3.2 sexual ethics Flashcards
What are some purposes of marriage?
formally acknowledging the partnership, an intention to have a committed relationship and the socialisation of children in a stable and financial environment
What is the Roman Catholic purpose of marriage?
- marriage is a sacrament, a binding two-way promise
What is the NML purpose of marriage?
- reproduction
- only for heterosexual men and women
- do not allow sex outside of marriage
What is the Roman Catholic stance on divorce?
- it is immoral because the union between a man and a woman is sacred and cannot be broken
What does Catholicism offer rather than divorce?
annulment
1. the marriage is void on the grounds of direment impediments e.g failure to satisfy the ‘sexual goods’ of marriage
2. the marriage is void on the grounds of sacramental impediments e.g full consent of both parties was lacking
What is the secular stance on divorce?
1969 Divorce Reform Act = introduced irretrievable breakdown as a valid reason, along with adultery, desertion or unreasonable behaviour
What different types of cohabitation is there?
- cohabitation as a trial marriage : assess compatability
- cohabitation as a substitute
- casual cohabitation
- ideological cohabitation : sees marriage as a failed institution
What are some critiques of cohabitation?
- lack of fidelity and commitment
- just using each other
- poor environment for the nurture of children
- no legal protection/ benefit
- a perceived psychological impact resulting in subsequent marriages being less likely to last
What is the Roman Catholic stance on contraception?
- artificial contraception is sinful
- it encourages immoral behaviour: less male respect for women + giving human beings the idea that they can have complete power over the body
- natural family planning is acceptableb
- also argue against any artificial means of procreation, gives no moral solution to infertility
What is the protestant view on contraception?
- if you are going to have casual sex; it is ethical to use contraception
- there is a fundamental difference between sex for unitive purposes and for procreation
What are secular arguments against the use of contraception?
- lowers the element of companionship making sex the only point of a relationship
- allows institutions such as govts to interfere in human reproduction
- reduces the risk of sex and therefore encourages permissiveness
- reinforced male control over women
What is the RC stance on homosexuality?
- argue that sexual inclination towards someone of the same sex isn’t wrong as long as it isn’t acted upon
- homosexual acts are viewed as ‘contrary to the natural law, they close the sexual act to the gift of life’
What is the CofE teaching on homosexuality?
1998 = ‘homosexual acts are incompatible with scripture’
2002 = Anglican Church of Canada - allow the blessing an officiation of same-sex unions by parishes that choose to do so
2005 = lay gay members who have entered civil partnerships can be considered as candidates for the episcopate
What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
- Gen 19:4-11 - Sodom and Gommorah
- Deut 23:17-18 = can’t earn money from prostitution
- Lev 20:13 = if a man lies with another man they must be put to death
What is the secular stance on homosexuality?
1957 Wolfenden Report = ‘homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence’
- lesbianism has never been legislated for
