Sexual attraction to Jesus/other religious figures

Religious/spiritual (or non-religious) people: have any of you ever dealt with a sexual attraction to Jesus, or other religious figures if you're not Christian? The more research I do on it, the more this taboo attraction seems to make sense. A lot of church denomination--especially the ones that emphasize purity culture--tend to fixate on being filled with God, letting the Holy Spirit enter you, the heart being restless until it rests in God, the Church as Bride, etc.

I read an interesting Vox article breaking down the phenomena pretty well: The long shadow of "hot Jesus".

People who have experienced sexual attraction to Jesus or other religious figures: how did you deal with it? Did you struggle with guilt/shame about it? Or was it just another aspect of your sexuality to explore for you?

I experience attraction to Jesus Christ myself (I blame it on Hollywood casting stupefyingly-attractive men to play Him), and I am still processing how I feel about it. It seems very blasphemous and sacrilegious, but I can also completely understand where it comes from. One of the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows of life is that we can't always control what turns us on...

 

I definitely understand where you're coming from - while I can't say that I've been attracted sexually to any religious figure (unless you consider an erect penis to be a religious figure of sorts), for a while I have been fascinated by the relationship between the sexual and the religious, between that which is considered to be the most "holy" and that which is considered to be most "profane". I do think it's an aspect of one's sexuality that's worthy of exploring - in the end, I suppose it will either make your faith stronger or lead you down an alternative path. Whatever the outcome might be, it will surely serve to set limits (or break them) in regards to one's understanding of their own sexuality.

As for the things that you're feeling - yes, there's no doubt that they are absolutely sacrilegious and blasphemous - and even more so if they constitute a homosexual attraction. Though, for some that may only just serve to add more fuel to the fire of perverted lust. Taboos exist for a reason, and that reason might just be that - on some level - they're meant to be broken. As you've said so yourself, we don't necessarily choose to be attracted to the things we're attracted to, or to feel the emotions we're having. We all have intrusive thoughts that produce heinous images in our minds - but that doesn't mean that you approve of them, so why would you (or anyone else) consider yourself to be guilty of any wrongdoing? And even if you consider yourself to be complicit in the way that you've "put your guard down", or start to actually enjoy and fantasize about the thoughts you're having, I'm sure that along the path you might take you'll also find ways to straighten out the kinks of guilt and morality that you previously might have had qualms about.