sexual ethics

• premarital sex


  Sex before marriage
• extramarital sex


  sexual activity by a married person with someone other than his or her spouse. Adultery.
• Covenant


  A sacred agreement between God and his people or between people in the sight of God.
• Sacrement


  An outward sign that is a means of receiving God's grace. Baptism and Eucharist are also sacraments.
• Adultery


  A sexual act between a married person and someone who is not their spouse.
• Homosexuality


  Sexual orientation or attraction to people of the same sex.
• consent


  Freely agreeing to engage in a sexual activity with another person.
• Cohabitation


  An unmarried couple living together in a sexually active relationship. Sometimes known pejoratively as 'living in sin'.
• exclusive


  A commitment to be in a sexual relationship with a person to the exclusion of all others. This is the opposite of an 'open marriage' or a 'casual relationship'.
• betrothal


  traditionally the exchange of promises to marry, which historically marked the point at which sex was permitted.
• Consummation


  an act of sexual intercourse that indicates, in some traditions, the finalisation of the marriage.
• What does the Catholic Church teach about sex?

  The Catholic Church teaches that sex is exclusively for married couples. Because the Catholic Church does not recognise divorce, it considers anyone entering a new sexual relationship after separation or divorce as having extramarital sex.
• What is the Christian teaching on extramarital sex?

  Christian teaching is firmly against extramarital sex (adultery). Adultery is forbidden in the 10 Commandments.
• Traditional Christian teachings on premarital sex.

  Traditional Christian teaching is that sex before marriage is a sin. Sex should be for a couple who are committed to each other in a marriage partnership. Sex before marriage can be seen as undermining Christian marriage and demonstrating lack of moral discipline.
• What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church argue about premarital sex?

  The Catechism of the Catholic Church argues that premarital sex does not support Christian ideas about fidelity, exclusivity and commitment, and is seen as a sin.
• What do some church leaders say about cohabitation?

  Some leaders of the Church of England accept that living together before marriage can be a 'step along the way' to marriage commitment, but others oppose it and insist on marriage as the proper context for a sexual relationship.
• Natural law on premarital and extramarital sex

  Natural law ethics is linked to an understanding of human nature as having a purpose. People should do those things that allow them to flourish and reach their potential. Premarital and extramarital sex are wrong, because they are not consistent with the flourishing of human society in bringing up children in stable families.
• Natural law and reproduction

  In natural law, reproduction is one of the primary precepts. This is interpreted to mean that reproduction should be considered the main aim of sexual activity.
• Catholic Church, natural law and protection

  Catholic teaching relies heavily on natural law. Natural law sees reproduction as the main aim of sexual activity. The use of artificial methods of contraception is prohibited by the Catholic Church but not by most other denominations.
• Why may natural law be seen as a good approach to pre and extramarital sex?

  Natural law could be seen as a good approach to issues of premarital and extramarital sex, as it gives clear rules rather than leaving people to make decisions in the heat of the moment. It emphasises the importance and sanctity of marriage and of reproduction, which could be seen as beneficial for the stability of society and in line with Christian principles.
• What view do followers of natural law take?

  Absolutist view
• What do followers of situation ethics think about premarital and extramarital sex?


  Followers of situation ethics do not think that there should be rules guiding premarital or extramarital sex.
• What view does situation ethics present of morality?

  Relativist view
• How does situation ethics think situations should have decisions made?


  Each situation should be considered in the context of its own circumstances, and the most loving course of action should be determined and followed.
• Fletchers view on sexual ethics

  Fletcher uses issues of sexual ethics to illustrate his view that there should not be absolute rules, with examples of a woman having sex with a prison guard in order to secure her freedom, or a spy having sex with an enemy in order to bring about the end to war.
• What view do followers of Kant take?

  Followers of Kant take an absolutist view of ethics based around ideas of duty and the categorical imperative.
• Why did Kant suggest secret extramarital sex would be wrong?

  Kant emphasised the importance of promise-keeping and truth-telling, which suggests secret extramarital sex would be unethical.
• Kant's Categorical Imperative on sexual ethics

  . People should not treat each other as a means to an end, which rules out exploitative and non-consensual sexual relationships.

  . In the kingdom of ends the commitment of marriage would be respected.

  . Universalisability would prevent so much sexual freedom that society was undermined.
• What did utilitarian John Stewart Mill think about premarital and extramarital sex?

  John Stuart Mill argued that people should be protected from unnecessary legislation and should be free to behave how they wish unless it causes harm to others. This principle could be used by utilitarians to justify premarital sex, Extramarital sex and homosexuality - although opponents might argue that these practices do cause harm because it undermined the seriousness of a heterosexual marriage commitment.
• What did Mill argue in 'The Subjugation of Women'?

  In 'the subjugation of women!, Mill argued that marriage can sometimes reduce women to the statues of slaves. He was not against marriage but he was in favour of gender equality.
• What did Mill do when the Christian Church opposed artificial contraception?

  Mill tried to make contraception available to the port at a time when the Christian Church opposed artificial contraception.
• How have attitudes towards homosexuality changed over the last hundred years?

  Attitudes toward homosexuality have changed dramatically over the last hundred years. In the first half of the 20th century, homosexuality was a crime. It was decriminalised in England and Wales in 1967. The first same-sex marriages took place in England, Wales and Scotland in 2014.
• Bible quote condemning homosexuality

  Some texts in the Bible condemn homosexual acts, such as 'Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable'. (Leviticus 18:22, New International Version).
• Homosexuality in the Christian Church

  Christianity has traditionally opposed homosexuality as sinful. Homosexuality as an issue causes deep divisions between Christian Churches around the world and there are continuing debates. The Anglican Communion struggles to reach agreements about same-sex marriages in church and about the appointment of openly gay clergy. Some churches such as the Methodists and the URC seek to welcome homosexual partners in the church life.
• Natural law approach to homosexuality

  Natural law ethics see homosexual acts as wrong, because they cannot bring forth new life, and reproduction is seen as the telos of human sexuality.
• The Catholic Church on homosexuality

  The Catholic Church has traditionally seen homosexuality as a sin, but in modern times some Catholics take a more liberal view of homosexuality.
• Criticism of natural laws approach to homosexuality

  Some people criticise natural law approaches to homosexuality because plenty of sexual relationships do not and cannot bring forth new life, such as sex between an old married couple, between married people with fertility issues and between a husband and wife during pregnancy.
• Situation ethics approach to homosexuality

  Situation ethics concentrate on finding the most loving outcome. It does not give rules about homosexuality in general, but would consider a homosexual relationship to be morally acceptable if it brought about agapeic epic love.
• Why could situation ethics be hard to apply to homosexuality?

  Situation ethics might be difficult to apply to issues of homosexuality if the needs of other people as well as the needs of the couple are considered, but most would agree that it is unloving to forbid homosexual relationships and it is loving to support them.
• What do Kantian ethics place at the heart of moral decision-making?

  Kantian ethics is deontological, placing duty and autonomy at the heart of moral decision-making, and is used to formulate rules governing sexual behaviour.