ETHICS
SEXUAL ISSUES AND CONTROVERCIES IN SOCIETY.
some cultures are more conservative or liberal about things, like sex outside of legal marriage, and cultures differ on how much they accept minority sexual orientations. However, even within one culture, it's also true that different people have different opinions about these issues. These different opinions cause many debates, with people arguing on each side of the issue.
Those controversies are teen pregnancy, birth control, pornography, and prostitution.
1.Teen Pregnancy
The first controversy in this lesson is teen pregnancy. Some people and cultures believe that women should not become pregnant or have children while they are still in their teen years. The main argument on this side of the issue is that most teenagers have not reached a level of emotional maturity needed to take the responsibility needed to be a good parent. Another argument is that teenagers usually don't have financial stability or independence, and it is expensive to raise a child. Interestingly, social scientists have shown that when a young girl has weaker family connections and is from a low-income background, she is more likely to become pregnant as a teenager, instead of less.
However, across the world, there are many cultures that encourage teenagers to marry and have children. On this side of the debate, younger women are more likely to be healthy and have the energy needed to raise children. As women age, birth defects are more and more likely to be seen in children, so there are biological advantages to children born from young mothers. Another advantage is that if a culture encourages teenagers to marry early, resulting pregnancies are considered more socially acceptable than teenagers who become pregnant without being married.
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
sex before marriage is termed as formication.
Fornication is a sin against the other person involved. It is always a mutual sin engaged in by two or more. Involving others in your own sin, You sin against them. If your convictions had been strong perhaps they would have been encouraged to do right. The sin, the shame, the wrong is shared by both. For this reason Paul writes in I Corinthians 7:2, "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife and every woman have her own husband". Temptation is not a sin fornication is.
Fornication is a sin against oneself. Paul said, "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body" I Corinthians 6:18. The body of the believer belongs to God. He has been bought with a price and is to glorify God while in the flesh. All of this is clearly taught in this chapter. Fornication is generally committed. in private. This leads one to believe that, since no one knows, or since the act was committed with a prostitute or call girl, that the sin goes unnoticed and the consequences are allayed. This is just not so. Pre-marital sex? An effort to reach compatibility? An innocent game to play? Not according to the word. God says it is fornication, sin, and those who commit such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. It is not sex which God condemns, but it's misuse outside the marriage bond
2.Pornography
The third issue in this lesson is pornography. Let's start by defining what pornography is. Pornography is objects, images, or materials designed specifically to cause sexual arousal. Many people use pornography in many different ways. Some people look at pornography when they are alone, as an aid toward masturbation.
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO PORNOGRAPHY.
The Church should condemn pornography in its strongest terms.
The victims of pornography addiction should not be condemned but rather helped to overcome.
Those who make pornographic materials available either online or hard copies should receive stiff penalties.
3.PROSTITUTION
the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment.
It is usually provided as an underground service. Although the practice is illegal in most places, it actually becomes a “viable” job source for many women. The majority of prostitutes are female, mainly from the nature of the job, however men do become prostitutes on rare occasions. Prostitution raises many ethical issues resulting from the degrading of one’s body through offering a sexual service that is widely available. The debate as to whether this service is morally wrong focuses on if the degrading of one’s body could actually be considered rape and if women can be “forced” into this profession. When evaluated through Kant’s Deontology theory, prostitution can be viewed in different ways regarding each person’s intentions going into the act. The ethical issues raised by the act of prostitution can be thoroughly analyzed by Kant’s Deontology as to whether they are morally relevant since each person has their own intentions when engaging in this service.
WHY PROSTITUTION IS IMMORAL.
the scripture condemns prostitution and almost all human races agree with this condemnations.
Though some women are forced into prostitution against their own will, the majority who works in this industry are free moral agents.
The motives of prostitution are purely materialistic.
Prostitution exposes women too many other evils they can contract HIV AIDS.
4.HOMOSEXUALITY
homosexuality involves sexual attraction to those of the same sex female are referred as lesbians
In our time a lot of voices have been raised claiming the lights of the homosexual. developed countries have embraced this practice.
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO HOMOSEXUALITY.
The church must not abandon the scriptural opposition for the sake of fitting in the society.
We cannot accept same-sex marriage.
Scriptural position is that marriage is a relationship between a male and a female, and that sex should take place within marriage.
5.FEMALE CIRCUMCISION
Female circumcision is a practice that arose very controversy.
Those who oppose it insist that it needs to be referred to as female genital mutilation.
It distorts and mutilates what God created as good and beautiful and denies women gift of sexual satisfaction.
CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Community needs to be educated on the charges related to female circumcision.
Presentation of holistic gospel to various communities will yield the needed change from within.
