Ethics, Religion, and Sexuality Chapter 21 Ethics, Religion, and Sexuality Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-1

Ethics Refers to a system of moral principles, a way of deciding what is right and wrong Hedonism - a moral system based on maximizing pleasure and avoiding pain Asceticism - an approach to life emphasizing discipline and impulse control Legalism - following a moral law Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-2

Sexuality in Great Ethical Traditions Classical Greek philosophy - sex is something to be transcended Judaism - sex seen as part of a relationship between two people Fertility cult - a form of nature-religion in which the fertility of the soil is encouraged through various forms of ritual magic, often including ritual sexual intercourse Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-3

Christianity The New Testament - principles of Jesus The early Christian church - included celibacy Celibacy - the practice of remaining celibate; abstaining from sexual intercourse; chastity St. Augustine - held a negative view of sexuality; linked to Original Sin Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-4

The Middle Ages St. Thomas Aquinas - the basic source of Catholic moral theology The Protestants - renewed emphasis on individual conscience and in ethical decision-making Puritanism - followed Augustine in emphasizing the doctrine of “original sin” and the “total depravity” of fallen humanity Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-5

Current Trends Points out that modern Biblical scholars hold that many of the prohibitions against various sexual practices in the Bible must be seen in historical and cultural context and may be less applicable today Controversy in matters of sexuality remains Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-6

Humanism A philosophical system which denies a divine origin for morality and holds that ethical judgments must be made on the basis of human experience and human reason Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-7

Humanism Basic goals of human life are happiness, self-awareness, the avoidance of pain and suffering, and fulfillment of human needs Secular Humanism Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-8

Sexuality in Other Major Religions Islam - Muslims; value sexuality positively and sanctions both polygamy and concubinage Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-9

Sexuality in Other Major Religions Hinduism - has 4 approaches to life: Kama, Artha, Dharma, Moksha Buddhism - has 2 main traditions: Therevada - includes strict nonindulgence of desires that bring joy Mahayana - directed toward love of others Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-10

Contemporary Issues in Sexual Ethics Moralism - religious or philosophical attitude that emphasizes moral behavior; favor strict regulation of human conduct to help make people good Pluralism - a philosophical or political attitude that affirms the value of many competing opinions and believes that the truth is discovered in the clash of diverse perspectives; believe in the maximum human freedom possible Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-11

Sex Outside Marriage Fornication - biblical term for sex by unmarried persons and, more generally, all immoral sexual behavior Adultery - voluntary sexual intercourse by a husband or wife with someone other than one’s spouse Extramarital sex - adultery Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-12

Contraception Roman Catholics and Orthodox Jews oppose any “artificial” means of contraception Other Jews and most Protestants favor responsible family planning by married couples Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-13

Abortion Therapeutic abortion - termination of pregnancy when life or mental health of the woman is threatened Roman Catholic Church - antiabortion movement; prolife Prochoice position - takes at least 2 forms: Absolute - pregnancy is solely the concern of a woman Modified - balances ideas against each other; quality of life important, human life is good Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-14

Homosexuality Religious community has been engaged in this debate for some time Rejectionism - opposes any sexual acts between persons of the same gender Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-15

Homosexuality Modified rejection or qualified acceptance - regards homosexual orientation, assuming it cannot be changed, as morally neutral, but rejects homosexual acts Full acceptance - favor full acceptance of lesbian and gay persons Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-16

AIDS Has raised a host of complex and difficult ethical issues for individuals, religious communities, and society as a whole Responses range from declaring AIDS to be God’s punishment on sinners to actively organizing to minister to persons with AIDS Major ethical conflicts center on the dignity and autonomy of the person, on the one hand, and the welfare of society on the other Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-17

Technology and Sexual Ethics Issue of abortion is intensified by technological advances New reproductive technologies - artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer, surrogacy Cloning - somatic cell nuclear transfer Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-18

Toward an Ethics of Human Sexuality The Old Morality - tends to be ascetic and legalistic, reduces ethical behavior to following a series of rules Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-19

Toward an Ethics of Human Sexuality The New Morality - situational approach and tendencies toward hedonism Middle approach - Hyde suggests a sexual ethic that is middle way between the New Morality and the Old Morality of the Judeo-Christian tradition Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-20