Sex Ethics

Question 1

Traditional religious beliefs and practices towards sex

Answer 1

• the Old Testament does not seem to have one particular view on sex, there are love stories, incest, and sexual revenge
• the Genesis account puts forward positive and negative aspects of sex and relationships
• sexual desire becomes linked to lust and obsession
• the few times Jesus addressed sex, he condemned adultery and divorce, claiming them to be sinful
• Paul’s teaches that the body can be distracted by lust, but the spirit should remain strong and remember that the body is “a temple for the Holy Spirit”
• Augustine taught we must put aside bodily pleasures for higher ideals, said with original sin came this sexual desire and that original sin is transmitted to through sex. Thus the requirement of the virgin birth of Jesus
• Aquinas believed human life had a purpose, and the purpose of sexual organs was procreation and any other use was intrinsically wrong
• He argued sexual acts can be morally wrong in two ways:
  1) when procreation cannot take place (masturbation, contraception)
  2) if sexual acts are against the will of a person or are sinful (rape, adultery)

Question 2

Changing attitudes towards sex

Answer 2

• attitudes towards marriage, divorce, sex have changed dramatically in recent years
• its now completely acceptable to cohabit before marriage
• in 2019 same-sex families have increased by 40% since 2015 in the UK
• the legalisation of abortion, introduction of contraception pill and the media have influenced the modern approach to sex
• sex has become a recreational activity that doesn’t have to mean anything, some would argued sex has become devalued
• the sexual revolution of the 60’s and 70’s may have made sex more available but it didn’t totally shake our understanding of gender roles
• there still exists the stereotype that women who have sex often are “sluts” but men who behave the same are “studs”
• many would argue what goes on behind closed doors between two consenting adults is their business, so maybe sexual ethics is null and void

Question 3

Premarital and extramarital sex

Answer 3

• in the 1960’s 1/20 couples cohabited before marriage, today more than half of couples cohabit
• the Abortion Act 1967 and Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 also played a part in changing attitudes towards premarital sex
• the Bible teaches that sex outside of marriage is wrong, there is a difference in opinion between Christians who believe that this is right snd a growing number who do not feel these attitudes fit with today’s society
• the Catholic Church views premarital sex as an inability to make long-term commitments and is an offence against marriage
• many Protestants share this view, however others believe the interpretation of the bible needs updating for modern life
• some Christians believe cohabiting helps couples find out if the are suited as marriage partners
• extramarital sex can be understood in two ways: when a married person has sex with someone other than their spouse, or when a single person has sex with a married person
• all Christians are against adultery because it goes against the ten commandments
• the Catholic Church forbids divorce as the marriage has been consummated
• since the reformation the Protestant Church has allowed divorce
• ultimately adultery is viewed as wrong as marriage is an unbreakable bond that demands total faithfulness

Question 4

Homosexuality

Answer 4

• in ancient Greece, homosexuality was common, but as religion began to spread, it was condemned because the behaviour was considered “wrong”
• in the UK the Sexual Offences Act 1967 decriminalised sexual acts between men over the age of 21, this was then reduced to 16 by the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000
• in 2014 gay marriage was legalised in the UK
• however gay marriages cannot take place in the Church of England or Wales but blessing may be allowed at the discretion of the vicar
• despite this change, there as still areas of inequality, e.g. can be much harder for gay couples to adopt
• while in the UK attitudes have change, this isn’t the case everywhere. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda demonstrates this
• social media has possibly led to its wider acceptance amongst society
• ultimately society is far more accepting now, yet many gay people feel there is still along way to go
• the Westboro Baptist Church is known for its extreme ideas, especially against gay people, demonstrating how there is still not perfect equality

Question 5

Christian attitudes towards homosexuality

Answer 5

• the traditional view of the Church is that homosexuality is wrong as there is no possibility of life, its contrary to natural law, and it undermines the traditional idea of Christian marriage
• however, there are many Christians that believe such judgement is inconsistent with an all/loving God
• many also accept people are born gay and that such a lifestyle must be acceptable to God
• the Bible condemns same sex relationships, both in the New and Old Testament
• generally views of homosexuality fall into two groups:
• conservatives: rejects homosexuality
• passages in Bible suggests its wrong
• sex is designed to bring new life, which is not possible in homosexual relationships
• liberals: accepts homosexuality
• Bible teaches equality, not discrimination
• might argue homosexuals have no chosen their orientation, God has made them that way
• Roman Catholics believe homosexuality to be sinful
• they believe if you have homosexual feelings you should not act upon them and become celibate
• argue sex should only be used for procreation which homosexuals cannot do
• however, many believe times have changed and perhaps some of the rules in the Bible don’t need to be followed today
• the Church of England is divided. officially it’s against homosexuality, but division was acknowledged in a report in 2013
• there are many gay Christians who believe God loves and accepts them
• they believe if they lead good lives, God will accept them

Question 6

Application of Natural Law

Answer 6

• natural law sees right and wrong as fixed things, that are linked to a view of the human being and what makes humans flourish
• the creation of new life is central to the purpose of sexual intercourse and marriage
• therefore sexual acts that cannot bring forth and nurture new life are morally questionable
• homosexual sex, premarital sex, extramarital sex, and contraceptions are wrong because they do not support Aquinas’ precepts
• sex might feel good, but its an apparent good not a real good
• natural law’s approach is criticised as the positive effects of a unifying sexual act are a good enough reason for sex without need to focus on reproduction
• if some humans flourish in same sex relationships, perhaps the precepts need to be reviewed

Question 7

Application to Situation Ethics

Answer 7

• situation ethics focuses on the particular situation, the interests if the individual person, and love and justice, might permit the breaking of traditional moral rules around sex
• its concerned with matters of agape love, and although this is not the same as erotic love, it is sensitive to deep love between individuals
• if a same-sex couple can only find a meaningful relationship with one another, then it would be the end that justifies breaking rules on who can have sexual relationships
• extramarital and premarital sex might be viewed as good in some circumstances, it comes down to the situation at hand
• difficulties emerge when applying situation ethics when questions about other people affected are considered. Situation ethics puts the need of the individual first which makes it difficult for it to protect broader family interests
• parents who have extramarital affairs are putting the happiness of their kids at risk

Question 8

Application of Kantian Ethics

Answer 8

• duty is at the heart of a Kantian approach to sexual ethics
• the human person is if the highest moral worth for Kant, therefore sex that objectifies a person would be unethical
• the Kantian principle of treating every human with dignity would require all sexual relationships, including homosexual ones to be treated equally
• however our actions must be universalisable, so universalising reproduction as a requirement for sex makes homosexual sex unethical
• premarital and extramarital sex could be problematic as Kant is concerned that humans are not used, and premarital and extramarital sex opens up the possibility that the person with less power in the relationship will be abused
• although allowing premarital and extramarital sex increases individual freedom, it also increases the requirement for the individuals involved to conduct themselves ethically and take their moral duty towards others seriously

Question 9

Application of Utilitarianism

Answer 9

• utilitarianism seeks to maximise the greatest happiness for the greatest number
• giving people license to have sex in and out of marriage and irrespective of sexual orientation can, arguably, maximise pleasure
• however, free love can also lead to unhappiness, pleasure could quickly cause unhappiness to many people
• if everyone freely chose to use contraception and to not have children, then society as a whole would suffer and happiness for the greatest number would not be achieved, therefore, utilitarians might argue for rules about sexual behaviour that facilitates reporting
• as the majority identify as heterosexual, utilitarianism might argue that homosexuality should be prohibited in the interests of the majority
• However, Mill focused on qualitative measures of happiness, and on measuring the worth of different pleasures and pains, he would place the happiness of the homosexual minority above the pain if those who oppose it