Is homosexuality ethical?

Question

I ask this because when I apply the classic ethical test question to it: "If everybody did it...would it still be ok?" And it fails the test. (If everybody did it, the human race would die off pretty quickly.) So...is it ethical?

Paladin: Good point...except for the AIDS epidemic that is scouring the world...but regardless of that if it fails one valid ethical test question, can it be ethical?

Paladin: Good point...except for the AIDS epidemic that is scouring the world...but regardless of that if it fails one valid ethical test question, can it be ethical?

SWBarnes: So if it will help me to kill somebody who is preventing me from "getting ahead", then it's ethical to kill them? You may want to work on your philosophy there... lol

Paladin: Oh, now you're being disingenuous. AIDS was spread by the gay community for years before it was understood what exactly it was. It was called the "gay disease" for decades. Let's be honest about it.

My my my...so many people getting so defensive.

Now you know how Christians on Y!A feel when you losers jump all over us for our beliefs and our lifestyle. Hypocrites.

Answer 1

The "classic ethical test question" you speak of implies that homosexuality is a choice, which it isn't. Therefore, your premise is flawed. Why would someone choose a lifestyle that's so universally frowned upon?

I've heard the "if all people were gay..." argument many a time, and I do not find it a compelling one. How would everyone suddenly become gay overnight? How would that be possible? As it stands, only about 10% of the population is openly homosexual...that doesn't exactly constitute most of the population, now, does it? That's another flaw in your premise...you're creating a scenario that cannot possibly exist.

A better ethical question would be "who does it harm?" The answer? No one. Why should it matter what two or more consenting adults decide to do behind closed doors? Is that anyone's business other than the people directly involved? Of course not. Based on this, here is what we can conclude: is it blasphemous? Eh...maybe, depending on what side you're on and how you choose to interpret the Bible. Is it unethical? Hardly.

Answer 2

Ethics...I'm sure someone with more understanding on ethics, logic will have a better answer than me, but I'll give my two cents.

Obviously, not everyone is going to be homosexual. This is very apparent as there is quite a lot of people here on the planet earth. Also, if everyone did it, there would still be children (sperm banks exist) and the natural desire to procreate is always there.

Actually, is it ethical to be true to ones self. In other words, a lot of people get married to partners because they think that is the only route or they suppress feelings for opposite sex's or persons.

I would think ethics has nothing to do with being straight or gay (and when you think of the over population, over crowding, over use of resources, etc...producing more children seems to be the unethical choice, actually).

Perhaps, it's the test that is failing and not that homosexuality is unethical. My concern with this sort of question is that is implies that gay people are unethical and wrong. Which is obviously a ridiculous assumption.

Answer 3

It’s very ethical….why would YOU say it’s not…and please spare me the “because GOD says so” line. And if you really looked at some stats you'd know that there are approx 150 babies born on this planet every minute...so I don't see the human race dieing off anytime soon. Also, homosexuals don't need to actually have sex with the opposite sex to procreate....ever heard of in vitro fertilization? Homosexuality is a sexual orientation, not a behavior. I’m gay and have been with my partner for 10 years, we have a 9 year old son (an honor student, I might add), a nice house in the suburbs and good jobs...oh, yes and neither of us has AIDS. I don’t see what is unethical about any of that. You’re placing judgment on gay people on what you think you know about them. That’s a BIG mistake. I’d suggest you actually meet some gay people and get to know them before you start your rant on how horrible they are. There is no “gay lifestyle”. I live a good, healthy life and I’m happy – can you say the same?

Answer 4

Apply another test. Whom does it harm? Apart from making some religious people uncomfortable, homosexuality causes no harm whatsoever.

You could make a convincing Kantian argument against persons having unprotected sex in the age of AIDS, but you'd have to apply it to all sexual preferences since HIV/AIDS does not target only homosexuals any more than cancer only attacks Americans. Some ignorant people triumphantly dubbed it a "gay disease" back in the early 1980s, but that doesn't make it so. Homosexuality did not, and does not, cause AIDS/HIV. It's a disease, not an avenging angel sent to punish people for being born with a certain predisposition.

Gay people just want to live their lives, do well at school, make a decent living, enjoy some laughs with friends, fall in love, and found a loving family (some, anyway, not all). What is so wrong with that? If I value these things and want them for myself, how can I, according to the ethic of reciprocity (Golden Rule), deny them to someone else and be moral?

Answer 5

Ethics is the branch of axiology, one of the four major branches of philosophy, which attempts to understand the nature of morality; to distinguish that which is right from that which is wrong.
Morality is concerned with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct. And NOT what everyone is doing… thus there is not much basis for your question as it is phrased.

Since ethics and morality is concerned with right or wrong and whether the conduct of persons interfere with the general good of those around them, homosexuality is ethical and moral as long as it concerns consenting adults and does not harm or impede the freedom of others.

If one would use the Bible as a rule of thumb for ethics as some of the other answerers have done here, then one should also say that all sexual relations outside the boundaries of marriage is unethical....

Answer 6

Well then is it ethical to be a priest or a nun? Or take a vow of celibacy? Is it ethical to flout ozone restrictions - that will also lead to the eventual death of the human race...is smoking ethical since it causes cancer in not just the smoker but second hand inahalants too?

I seems as though you are searching for validation for the theory you have already offered, and that a response is truly not required. If by chance I am incorrect, the I would say that your biological and physiclogical directives and ethical questions do no mix. Is it ethical to have blue eyes - apples and oranges...no bearing on ethics whatsoever.

Answer 7

The human race will die off from wars and hatred. I'm guessing that even if people viewed homosexuality as normal or ethical, there would still be the huge majority of the population that would go for the opposite sex. The ethical thing would be to mind our own business and quit judging others! We are over populated in so many countries as it is. What if this is natures adaption in controlling the population. Not enough people are homosexual, to endanger us.

Answer 8

Why wouldn't it be ethical? We're at a point where people can produce children without actually having sex, so the procreation argument is out. And you can't say that AIDS is spread only by homosexual activity, so the disease argument is out. And many animals engage in homosexual behavior, some of them quite frequently, so the unnatural argument is out...

Answer 9

Thank goodness there are such fine, upright, just, pure, people like yourself who can point out these things. Attached is a Baptist view about gays -- you will no doubt agree with everything in this article. The Lord must be very proud of you!

Answer 10

Since when is that the basic ethical test?

If everyone was a physician, we'd all starve because no one would be a farmer. Therefore, by your logic, being a physician must be unethical.