Homosexuality

Homosexuality

1. Christian Ethics

   • Biblical teachings
     • Old testament had few references; condemned gay relationships; nothing on lesbians
     • New Testament - Jesus does not mention homosexuality at all and was not listed in his most important moral teachings
   • Liberal Christians
     • biblical passages such as Paul's should not be accepted - we do not accept his views on slavery and women so we should do the same for homosexuality
     • influenced by situation ethics
       • based on agape and the Golden rule of Jesus - homosexual acts are moral when reflecting commitment and love to a partner - the same for heterosexual acts
   • Traditional Christians
     • condemn homosexual acts as sins not the 'sinners' or homosexual individual
       • Protestant and Catholic Churches

2. Natural Law

   • also catholic teachings 
   • the telos of sex is the birth of a child; homosexual acts go against the primary precept of procreation

3. Kantian Ethics

   • homosexuality is a crimine carnis (crime of the flesh) as it degrades humans below the level of animals
     • Arthur Schopenhaur - paradox of homosexuality; it is a means of preventing greater evils such as the birth of unwanted children
     • Kant was celibate. if this was universalised then it would be the same result for homosexuality. but does this mean all humans must marry and reproduce? this is immoral in a world of overpopulation
   • was against homosexuality as gay marriage was not legal and he thought extramarital and premarital sex was wrong
     • views may be different in modern world with civil partnerships and gay marriage
       • Alan Soble - no as it cannot be universalised (otherwise there would be no new generation)
         • aritificial insemination?
         • but 'all people who have feelings for the same sex should be able to do so free of persecution' can be universalised?
     • contradiction - homosexual sex > heterosexual sex as it is for the sake of pleasure and cannot be used as a means to an end (using a woman as a means to getting a child)

4. Utilitarian Ethics

   • Bentham
     • disapproved of it but thought it should still be allowed 
     • as long as there is consent pleasure fo the sake of pleasure is ok 
     • homosexual acts do not harm society and do not lead to the break up of family life
       • e.g. homosexuality was legal in ancient rome and the society was not affected
       • society would be a happier and fairer place if adults were free to choose the sexual life that they wish
     • Hedonic calculus
       • a loving homosexual relationship would be as long lasting as a heterosexual one, there would be no more or less certainty than a straight relationship and it would have the same richness and purity of love
   • Mill
     • sexual acts are morally neutral but are bad when performed in public; law should only ban homosexual acts that are done in public

5. relativist ethics

   • moral relativism (no absolute moral rules) - against laws prohibiting homosexuality as it is up to individuals to decide what is right for them
   • cultural relativism (moral codes vary from different cultures) - a society based on religious principles would be justified in making homosexuality illegal
   • situation ethics - approach is to do the most loving thing; which would be to allow and accept people to fulfil the sex life that they are most comfortable with
     • we should not use words like never and always - so to say that homosexuality is always wrong is against situation ethic's principles