2 sex ethics Flashcards
ethical sex dilemma - fletcher
WW2 spy has dilemma if she should sleep with a man to gain information
= demonstrates the enormous power of sex in our society
sex referred to in old testament examples x3
- abraham sires children with his servant Hagar and his wife Sarah
- Ruth uses sex to seduce a landowner during a famine
- Adultery strictly forbidden in the 10 commandments
sex referred to in new testament examples x3
- matthew 19:3 - “is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” - asked by the Pharisees
- john 8:1 - stoning of the adultress
- 1 corinthians - st paul worries about fornication
augustine on sex basic x4
- early sexual experience led him to believe that humans were cursed with an inability to control their passions
- sex that doesnt align with his views is a sin as you avert your attention away from god
- in the garden of eden, adam and eve would’ve been able to procreate as a matter of thought, but the punishment after the fall is that humanity needs the promise of pleasure.
- but because of concupiscence (an effect of original sin) - this can get out of hand = sex is only for procreation..
latin augustine words for sex is only for procreation
concubitus propter solam procreationem
ephisians 5:25
a husband should love his wife as much as christ loved the church and gave his life for it
genesis 2:24
that is why a man leaves his father and mother, and joins his wife to become one flesh
why do catholics see marriage as important and where is it said that it is important
john 2:1-12 - jesus’ miracle at cana where he turns water into wine.
=> confirms god’s approval of marriage as a sacrament and good institution
this is outlined in the Catechism of the Church 1613
what is marriage to catholics
indissoluble as it is a union with god, and a sacrament.
similarities between prot and cath views on marriage x3
- both view as a sacred union between man and a women whihc should contain love, commitment and fidelity.
- both see marriage as a foundation for family and children
- both see it as a lifelong commitment
differences between cath and prot views on marraige x4
- cath is a sacrament, involving god, protestants think that god oversees the oath
- cath doesnt allow divorce and remarriage, prots are more accepting in circumstances
- cath requires priestly celibacy, prot may allow clergy to marry
- cath marriage has procreative purposes, prots more accepting to childless marriage
stat on premarital sex
in 1983, 28% thouht that premarital sex was mostly wrong, by 2013, this was at 11%
stat on cohabitation
before 1983, 3/10 people cohabited before marriage
now, its 8/10
augustine quotes about his own naughty times x3
“i ran wildly in the shadowy jungle of erotic adventures”
“clouds of muddy concupiscence filled the air”
“i could not tell the difference between lust and love”
1 corinthians 7:2
let each man have his own wife, and each women her own husband
1 corinthians 6
the body is not for fornication, it is for the lord
1 corinthians 18
flee from sexual immorality! all other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”
st paul basic belief on sex x2
- spoke out vehemently on fornication
- believed christ would return soon so logically assumed we shoudl remain celibate and wait
Tim Keller x4
- the modern quest for freedom in casual relationships has become consumer behaviour
- modern relationships do not seek love and commitment, just occasional pleasure
- stresses the importance and prosperity that comes along with marriage.
- modern ideas that love should mean freedom are counterintuitive as love should be sacrificial love, as you give up yourself for the other person
physical marriage for catholics x3
- different form civil marriage, as it is a sacred covenant that involves god. civil marriage is a legal contract without spiritual significance
- external elements eg vows, rings, priest’s blessing represent the internal transformation by which the couple become 1 flesh = their spiritual union
- catholic marriage helps overcome original sin’s wounds, fosters agape and nurtures spiritual growth
jesus forbidding divorce passage
Mark 10, jesus quotes Genesis “god made them male and female for this reason that the two shall become one flesh”
= rejects spiritual divorce
what are the three goods of marriage according to aquinas and augustine x3
- procreation
- nurture + companionship
- control of sexual urges
catechism quote on the necessity of marriage
“the vocation of marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they come from the hands of the creator”
1 corinthians 7:9
for it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion