SEXUAL ETHICS 1

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SEXUAL ETHICS 1

• ANCIENT WORLD VIEWS
• The Greek cultures of the Pythagoreans the
  Stoics believed humans should abstain from the
  physical and concentrate on the contemplative
  life to enable them to move on to a better life
  at death
• On the other hand the Cyrenaics thought the
  opposite and celebrated sexual pleasure as the
  supreme good.
• The ancient Jews had a well balanced and positive
  attitude towards sex (see Song of Songs)

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SEXUAL ETHICS 2

• MODERN SECULAR VIEWPOINTS
• Sexual pleasure is often pursued in an
  egotistical way freedom of the individual is
  paramount.
• The Pill has given this generation the freedom to
  enjoy sex without the worries of pregnancy and
  gives control back to women
• BUT, this freedom has hastened the proliferation
  of STDs such as AIDS.
• Also there are concerns over sexual crimes and
  pregnancy in the young who dont always take
  precautions.

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SEXUAL ETHICS 3

• CHRISTIAN APPROACHES 1
• Most Christian writers seem to portray sex in a
  negative light. St. Augustine and others
  considered sex a sin except for reproduction
• Strong patriarchal emphasis in Hebrew Law
• Celibacy was considered more holy.
• Sex outside marriage, adultery, masturbation
  homosexual sins are seen by many Christians today
  as sinful.

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SEXUAL ETHICS 4

• CHRISTIAN APPROACHES 2
• The biblical purpose of marriage seems to be
  Fidelity, Procreation and Union in that order.
• Nowadays more emphasis is given to the unitive
  aspect but procreation still dominates.
• Christian Churches maintain that sex is
  exclusively for those committed to permanent,
  loving relationships primarily marriage!

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SEXUAL ETHICS 5

• THE LIBERTARIAN APPROACH
• Sex is morally permissible between consenting
  parties providing it is freely and willingly
  entered into and causes no pain to 3rd parties.
• Human freedom is paramount
• Libertarianism excludes sexual crimes
• Sexual liberation is tolerant permissive
• ADULTS should make FREE choices about sex, but
  care has to be taken not to create an imbalance
  between the parties which could threaten freedom

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SEXUAL ETHICS 7

• CHRISTIANITY HOMOSEXUALITY
• The libertarian view is that there are no more
  moral issue to same sex relationships than to
  heterosexual ones.
• Homosexual acts were criminal until recently.
• Homosexuality was considered an illness.
• Homophobia is still rampant in society.
• Discrimination still exists in adoption, sex
  education and age of consent though recent laws
  have brought equality a step further.
• Same sex relationships have been condemned by the
  Church as they are not open to procreation.
• The Bible implies a divine command against them

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SEXUAL ETHICS 8

• HOMOSEXUALITY THE BIBLE
• The Bible appears to condemn same sex acts
• God destroys Sodom apparently because of
  homosexuality
• St. Paul says same sex acts are dishonouring
  their bodies.
• Bible texts have been used to condemn
  homosexuality and especially homosexual acts
• Therefore, Protestants, who rely solely on the
  Bible, have a biblical basis for their teaching
  against homosexuality.

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SEXUAL ETHICS 8

• HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE BIBLE
• James Alison Roman Catholic Priest (though not
  allowed to practice) (Undergoing God 2006)
• He argues that Romans 1 quite simply has nothing
  to do with homosexuality. Because
• The Catholic church teaches that you cannot
  transplant New Testament values uncritically into
  the present day e.g. the Anti Semitism of Johns
  Gospel.
• If you remove the Chapter and verse number Paul
  is pointing out that the vitriolic condemnation
  of the Christian pagans from the Jewish
  Christians is far more ungodly that their strange
  cultish sexual practices.
• That the orgiastic practices of pagan worship and
  temple prostitution have little if anything in
  common with committed same sex partnerships - a
  concept and term unthinkable in those times.

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SEXUAL ETHICS 9

• HOMOSEXUALITY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
• Homosexuality isnt a sin, only the acts are.
• Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered and
  no life can come from them.
• Critics of natural Law argue the unitive aspect
  is just as important as the procreative
• To condemn people for using their sexual organs
  for their own pleasure reveals the prejudices
  taboos of our society.
• Some argue that the Roman Catholic approach fuels
  intolerance and increases homophobia,

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SEXUAL ETHICS 10

• HOMOSEXUALITY LIBERAL CHRISTIANS
• They argue that the quality of the relationship
  is what determines its value
• They challenge the biblical Natural Law
  opposition to homosexuality. Many texts could be
  interpreted as condemnation of any promiscuous
  sex temple prostitution - hospitality
• They believe we are made, In the image of God
  and as God creates homosexuals, then that must be
  good.
• Christianity should be about accepting and
  including the marginalised and outcasts of
  society
• We need to re-evaluate scripture and Natural Law

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SEXUAL SITUATION ETHICS

• The Law of Love is paramount and anything done in
  a loving way is acceptable
• As long as sexual ethics fit in with the 4
  working principle and the 6 fundamental
  principles it is acceptable.
• Roman Catholics would criticise Situation Ethics
  as individualistic subjective
• What is believed to be a loving end could justify
  actions that people think are instinctively wrong.