether beliefs about heaven and hell primarily influence behavior through conscious moral decision-making rather than by changing underlying sexual desire. Better understanding these psychological mechanisms may help explain why beliefs about reward and punishment have remained influential across cultures and throughout history.

Article prepared by Dr. Alex Morgan.