Sexual ethics, Christian sources and decisions . . . The bond
uniting a man and a woman in Christian marriage is
permanent
HSC STUDY GUIDE
By PAUL DURKIN
19 October, 2008
What are the sources which inform Christian ethical teachings?
At the heart of Christian faith is a belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Redeemer.
Along with personal faith, there are the ethical teachings of each particular Christian
variant. There are five major variants within Christianity: Catholicism (the Catholic
Churches), Orthodoxy, Anglicanism (USA: Episcopalian), Protestantism (eg Lutheran,
Uniting, Presbyterian), and Pentecostalism (Assemblies of God, Hillsong).
Scripture: What does the Word of God say? The Old Testament highlights the Covenant
between God and people (Exodus 34.28), expressed in The Law, summarised in the Ten
Commandments (Deuteronomy 5.1-21). The New Testament expresses Jesus’ Law of Love
(Matthew 22.34-40). St Paul expounds on the qualities of love (1 Corinthians 13.1-7).
The following Scriptural convictions may inform how Christians will make ethical decisions,
even though the variants within Christianity hold different positions on specific ethical
issues (such as contraception and abortion):
a. Human beings are made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1.27).
b. Human beings suffer the effects of Original Sin (Rom 5.12; Ps 51.5).
c. Human beings, and indeed all creation, are redeemed in Christ (Rom 5.17-21; Mt
16.16).
d. Human beings are a unity of body and soul, and are destined for union with God.
e. Human beings possess inherent dignity and deserve respect.
f. Human life, from natural conception to natural death, is sacred.
g. Human beings are by nature relational and find their deepest happiness in loving
relationships.
h. True happiness lies in pursuing what is good and avoiding what is evil.
i. Sexual intercourse is properly reserved as the unitive (love-giving) and procreative (lifegiving) act of a man and woman in marriage.
There are other sources for Christian ethics, especially within Catholicism:
Natural Law: Catholic moral teaching draws on Natural Law, claiming that the truth of its
moral teachings can be seen by the light of human reasoning – ethics which are rationally
defensible to anyone of goodwill, arriving at true moral wisdom and decisions in light of
reflection upon human nature and human experience. Actions are good or bad in
themselves, given we humans are the kind of beings we are.
Magisterium: Made up of the Pope and Bishops of the Church, the Magisterium is the
ongoing, authorative teacher of God’s Word and Natural Law. Acknowledging Christ is the
definitive revelation of God, faithful Catholics hold that the Holy Spirit continues to guide
the Church’s Magisterium in all truth. The Catholic Church presents an integrated teaching
on human life, the human person, sexuality and marriage which ‘hangs together’ as a
whole.
Each Christian makes ethical decisions in the light of two further sources: informed
conscience and informed reason.
“In the depths of his conscience, man detects a law which he does not impose upon
himself, but which holds him to obedience. Always summoning him to love good and avoid
evil, the voice of conscience when necessary speaks to his heart: do this, shun that. For
man has in his heart a law written by God; to obey it is the very dignity of man; according
to it he will be judged.(9) Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a man.
There he is alone with God, Whose voice echoes in his depths.”
(Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes, 16)
Informed reason, flowing from Natural Law, refers to the conscience-based judgments
arrived at through revealed teaching, prayer, reflection and lived experience. This is the
radical experience of ourselves as ‘active moral agents’.
Other frameworks:
In contemporary society, a Christian is conscious of the many competing and contrasting
‘frameworks’ or forces which may impact on ethical decision-making. These include
Individualism, Hedonism, Materialism, Pragmatism, the Technological Imperative, the Herd
Mentality, Secularism and Eclecticism. It is a society increasingly characterised by
Relativism, where conceptions of truth and moral values are not ‘absolute’ but are ‘relative’
to the persons or groups holding them, where one opinion is considered as valid as any
other.
Other more formal ‘ethical frameworks’ include Virtue Ethics, Proportionalism, Situation
Ethics, Utilitarianism and the Post Modern perspective. Note also the wide range of ethical
and religious perspectives from across the world religions: from fundamentalism and
uncritical dogmatism through to faith which draws people into the mystery of God’s
presence and bears fruit in love, goodness, justice and peace.
There are many ethical issues that a person may deal with:
Beginning of life issues: contraception, Reproductive Technologies (IVF, GIFT), Abortion
(within and outside marriage);
Life Issues: Marriage, Sex before Marriage, Living Together, Genetic Engineering, Use of
Embryonic Stem Cells for Research, Stem Cell Research, Homosexuality;
Broader social issues (relevant to Catholic Social Teaching): Political systems, distribution
of wealth, addressing world hunger and poverty, organisation of labour, Just War Theory,
Ecological Sustainability;
End of life issues: Euthanasia, Capital Punishment.
Here we will briefly consider three sexual ethical issues: pre-marital sex, contraception and
abortion (also a bioethical issue in SOR).
Abortion
Abortion is the deliberate, intentional expulsion of the human foetus at any stage after
conception. (The Gospel of Life, Pope John Paul II, n58)
There have been many official statements from the Christian Churches on abortion issued
since the early 1960s, reflecting one of three positions: total opposition to abortion, an
openness to abortion’s legitimacy because the foetus is not a human being, and a
mediating position which regards abortion as legitimate in certain exceptional
circumstances, but largely rejects the practice because it involves taking a human life.
In these official statements, there is not the full ‘pro-choice’ position that abortion is
essentially a matter of the woman’s right to control her own body.
The Catholic Church upholds the principle that the foetus is to be treated as a person at all
stages of development from the time of conception, and so it has an inalienable dignity
and the right to life.
Abortion is one of the greatest challenges to the ‘culture of life’ which is promoted by the
Catholic Church. This ‘culture of life’ seeks to ensure a secure place for human life to be
protected and nurtured. The Orthodox churches have maintained a strong stance against
abortion.
The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is always wrong and immoral as human life
begins at conception. Therefore, abortion is not acceptable under any circumstance except
in the rare and unusual instance where the life of the mother is at real risk. Only then
should an abortion be considered.
Prohibition of abortion has been a consistent feature of Christian teaching from the earliest
centuries.
The early leaders of the Protestant or Reformation movement such as Martin Luther (14831546) and John Calvin (1509-1564) spoke strongly in defence of the protection of human
life in the womb.
This was a consistent view held throughout Christianity until the 1960s.
Since then, various conventions and assemblies within the worldwide Anglican Church and
the range of Protestant churches have issued more liberal statements about abortion. This
reflects a move away from an unequivocal rejection of abortion in all circumstances.
The Catholic Church is not alone in its critical attitude toward abortion.
Several Protestant statements – for example, from the Mennonite Church, the Church of
the Brethren and the Lutheran Free Church in Norway – have condemned abortion.
However, these statements do not unequivocally reject abortion in all circumstances.
There are Protestant Churches with more liberal positions, for example, the Episcopal
Church, Moravian Church, Lutheran Church in America and the Methodist Church of
England.
Some of these Churches have spoken of the “freedom of choice” in regard to abortion.
This, in turn, has led to other groups within these Churches taking a strong ‘pro-life’ stand
in an effort to call the particular Church back to defending the life of the unborn. Many
draw on the simple commandment “You must not murder.” (Ex. 20:13) as a key Scripture
text.
So one cannot establish one consistent stand on abortion across the worldwide Protestant
Churches; there is a diverse range of views and practice.
In 1994, the 71st General Convention of the Episcopal Church (USA) reaffirmed that all
human life is sacred from its inception until death and that ‘all abortion is regarded as
having a tragic dimension’.
The resolution stated: “While we acknowledge that in this country it is the legal right of
every woman to have a medically safe abortion, as Christians we believe strongly that if
this right is exercised, it should be used only in extreme situations. We emphatically
oppose abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection, or any reason
of mere convenience.” (Episcopal News Service Archive)
The following statement by Rev. Elenie Poulos, national director, Uniting Justice Australia,
Uniting Church in Australia National Assembly issued in October 2004 reflects a further
move away from an unequivocal rejection of abortion in all circumstances:
“The Uniting Church National Assembly does not hold a position on abortion. The Uniting
Church bears witness to God, but this does not always mean having a final answer on the
matter.
“We recognise that the Church does not possess all the answers and that, as Christians
endeavouring to grasp the significance of the revelations of God in Jesus Christ, we see
things with the eyes of our time and place.
“Christians exist in a real and broken world, where people face painful dilemmas in their
lives. … Within the Church, there is often a diversity of opinions and positions held on
matters relating to medical and sexual ethics and all these views have integrity and should
be respected.”
Though the Christian Churches draw on some of the same sources to inform teachings and
decisions regarding sexual ethics, it is evident that there is a range of positions taken in
regards to issues such as contraception and abortion.