Term
| 36. Describe the two principles that Gordis identifies as central to Judaism’s attitudes about nature. |
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Definition
1. Govern man’s treatment of the so-called lower animals- sparing harm to animals
2. Man’s proper attitude towards inanimate nature- Creatures are created for reason only known by their Creator; do not destroy for no reason |
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Term
| 35. Describe the Muslim view of the human relationship to nature. |
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Definition
God created the Earth for man but man has to work in accordance with the code of ethics provided within the system
- Environment & Muslims: religious and moral; basis of faith; necessary for existence; punish those who corrupt the earth; appreciate values bestowed in nature; important to continue acceptance of life in future environment
- Mans position in nature is somewhat dominant but a temporary guardian; everything in nature is a gift given to God and handled with responsibility |
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Term
| 34. Why does Zaidi think that religion is necessary for an environmental ethic? |
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Definition
- Islam is the only source of justice in the world
- Find ethical principles in a religious matrix, a framework properly linked with divine doctrines
- Improves human well-being within the theomorphic framework
- God has provided man with nature on temporary loan and man must take care of the Earth according to the Qur’ans discussion on Taqwa (justice), which must be given to the environment |
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Term
| 33. What role does White think religion needs to take in solving the ecological crisis? |
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Definition
-Religion is the cause of the problem; get rid of religion all together of have it become part of the solution
-Solution must come from Western Christianity because Christians bear the burden of the guilt for environmental exploitation |
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Term
| 32. What are Lynn White’s 2 basic presuppositions? |
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Definition
1. All forms of life modify their context: everything has an effect on the environment in which it exists
2. Human ecology is deeply conditioned nature and destiny of humans: religion is the main form of environmental relationships |
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Term
| 31. What, according to Lynn White, are four features of Christianity that have contributed to the current ecological crisis? |
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Definition
1. Implicit faith in impartial progress
2. View of time being linear and non repetitive
3. Grounded in creation story of a God who created in stages and for mans use
4. Humans are made in God’s image and thus transcend over nature |
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Term
| 30. What are the text and anti-text of Gustafson’s book? |
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Definition
Anti- Text: meets Buddhist monk who claims everything exists interdependently; everything must exist in harmony and equilibrium
Text: tension and moral ambiguity exist; for example: the natural world- hurricanes |
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Term
| 29. What are three features of a theocentric ethic? |
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Definition
1. God orders nature
2. No clear organized order of nature
3. Human decisions about nature are difficult and ambiguous so we must face this with a sense of gratitude and accountability |
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Term
| 28. What, according to Gustafson are the five types of human relations to nature? |
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Definition
1. Despotism: man can exploit the environment in any way they want because God has power over nature; nature has no intrinsic value, it is here for humans
2. Dominion: God gave humans nature as a gift but the gift is on loan and must be given back to God; gratitude and responsibility with its use
3. Stewardship: preferred way to view nature for Jews and Christians; ‘to care for’ but not own; humans exist in a relationship with nature
4. Participation in Nature: (Gustafson’s favorite model) source is not in the Bible; it is made through observations backed by experience and science. Human beings have interdependence with nature- ethical decisions take responsibility for human participation in nature
5. Subordination: extreme from despotism; humans have no power over nature; Eastern Europe favor this view- humans are part of nature & nature has only intrinsic value |
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Term
| 27. What are the 4 sources that Gustafson uses to ground his environmental ethic? |
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Definition
Raft being held by 4 barrels:
1. Human Experience
2. Philosophical judgment
3. Christianity
4. Judaism |
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Term
| 26. What does it mean to say that nature has instrumental value? (describe the three versions of this claim) |
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Definition
Instrumental value: care about natural world because it achieves a purpose of good consequence
1. quality of life & value
2. people worry about survival of human species
3. preserving biodiversity (biocentrism) |
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Term
| 25. What does it meant to say that nature has intrinsic value? (Describe the three versions of this claim) |
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Definition
Intrinsic value: Duty to the natural world without outcome gains
1. beauty in nature
2. attributing rights to nature
3. mystical position: need for reverence for all life |
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Term
| 24. Distinguish an anthropocentric from biocentric view of the environment |
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Definition
Anthropocentric: (species- centric) instrumental purpose; human is central issue for environment (best interest of humans)
Biocentric: best interest of the entire community; (intrinsic) humans are just one piece of the environmental community which includes all members of the environmental community
*Natural world doesn’t exist just for humans in both of these |
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Term
| 23. What role does beauty play in Gustafson’s ethic? |
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Definition
Gustafson grew up being outdoors and introduces the aesthetic value of nature through his experience of nature with beauty vs. the ugliness to bring improvements
-God exists through aesthetics in nature and power over nature |
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Term
| 22. What does Gustafson mean by a “sense of the divine”? |
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Definition
A sense of divine describes God as a power humans feel; recognize beauty and acknowledge God through the entire whole
-forces that create
-forces that sustain
-forces that limit and destroy us |
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Term
| 21. How do gay Muslims begin to argue for change in their tradition, according to Ali? |
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Definition
| Can’t be helped, no control over their sexual orientation |
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Term
| 20. Why does Ali think that the “don’t ask; don’t tell” attitude toward homosexuality has prevailed in Islam? |
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Definition
| In Islam there is a prohibition of exposing risky behavior; rather not know if it is happening |
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Term
| 19. Why does Greenberg think the new moon ceremony is appropriate for same-sex marriage ceremonies? |
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Definition
- Because since gay unions are about the flaws of creation we are called upon to fix it. The ritual of Kiidush Levanah includes the giving & receiving of peace.
Mutual giving and receiving of peace
The new moon ceremony represents the inequality the moon has to the sun. The moon is seen as a female which is degrading. Each night a sacrifice is made by the moon to renew the restoration.
The restoration of the new moon and the healing of the hierarchy between men and women; only the fullest of loves makes it possible for two to rule with on crown
Equality and Partnership |
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Term
| 18. List and describe the three parts of the Jewish marriage ceremony. |
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Definition
1. Eursin: engagement
2. Ketubah: contract
3. Niusin: celebration, consummation |
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Term
| 17. Three assertions that are central to a Jewish sexual ethic, according to Novak: |
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Definition
1. Human is a sexual being: human sexuality should be channeled, not repressed
2. Human is a social being: need for others is a natural need created by God which is how society exists. ‘Family intuition’ is the building block of society which connects the natural, biological order of society
3. Human is made in the image of God: Jewish marriage is a covenant rooted between God and people of Israel- mirroring covenant to go beyond contract; sex act is actually a way for humans to connect with the divine (God) |
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Term
| 16. How does Borowitz use theological concepts to support his view about marriage and sex? |
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Definition
ultimate standard” = marriage
Not everyone abides by this but he does NOT believe it is the only context for sexual behavior but it is the best because sex, marriage and children are in the 10 Commandments of God. |
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Term
| 15. Why does Borowitz support the marriage standard to justify sexual intercourse? |
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Definition
| Marriage makes sex more meaningful. Marriage requires looking into the future and taking a risk; without risk there can be no authentic experience. |
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Term
| 14. Borowitz’s four standards for evaluating sex acts. |
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Definition
1. Healthy Orgasm Standard: sexual intercourse is justified by feeling good- physical act with no emotion; views other person as an object
2. Mutual Consent Standard: people engaged are free agents who mutually agree on sex; limited view of person (Ex: One Night Stand)
3. Love Standard: love between partners; deep, mutual love; ‘Friendship’ standard- connection and meaningful relationship (meets ethics threshold)
4. Marriage Standard: includes all other three standards but you’re committed & long term |
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Term
| 13. What Christian ideal do the Lutheran document authors believe should motivate responses to gay persons? |
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Definition
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Term
| 12. Which of the three responses do the authors seem to favor and why? |
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Definition
| Open affirmation of gay people; the others are negative and it has the most conjunction with ‘love our neighbor’ |
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Term
| 11. List and describe the three common responses that church members offer to homosexuals in their midst. |
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Definition
1. Love the sinner but hate the sin
2. Tolerate gay couples
3. Open affirmation of gay people |
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Term
| 10. What are the three purposes of the law according to the Lutheran document? |
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Definition
1. Protects life in the community
2. Convicts us of sin
3. Fulfilled in Jesus Christ who frees us to love our neighbor |
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Term
| 9. What is the primary moral norm the Lutheran document uses to evaluate sexual acts? |
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Definition
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Term
| 8. What sources influence the authors of the Lutheran document on sexuality? |
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Definition
-the gospel
-the triune god
-the church -the scriptures
-the Christian life |
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Term
| 7. St. Augustine’s 3 purposes of marriage. |
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Definition
1. Children
2. Fidelity and the avoidance of fornication
3. Sacramental bonds of Christian spouses |
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Term
| 6. Cahill’s 5 norms of Christian sexual ethics. |
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Definition
1. Procreation
2. Satisfaction of Sexual Desires
3. Love
4. Marriage
5. Heterosexuality |
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Term
| 5. How does Soble describe the appeal to natural law in sexual ethics? |
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Definition
Understanding that one should love thy neighbor- violate purpose or natural purpose
What is natural in human sexuality is the impulse towards the heterosexual which is designed by god to insure the preservation of animal species, including the human species. God made each part of the human body to serve a particular purpose and according to Aquinas view, God created the male penis to implant sperm into the female vagina to effect procreation. Therefore, bestiality, homosexuality, and masturbation are unnatural sexual acts and immoral and goes against Gods sagacious design. |
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Term
| 4. Describe how Soble views the difference between optimists and pessimists in relation to human sexuality. |
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Definition
Pessimists: perceive sexual impulse and acting on it to be something nearly always un-benefitting the dignity of the human person
Optimists: view human sexuality as just another dimension of our existence or animal like creatures
Pessimist: perceive the sexual impulse and acting upon it to be something nearly always, if not necessarily, unbefitting the dignity of the human person. They see the essence and the results of the sexual drive to be incompatible w/ more significant & lofty goals and aspirations of human existence. They fear that the power and demands of the sexual impulse make it a danger to harmonious civilized life
optimist: perceive nothing especially obnoxious in the sexual impulse. they frequently view human sexuality as just another and mostly innocuous dimension of or existence as embodies or animal-like creatures (like the impulse to eat & find shelter) they judge that sexuality, which in unignorable measure has been given to us by evolution, cannot but be conductive to our well-being. They applaud rather that fear te power of an impulse that can lift us to high forms of happiness. |
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Term
| 3. List and describe May’s 4 theories of sex. Which does he prefer and why? |
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Definition
1. Sex as Demonic: sex is destructive to others (Dualists)
2. Sex as Divine: sex- mysticism; transcendence from God (Mystics)
3. Sex as Casual: playground sex that’s pure and simple (Trivialists)
4. Sex as a Nuisance: burden (satirists)
- May doesn’t prefer any but is most analytical as sex as casual
-sex as demonic: reckon w/ sex as a power which, once let loose, tends to grip & destroy its host; it is self-destructive & destructive of others
-sex as divine: (religious view) the most optimistic view of sex
-sex as casual: reflects a liberal industrial culture that prizes autonomy above all else, that reduces nature into raw material to be manipulated & transformed into products of man's own choosing
-sex as a nuisance: sex as a minor evil
-sex as a nuisance: sex as a minor evil |
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Term
| 2. Three reasons why religious traditions have limited sexual behaviors. |
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Definition
-humans are co-creators w/ god
-dignity of the human is @ stake when engaging in sex
-sexual act are connected to sin in some religion |
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Term
| 1. Three reasons why societies have limited sexual behaviors. |
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Definition
-distinction between the public 7 the private
-distinction between social ethics & personal morality
-distinction between culture & nature |
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