Sexual Ethics

Question 1

Cohabitation

Answer 1

an unmarried couple living together in a sexually active relationship. Sometimes known pejoratively as ‘living in sin’

Question 2

Consent

Answer 2

freely agreeing to engage in sexual activity with another person

Question 3

Premarital sex

Answer 3

sex before marriage

Question 4

Extramarrital ex

Answer 4

sex beyond the confines of marriage, usually used to describe adulteries sex

Question 5

Betrothal

Answer 5

traditionally the exchange of promises, which in earlier times marked the point at which sex was permitted

Question 6

Consummation

Answer 6

an act of sexual intercourse that indicates, in some traditions, the finalization of the marriage

Question 7

Exclusive

Answer 7

a commitment to be in a sexual relationship with a person to the exclusion of all others. this is the opposite of an ‘open marriage’ or a ‘casual relationship’

Question 8

Homosexuality

Answer 8

sexual attraction between people of the same sex

Question 9

Who argues that sexuality is the defining feature of our personalities?

Answer 9

Sigmund Freud

Question 10

Fornication

Answer 10

sexual intercourse between people not married to each other

Question 11

What adjective does the CC used to describe marriage?

Answer 11

it is ‘indissoluble’

Question 12

What does indissoluble mean

Answer 12

unable to be destroyed; lasting

Question 13

How does the CC view that marriage is ‘indissoluble’ effect their beliefs regarding divorce?

Answer 13

sex with someone after divorce, whether married to them or not, is adultery because marriage is indissoluble

Question 14

Describe the statistics regarding people engaging in cohabitation

Answer 14

in the 1960s, fewer than 1 in 20 in the UK cohabited

now, more than half of the UK population cohabit

Question 15

Why did the number of people cohabiting increase?

Answer 15

due to the introduction of the contraceptive pill in the 1960s, as it removed the fear of unwanted pregnancies which previously made people contain sex within marriage alone

Question 16

What was the 1960’s definition of cohabitation vs now?

Answer 16

1960s - referred to a short period of time when a couple lived together before they married or went their separate ways

now - can refer to a long-lasting alternative to marriage, with or without children

Question 17

Why was female virginity important (in Britain)

Answer 17

was not just about Christian tradition, but also due to the fact that male members of the British aristocracy wanted to know that the children born to their wives (i.e. the children who would become their heirs) were in fact their own

Question 18

How did those in Anglo-Saxon England have sex?

Answer 18

spouses pledged themselves to one another in a betrothal ceremony, after which they could have sex, and the formal marriage followed later

Question 19

Describe the sexual relations of those in 18th century England?

Answer 19

1/2 of the brides were pregnant at their marriage ceremony, with sexual relations beginning after the betrothal but before the marriage.

Question 20

Marriage was expected to follow after betrothal, BUT…

Answer 20

many women were vulnerable to abandonment

Question 21

Where do traditional Christian teaches believe about sex, and why?

Answer 21

sex before, or outside marriage is a sin, because the mainstream understanding of sex places it firmly in the context of a bond between 2 people. Sexual intercourse on any other circumstance is, consequently, wrong

Question 22

What does premarital sex indicate for traditional Christians?

Answer 22

lack of moral discipline and poses a threat to the institutions of marriage and family

Question 23

What is traditional Christian view on cohabitation?

Answer 23

a SIN - cohabitation = lack of commitment which makes it less stable than marriage

Question 24

Where do traditional Christians get their beliefs regarding sex and cohabitation from? (give e.g.)

Answer 24

biblical references; in Genesis, the Hebrew word ‘cleave’ is translated as ‘become one flesh’

Question 25

What does Genesis 2:24 say?

Answer 25

“that is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh”

Question 26

What does Genesis 2:24 emphasize?

“that is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh”

Answer 26

the spiritual, emotional, social and sexual purposes of marriage and that marriage and sexual union are part of God’s plan.

Question 27

For the Catholic Church, the miracle at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11) in the New Testament confirms…

Answer 27

God’s approval of marriage as a good thing and a sacrament, a sign of God’s presence in the world

Question 28

What biblical passage confirms for the Catholic Church God’s approval of marriage as a good thing and a sacrament, a sign of God’s presence in the world?

Answer 28

the miracle at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11)

Question 29

Pope Paul VI quote showing marriage has many benefits

Answer 29

[love in the marriage] “is meant not only to survive the joys and sorrows of daily life, but also to grow, so that husband and wife become in a way of one heart and one soul, and together attain their human fulfillment”

Question 30

What (direct quote!) does the CC used to describe an act of sexual intercourse outside of marriage?

Answer 30

a “free union”, in which a couple has refused tp “give juridical and public form to a liaison involving sexual intimacy”

Question 31

Catholic Church quote about premarital sex as a trial marriage?

Answer 31

“some today claim a ‘right to a trial marriage’ where there is an intention of getting married later … Human love does not tolerate ‘trial marriages’. It demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another”

Question 32

For the Catholic Church, premarital sex does not express _____, ____ and ______ (f,e,c)

Answer 32

fidelity
exclusivity
commitment

Question 33

Fidelity

Answer 33

faithfulness to a person, cause, or belief, demonstrated by continuing loyalty and support

Question 34

How does the Catholic Church treat those who have had premarital sex?

Answer 34

they are excluded from sacramental communion until they have reconciled with a morally correct way of living

Question 35

How do some Christian leaders attempt to advocate for premarital sex?

Answer 35

they see it as a PROGRESSION towards marriage, rather than a rejection of marriage

Question 36

Quote from some Christian leaders who attempt to advocate for premarital sex

Answer 36

“for many people, [cohabitation is], a step along the way towards that fuller and more complete commitment”

General Synod Board for Social Responsibility in book; Something to Celebrate: Valuing Families in Church and Society, 1995