Sexual Ethics

Question 1

Intro

Answer 1

Christian views vs secular views on sexual ethics:
The debate between private (liberalism) and public (conservative authoritarianism).
The application of any of the four normative ethical theories to sexual ethics.
The issues of homosexuality, pre-marital sex and extra-marital sex.
The three main Christian approaches to sexual ethics:
Conservative Christianity: Biblical teachings & traditional theologians.
Natural moral law: typically a conservative catholic view.
Liberal Christianity: the bible is not the literal word of God so we need to update Christian ethics for modern times. Fletcher’s situation ethics is an example of this.

Question 2

Keyword

Pre-marital

Answer 2

• sex before marriage - often linked to promiscuous
• commitiing a grave sin
• Introduction of conraceptive pill has been creditied with large social change around sex - 1960
• the increase in importance placed on virginity was partly religious, partly so male memebers of Bristish aristocracy would ensure their children was correct
• christians viewed sex outside marriage as a sin = lack of displine and threat to marriage and the family
• Jesus’ first miracle at a wedding suggest God’s approval of marraige
• cohabitation is seen as less stable
• ‘‘Human love does not tolerate ‘trial marriages’’‘ - CCC 2391

Question 3

other views of pre-marital sex

Answer 3

• some christians reject this, and others ‘although still reject casual sex accept premarital sex as a step in the process towards marriage
• In western societies, attitudes and laws do not follow the Church’s teachings = civil marraiges now outnumber relgious ones.

Question 4

Extramarital sex

Answer 4

• usually described as adulterous sex
• catholic church forbids divorce through annulments and view remarriages as extramarital sex
• catholics view marriage as a sacrement
• Lisa Cahill: ‘sex, gender and christian ethics’ argues that christianity’s opposition to divorce was orignally an attemot to stop men’s ablity to manipulate women for power and wealth, within the marriage
• ban on adultery and divorce stopped men having many wives (limited their role as property) and protected women/children.= why they used laws {marriage is about commitment} - links to Mary Daly religion/society oppresses woman - catholic tried to protect women

Question 5

homosexuality

Answer 5

• Radical change in legal frameworks around homosexuality
• In the 20th century, homosexuality was still illegal (only between men) = It was considered a mental illness
• Age of consent lowered to 18 in 1994 and 16 in 2001 (same as heterosexual) = the age of consent was higher for gay people (21)
• First same-sex marriage occurred 2014= when it was legalised
• Increased tolerant approach to spectrum of gender identities = children needed to be protected [Equality and human rights]
• Catholic Church blesses it, but do not accept it

Question 6

keyword

Betrothel

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Christianity and homosexuality

Answer 7

• “men who have sex with men” will not inherit the Kingdom of God
  1 Corinthians 6
• • Sodom and Gommarrah - look in to this
• These acts are usually in the context of adultery/ prostitutes - not exclusive committed relationships
• Pederasty was common (sex between a man and a prepubescent {younger} boy)
• People accept immorality of homosexuality but reject passages that advocate for beheading as punishment
• Procreation cannot happen in same-sex relationships violating natural law
• Scripture is used inconsistently to reinforce prejudices
• Vardy notes Paul’s idea that homosexual acts are against nature (they are impure) seems to contradict Jewish view of impurity

Question 8

The Anglican Church and homosexuality

Answer 8

• CoE opposes same-sex marriage
• They require gay / lesbian clergy who are in same-sex relationships to remain celibate
• Gene Robison = an example in the change of Christianity - allowing homosexuality to go into the Christian church = he was the first gay priest in a major Christian denomination.
  Thinking questions:
• Can homosexuality relationship have ethical validity?
• Does monogamy make sense if one is bisexual?
• Whether a persons God given sexual identity is determined by their physical nature of self-perception = Did God really make them that way

Question 9

The Catholic Church and homosexuality - Progressive view

Not opposing views to Anglican but an additional point

Answer 9

• Homosexual attraction not a sin but a trial
• All people should be respected and no one should face discrimination
• called to chastity (abstinence)
• “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” Pope Francis

Question 10

methodist

Changing Christian moral thought on homosexuality - Add more

Answer 10

• All being made in the image of God shows our nature is acceptable to God
• some christians churches goes beyond, challenging the traditional disapproval of homosexuality (found in LT. and the Bible) maintaining that the quality of relationships is what determines its value

Question 11

St Augustine on sexual desire and original sin

Answer 11

• Augustine references Genesis, where after disobeying God Adam and Eve became aware of their nakedness and covered up out of shame.
• Augustine claims it is ‘just’ that we feel shame about our naked bodies, since it is just that we feel shame over having lust because it being beyond our control is the result of our fallen state
• Augustine argues this is universal – people of all cultures cover up their genitals, and sex is done in private, which Augustine suggests is due to the shame associated with it.
• Augustine concludes that sex must be confined to marriage for the purpose of having children.
• This means that homosexual sex is not allowed.
• Anything else is just giving in to original sin in a depraved and disordered way.

Question 12

liberal

Secular thinking on sexual ethics
J.S. Mill

Answer 12

• Wanted a free liberal society
• Wanted artificial contraception available to the poor (prohibited by the Catholic Church)
• advocates for women’s right, gender equality
• In ‘On Liberity’ = ‘Sex is a principle of perfect quality, admitting no power or privielge on side, nor disability on the other’
• Regulation around marriage/sex rooted in Christianity’s normalisation of monogamous heterosexual marriage as the ideal
• However, there have been changes, e.g. cohabitation is common, women just as easily divorce, children out of wedlock, illegal to discriminate someone based on sexuality / gender

Question 13

Secular views on sexual ethics

Answer 13

• Freud’s rejection of Christian approaches to sex as overly repressive.
• Freud himself was quite conservative regarding sex in many ways
• He thought that traditional Christian attitudes towards sex resulted in a feeling of shame about sexual desire which led to unhealthy repression and mental illness.
• The liberal secular attitude towards sex is influenced by Freud.
• It claims that sex is a natural biological desire which shouldn’t be a source of shame but of well-being.
• Conservative religious attitudes towards sex are therefore unnecessarily repressive and puritanical.
• Traditionalists always fought against the sexual liberalisation of society, concerned it would harm social order, and yet society seems fine if not better.

Question 14

Secular thinking on sexual ethics
Natural law = Capabilities approach

Answer 14

• Focusing on the freedom humans need for wellbeing
• Emotional attachment to things and people who love and care - not having fear or anxiety around their attachments
• People should be free to create consensual sexual relationships however they as long as no one is harmed.

Question 15

Sexual ethics: application
Natural laws

Answer 15

• Natural law implies that masturbation, homo, sex, contraception all wrong
• it is knowing Right and wrong which are absolute and connected to human flourishing
• follows the Primary precepts: protecting life, ensuring reproduction, education and loving God
• Creation of new life is central to the purpose of sex, therefore if it separates it, it is morally questionable
• “marital act must retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life” Pope Paul VI in Humanae Vitae
• Homosexuals therefore cannot procreation therefore it is wrong
• Contraception is wrong
• sex is mistaken for apparent good
• PSA: be careful of LANGUANGE - NL THEORY MIGHT NOT BE IN FAVOUR I.E. DOUBLE DOCTRINE

Question 16

Natural law critics

Answer 16

• Modern age shows people live longer and benefits of delaying children
  What about sexual acts that cannot lead to reproduction (e.g. infertility, pregnancy or menopause)
• Perhaps precepts need to be reviewed as the central purpose of sex should not be procreation, this would then welcome homosexual relationships

Burton M. Leiser’s Criticism
* Sexual acts have multiple purpose and we do not need simultaneously fulfil all purposes at once!
* Yes…sexual organs are suited to reproduction, but they are also suited to producing pleasure.
* Creates unnecessary shame / prejudices
* Could this justify extramarital sex if someone is infertile, e.g. Abraham did this in the scriptures with Hagar (Genesis 16)

Question 17

Situation ethics applied

Answer 17

• Sometimes traditional ethical rules can be broken to do the most loving thing
• There is one universal and absolute principle= LOVE. This means its should be applied in all situations by all people.
• Selfless unconditional love (agape)
• Would be more concerned with how homosexual relationships are treated
• Could permit extramarital sex in some situations,
• focus on the particular situation - intrests of the indivuslas - pragramtic

Question 18

Criticism of situation ethics

Answer 18

• Love is very subjective- people will disagree on what is loving, which is going to limit decision making.
• one may agree it is acceptable for a woman to have an extramarital relationship if her husband is abusive, others may say it isn’t a loving act towards her family which may ultimately break down.
• Sometimes, the more permissive a society becomes, more dangerous it is to the most vulnerable
• Eg. Extramarital relationships causing family breakdown
• Premarital sex that leads to an abandoned single parent

Question 19

Kantian ethics applied

Answer 19

• Marriage involving value/commitment in lines with Kantian ethics
• People have the highest moral worth so must be treated with dignity, therefore rape/ objectification etc wrong
• Treat Humans as ends not as ‘means to an end’ (the principle of humanity) = Due to dignity - equal respect given to homosexual/heterosexual
• Actions must be universalisable (good for all people in all situations)
• *universability and Kingdom of End *- is treats people as an ends to themselves - not as the end = Premarital/ extramarital sex could be problematic as could lead to human beings being used
• It increases individual freedom (which is important) but there is a moral duty towards others
• kant unlike nl recognises pleasure
• X: however - ignores the importance of emotions within a relationship
• Just because something cannot be universalised does not mean it is wrong

Question 20

often called ,libertarianism

Utilitarianism applied

Answer 20

• Principle of utility = Maximise greatest happiness for greatest number
• if Happiness was equated to hedonistic pleasure then it could promote a free and unregulated approach to sexual behaviour
• But this could then lead to unhappiness, e.g. STls, unfulfilling relationships, unwanted pregnancies - praise ‘safe sex’
• “Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.” Bentham
• Bentham wanted a greater well being for everyone.
• Marriage protects the poor by restraining sexual behaviour of the powerful against those with no social power, e.g. women are protected men (paitrachal society)
• Homosexuality: Society, as a whole, needs people to have children so our species can continue. This could therefore mean Utilitarianism can be used to reject homosexuality (and perhaps the wide spread use of contraception) - However .J.S MILL IS ADVOCATES 4 THIS
• X: hard to apply to hedonic calcus
• mill says that sex is low pleasure - however sex is important - love, honesty, commitment

Question 21

Discussing sexual ethics
Do religious beliefs and practices concerning sex and relationships have a continuing role in the area of sexual ethics?

Answer 21

• Most societies and cultures are influenced by religious beliefs round sexual ethics, e.g. countries where it is illegal to be gay
• Rules were also placed to protect society, e.g. rules around marriage to protect women from concubinage or abandonment
• Emphasise of marriage also helped ensure consent
• UK Law no longer reflects religious beliefs, e.g. legality of gay marriage (2014)
• In some places, gay people are tortured / executed in the name of religious beliefs

Question 22

Is it easy to be gay in modern society?

Answer 22

• Less of a taboo
• normalised
• bombing of a gay bar in Soho, London
• still a segment of precipice,stigma in sports = still not accepted to be gay
• Christianity tends to Ignore the laws and find them inconvenient / attacks minorities who they don’t like
• Unsure if there is evidence Jesus would support homosexuality - However Jesus was less concerned with sexual sin = forgave the woman who committed adultery, even though it’s wrong
• Catholic Church tends to be acceptive but the reality is different- crimes against homosexuals
  FOR homosexuality:
• Pope Francis said the Church should apologise for the harm its done to gay people
• “Gay people should not be discriminated against. They should be respected, accompanied pastorally.”

Against:
- “Gay people should not be discriminated against. They should be respected, accompanied pastorally.”

Question 23

Are normative theories useful in what they might say about sexual ethics?

Answer 23

1. Natural Law: Establishes clear rules and gives a system for making sense of moral behaviour. However, can be used in ways which narrowly define the purpose of humans and creates overly prescriptive rules.
2. . Situation Ethics: Helps explore morality in extreme circumstances. Designed to deal with exceptions, so not as helpful in articulating how the social implications of sexual relationships could be addressed.
3. Kantian Ethics: Can inform both personal choices and law as it emphasizes the individual need to act ethically, but also the need for a universal approach. Emphasizes the inherent value of humans but also the importance of living together in a world in which we are treated fairly. Arguably the most adaptable.
4. . Utilitarianism: Its societal approach may not be as useful when it comes to personal questions of sexuality. Also can be applied in many ways- so it s flexible, but perhaps lacks clarity