Examine at least two religious perspectives on sexual ethics. (14 marks)To what extent,is it reasonable to claim that sexual ethics should be separated from religious beliefs? (6 marks)

Essay by pinkorchidHigh School, 12th gradeA+, March 2004

download word file, 9 pages 4.6

Downloaded 149 times

Sexual ethics is a topical issue of today as sexual identity and sexual activities are perhaps the most personal and basic ways that we can express ourselves. From the Christian perspective, sexuality is a matter of individuality and private morality, whilst political bodies, religious institution and social values render a variety of interpretations of gender and sexual relationships. In other words, sexual ethics is profoundly political, economic and social. For many religions, sexual ethics is expressive of a divine relationship as well as the fact that it is undertaken within a community. This tension in sexual ethics between the private and the public sphere is what makes it an interesting and important topic of academic study.

Sexual ethics encompasses the issues of sex before, within and outside of marriage, sexual orientation, masturbation and contraception. The context of sexual ethics in the world today is that any form of sexual pleasure is pursued solely for the immediate physical gratification and not for the intimacies between two people that it involves.

In majority, people believe that sex is morally acceptable if there is mutual agreement by both parties and also that monogamy is unnecessary. Today, people feel that the freedom of the individual is of paramount importance and that sex is an activity settled amongst the appropriate parties, however there is a division in the attitude towards sex in the modern world. In a time with rising teenage pregnancy levels, an increased rate of sexual crime and diseases such as AIDS, which is rife among young people, people's views differ over whether it is the collapse of Christian values that has caused these problems, whilst others feel that they are simply discovering their sexual identities. Many of the traditional Christian beliefs about sex, premarital sex, contraception, homosexuality and masturbation are based on...