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Sexual Morality

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Submitted By yolac
Words 2058
Pages 9
I was going over some writing from when I was taking a course in Ethics while attending Bible College, and I thought the information would be good discussion material. I do not recall the source material. If anyone recognizes any of this, please let me know, so I can attribute it appropriately.
I wanted to discuss the ethics involved in sexual morality, specifically adultery and fornication. The issue is whether it is morally right to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage. This entails both adultery, which is sex between a married person with someone other than one’s spouse, and fornication, which is sex between unmarried people. There is one position that holds that sex outside of marriage is not a good thing, while there are two views that consider fornication to be morally right, the natural impulse view and the affection view.
The basis for the natural impulse view on sexual morality is that sex, which as a impulse or instinct and completely natural, should be enjoyed to obtain the greatest happiness. Contraceptives remove the concern of unwanted pregnancy or sexual disease. Sex should be considered a pleasurable physical activity, with no moral guilt attached to it, as long as both partners voluntarily engage in it without the involvement of harm or deceit. There is no need to restrict sexual fulfillment to a single partner nor is there a requirement that sex be accompanied by love. There are four arguments for this position:
1. Sex is an impulse or instinct, which is natural and should be followed, much like wild animals – especially since contraception is so readily available.
2. Sexual repression is bad, and engaging freely in sex is healthy. Sexual repression has resulted in a variety of neuroses, including insanity.
3. Mankind has a moral obligation to maximize pleasure.
4. Any act is right, and those who would

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