Same sex relationships: conservative and liberal views

Question 1

Jewish view

Answer 1

Same sex relationships are morally wrong (2 key texts from the Torah)

Question 2

Christian view

Answer 2

Same sex relationships are morally wrong (same texts as Judaism as well as writings of St Paul)

Question 3

Islamic view

Answer 3

Same sex relationships are morally wrong (passages in Qur’an and Hadith)

Question 4

Reproduction - catholic view

Answer 4

Same sex relationships are morally wrong because the couple would be unable to reproduce. Humans have been created by God with a telos (purpose) which is for the human race to flourish. One of the things needed to achieve this is reproducing children, which can not take place with same sex couples

Question 5

Reinterpretation of scripture

Answer 5

Many religious thinkers point out that there are problems with the passages in holy books which are used as evidence against same sex relationships

Question 6

The silence argument

Answer 6

Many liberal thinkers use the fact that religious figures have not mentioned same sex relationships to support their view that there is no religious justification for condemning it.

Question 7

Culture vs religion

Answer 7

There are some faiths where there is a very close relationship between religious thinking and the way thinking has developed in a culture. The argument then is that the religion itself does not condemn same sex relationships, it is the culture of which it is a part which does this and therefore it is possible to separate these.

Question 8

Secular views

Answer 8

• the main view tends to be there is no reason to condemn them
• some people may believe they are ‘unnatural’. This may be because of a view called biological essentialism which says that it is an essential part of human nature for people to be different sex attracted
• One utilitarian philosopher argued that there was nothing wrong with same sex relationships because they maximise pleasure and as long as both consent they do not cause pain.