1. Ethics, Religion, and Sexuality
Chapter 21
Ethics, Religion, and Sexuality
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2. 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
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3. 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
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4. 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
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5. 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
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6. 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
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7. 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
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8. Humanism
Basic goals of human life are happiness, self-awareness, the avoidance of pain and suffering, and fulfillment of human needs
Secular Humanism
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9. Sexuality in Other Major Religions
Islam - Muslims; value sexuality positively and sanctions both polygamy and concubinage
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10. 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
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11. 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
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12. 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
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13. Contraception
Roman Catholics and Orthodox Jews oppose any “artificial” means of contraception
Other Jews and most Protestants favor responsible family planning by married couples
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14. 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
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15. Homosexuality
Religious community has been engaged in this debate for some time
Rejectionism - opposes any sexual acts between persons of the same gender
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16. 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
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17. 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
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18. 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
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19. Toward an Ethics of Human Sexuality
The Old Morality - tends to be ascetic and legalistic, reduces ethical behavior to following a series of rules
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20. 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
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