3.2 Sexual Ethics Flashcards
Who was Peter Vardy?
a british theologian and specialist in the philosophy of Kierkegaard. He published The Puzzle of Sex in 1997
What does Peter Vardy say about sexual ethics?
The puzzle of sex: outlines the history of attitudes to sex from a philosophical and religioud perspectie, argues the link between sex and reproduction has been broken.
What does The Puzzle of Sex say about sexual attitudes world wide?
- Considered morally wrong in the UK, legal age of consent is 16. Although outside of the UK the age varies from 13-18.
- Adultery is considered morally wrong but not illegal in the western world.
- Pre-marital sex and homosexuality are crimes in some nations but not in the western world.
- Showing that attitudes to sex are not absolute, making it difficult to define morally right and wrong.
What is Vardy concerned with about attitudes to sex?
- Attitudes are too liberal where any act has become acceptable within the boundaries of consent.
- Sex has become a commodity legitimised by science and encouraged by mass media
- The purpose of sex is now enjoyment instead of divine union: no longer sacred to people
- Concerned with the increasing rate of divorce and declining rate of marriage
What are the biblical teachings on sex in the Old Testament?
- Genesis 1 and 2: sex is established as a positive thing for procreation but:
Sexual acts with non-Israelites was forbidden (could lead away from God- Soloman had 700 wives and 300 concubines)
Adultery was regarded as theft, punishable by stoning
Women should be virgins on marriage, so the man could be certain the children were his own
What are the biblical teachings about sex in the New testament?
- Jesus says very little about sex, only calling on his followers to live as part of the Kingdom of God, to reflect God’s love to all
- St Paul attempted to move the Christian people away from the body towards the soul and takes a firmer line: “Flee from sexual immorality… he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own”- 1 Corinthians 6:18-9
- Paul compares marriage to the relationship between Christ and his Church: the man is the head
What are the Church teachings on sex?
- Early Christianity valued celibacy as it modelled the life Jesus had chosen and was a gift from God to the priesthood- still believed by the Roman Catholic Church (priests, nuns, and monks can’t get married). Augustine thought sex was immoral and sinful except when reproducing
What are the broard beliefs about sex from different christian denominations?
Sex for procreation in a hetero-sexual marriage- Roman Catholic
Sex within marriage, but not specifically for procreation- evangelical christian view
sex as an expression of a loving, committed relationship- liberal christian view
What do Roman Catholics believe?
- Stem from natural moral law’s primary precepts of preserving life and reproduction
- Marriage’s purpose is for procreation- and because sociey must be ordered anything that threatens family and marriage is wrong
- Pre-marital and extra-marital sex is immoral as are masturbation, homosexuality, contraception and abortion
3 purposes for marriage:
* faithfulness
* reproduction
* divine union
What does the Roman Catholic church believe about homosexuality?
- sexual inclination towards the opposite sex is not wrong if it is not acted upon- it is a trial from God. Violence or persecution against homosexuals is condemned, calls for love of everyone equally
Homosexuality is immoral:
* Passages from the bible condemn homosexuality- St Paul describes people engaging in same-sex intercourse as ‘dishonouring their bodies’
* Natural moral law argues the purpose of sexual union is procreation, therefore homosexuality is immoral
- The institution of marriage was created by God as a permenant and sacred union between man and wife and cannot be changed or adapted
What do Roman Catholics believe about contraception and infertility?
- The purose of sex is procreation, meaning couples should not actively prevent childbearing but should accept when sex doesn’t lead to procreation
- Artificial contraception is sinful
- life begins at conception and a fertilised egg is a person (family planning is acceptable: not having sex when most fertile in her cycle)
- Believes using contraception encourages immoral behaviour especially extra and pre marital sex- damaging marriage and reducing a man and a woman’s respect for each other
- Argues against artifical methods of conception e.g IVF or sperm donor. To catholics having children is a gift from God not a right.
Who is Jack Dominian?
A Roman Catholic clinical psychiatrist and theologian who worked for many years as a Catholic Marriage Advisory Council. He was very critical of the church’s view on sex and relationships
What did Jack Dominian argue?
- Catholic teachings on marriage were too absolute and legalistic.
- He calls for a new definition of sex: as a personal expression that communicates recognition and appreciation, confirms sexual identity, brings reconciliation and healing, celebrates life, and is a profound way of thanking one another for a loving partnership.
- It is possible to be a Roman Catholic but also accept homosexuality, and contraception
Marriage reflects God’s love but should be a place where partners find love, and is also the best place to raise children
Couples should be able to access pre-marital counselling, churches have a duty to prepare couples for marriage
The Roman Catholic Church it too heirarchical and similar to the relationship between parent and child. He questions the teachings on a range of ethical issues and believes humanbeings are rational enough to choose the most moral thing
What do Protestants believe about sexual ethics?
- Relies on the individual consience rather than church teachings
- Sex is an act which can preserve the institution of marriage and is not solely for procreation
- Contraception may be necessary
What do liberal protestants believe about sexual ethics?
Does not follow natural law, argues we should interpret the bible metaphorically
‘sex within a loving relationship’, more accepting of homosexuality, cohabiting and sexual relations outside of marriage than the Catholic church
- The quality of a relationship determines its moral value, God created homsexual men and women so they must be good as they were made in his image like everyone.
- divorce is morally acceptable for irreversable marital breakdowns or adultery
- Pre-marital sex and cohabition is permissable if done with love
- any form of contraception should be allowed as long as it is used to limit the family size, and doesn’t permenantly inhibit fertility
- Sex is for enjoyment and strengthens a marriage
- IVF and other means are morally acceptable as they can bring happiness. If life comes from God then anything creating life must be good
