Homosexuality

Annotations:

• refers to gay and lesbian people; people attracted to the same sex 
• people used to think homosexuality could be cured as it was a mental disorder 
• it was illegal to be gay until 1960's however being a lesbian has never been illegal 

1. Christian Ethics
   1. Biblical teachings
      1. Old testament had few references; condemned gay relationships; nothing on lesbians
      2. New Testament - Jesus does not mention homosexuality at all and was not listed in his most important moral teachings
   2. Liberal Christians
      1. 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
      2. influenced by situation ethics
         1. 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
   3. Traditional Christians
      1. condemn homosexual acts as sins not the 'sinners' or homosexual individual

         Annotations:

         • Protestant and Catholic Churches
2. Natural Law

   Annotations:

   • also catholic teachings 
   1. the telos of sex is the birth of a child; homosexual acts go against the primary precept of procreation
3. Kantian Ethics
   1. homosexuality is a crimine carnis (crime of the flesh) as it degrades humans below the level of animals
      1. Arthur Schopenhaur - paradox of homosexuality; it is a means of preventing greater evils such as the birth of unwanted children
      2. 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
   2. was against homosexuality as gay marriage was not legal and he thought extramarital and premarital sex was wrong
      1. views may be different in modern world with civil partnerships and gay marriage
         1. Alan Soble - no as it cannot be universalised (otherwise there would be no new generation)
            1. aritificial insemination?
            2. but 'all people who have feelings for the same sex should be able to do so free of persecution' can be universalised?
      2. 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
   1. Bentham

      Annotations:

      • disapproved of it but thought it should still be allowed 
      • as long as there is consent pleasure fo the sake of pleasure is ok 
      1. homosexual acts do not harm society and do not lead to the break up of family life
         1. e.g. homosexuality was legal in ancient rome and the society was not affected
         2. society would be a happier and fairer place if adults were free to choose the sexual life that they wish
      2. Hedonic calculus

         Annotations:

         • 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
   2. Mill
      1. 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
   1. moral relativism (no absolute moral rules) - against laws prohibiting homosexuality as it is up to individuals to decide what is right for them
   2. cultural relativism (moral codes vary from different cultures) - a society based on religious principles would be justified in making homosexuality illegal
   3. 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
      1. we should not use words like never and always - so to say that homosexuality is always wrong is against situation ethic's principles