The research, conducting with more than 1,000 adult viewers, may surprise those who question the morality of pornographic films
Watching porn regularly could make you become more religious, a study claims.
Adults males and females who view 'blue' movies more regularly than once a week are more likely to be more interested in God than those who do so only occasionally.
They also pray more and have fewer religious doubts.
Although there is no exact reason cited, researchers believe that it may be linked with feelings of guilt.
More than 1,300 adults were tracked for six years about their porn use and faith by researchers at Oklahoma University, US using the Portraits of American Life Study (Pals).
Findings showed 39% of adults in the US had viewed some form of pornographic media in the previous year, with men using three times as much as women.
"Recent research suggests that more frequent porn consumption, especially for religious persons , is associated with guilt and embarrassment, potentially diminishing one's interest in religious or spiritual activities while also potentially creating feelings of scrupulosity that may draw individuals away from religious community," the study said.
Team leader Samuel Perry said: “Findings suggest that viewing pornography may lead to declines in some dimensions of religiosity but at more extreme levels may actually stimulate, or at least be conducive to, greater religiosity along other dimensions.”
The study, in the Journal of Sex Research , added: "Findings suggest that viewing pornography may lead to declines in some dimensions of religiosity but at more extreme levels may actually stimulate, or at least be conducive to, greater religiosity along other dimensions."
Perry added that people who viewed porn two to three times a month were the least interested in religion, but "at higher frequencies of porn viewing however, the trend in religious salience later on appears to increase slightly".
