Sexual Ethics Flashcards
Cohabitation
an unmarried couple living together in a sexually active relationship. Sometimes known pejoratively as ‘living in sin’
Consent
freely agreeing to engage in sexual activity with another person
Premarital sex
sex before marriage
Extramarrital ex
sex beyond the confines of marriage, usually used to describe adulteries sex
Betrothal
traditionally the exchange of promises, which in earlier times marked the point at which sex was permitted
Consummation
an act of sexual intercourse that indicates, in some traditions, the finalization of the marriage
Exclusive
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’
Homosexuality
sexual attraction between people of the same sex
Who argues that sexuality is the defining feature of our personalities?
Sigmund Freud
Fornication
sexual intercourse between people not married to each other
What adjective does the CC used to describe marriage?
it is ‘indissoluble’
What does indissoluble mean
unable to be destroyed; lasting
How does the CC view that marriage is ‘indissoluble’ effect their beliefs regarding divorce?
sex with someone after divorce, whether married to them or not, is adultery because marriage is indissoluble
Describe the statistics regarding people engaging in cohabitation
in the 1960s, fewer than 1 in 20 in the UK cohabited
now, more than half of the UK population cohabit
Why did the number of people cohabiting increase?
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
What was the 1960’s definition of cohabitation vs now?
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
Why was female virginity important (in Britain)
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
How did those in Anglo-Saxon England have sex?
spouses pledged themselves to one another in a betrothal ceremony, after which they could have sex, and the formal marriage followed later
Describe the sexual relations of those in 18th century England?
1/2 of the brides were pregnant at their marriage ceremony, with sexual relations beginning after the betrothal but before the marriage.
Marriage was expected to follow after betrothal, BUT…
many women were vulnerable to abandonment
Where do traditional Christian teaches believe about sex, and why?
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
What does premarital sex indicate for traditional Christians?
lack of moral discipline and poses a threat to the institutions of marriage and family
What is traditional Christian view on cohabitation?
a SIN - cohabitation = lack of commitment which makes it less stable than marriage
Where do traditional Christians get their beliefs regarding sex and cohabitation from? (give e.g.)
biblical references; in Genesis, the Hebrew word ‘cleave’ is translated as ‘become one flesh’
