CHAPTER FIVE HUMAN SEXUALITY AND MORALITY Sexual Perversions! It is God's plan that man shall become His Co- creator. Procreation i 7 . is one of the ways wherein God endows man the capacity to become His Co-creator. This is why God ordains sex as sacred and holy. Being sacred and holy, sex must be done only in the context of marriage wherein the couple is called to procreate God's children. Consequently, sex is properly called a conjugal act because according to God's plan, it must be done only from the context of marriage. Outside the scope of marriage, sexual gratifications become sexual perversions. Some of these are: homosexuality, lesbi- anism, masturbation, bestiality, rape, and incest among others. 1. Homosexuality ire- Effeminacy being (womanish) is not a requi ment of homosexuality nor homosexuality a re- ffeminates i of effeminacy. There are el quit ec osexuals just as there are homo- t hom et als who are not effeminates. There ae = who have macho bodies put have a woman's heart. our dialect we Delilah ang puso.” ek ree x ae ial mor cauon Wt out the benefit of procrea- > sexu tion. 247Lesbianism A lesbian or @ “T-bird” is just the opposite of a homosexual. She thinks and feels that she ts a woman's body. Psychologists man imprisoned in a and medical practitioners agree that it is possible to conceive of both homosexuality and lesbianism as caused by hormonal deficiency. They say that a male who has a deficient supply of androgen (masculine hormones) would suffer from effemi- nacy and eventually homosexuality; and a female who has a deficient supply of estrogen (female sex hormones) would likely become a lesbian. In principle, the hormonal deficiency in a homosexual and a “T-bird” should not be consid- ered as their license to commit immoral sexual acts. Masturbation Masturbation is derived from the term manus meaning hand. It is defined as an act of sexual stimulation or gratification by the use of the hands. Before, it used to be a grave or mortal sin, since it is a willful sexual gratification outside of sexual intercourse. Today, it is conceived by moral phi- losophers as well as theologians as less grave since procreation starts only at the contact of one egg cell and one sperm cell. Thus, the human life cells that are, so to say, wasted in masturbation are Not total loss of these cells. Psychologists and doctors view masturbation as a natural part of human existence. The Church. , ae views it as immoral since again, as we sta ted earlier, it is against nature or against the atte The point of the moral theologians is heer & designs a natural influx of seminal Seta m: me Particularly at nighttime. This is lation, ti ‘urnal ejaculation. So, outside this ejacu- on, it is masturbation.> ee Whether we like it or not, the issue mas- turbation is indispensably implicated a other moral issues like test-tube babies and surrogate motherhood. Today, due to the advancement of science and technology, the fact of masturbation becomes more problematic. Of course, through the progress of science, we may say that test-tube babies and surrogate motherhood have nothing to do with masturbation. The problem of mastur- bation should be juxtaposed with the problem in- volving artificial insemination (A.L), wherein the sperm is introduced into the genital tract of the female by means other than coitus. Masturbation seems to be the immediate sexual gratification of both the male and the fe- male. It seems So prevalent that in many massage parlors, it is called “stimulation.” The contempo- rary philosophers have even u: the term in their ecstatic experience with ideas. They love to use the terms like “intellectual masturbation” or “in- tellectual ejaculation.” Bestiality sexual contact with a beast, , a horse, a dog, etc. Although this is no! ‘done, it is included here since it is also one of the sexual perveriy de. le who do it are psychologi ly de- Deer isolated areas. nged. The ‘act is often done in a wart rural areas. Yes, the act is im- i Jy in the Pareivits orality is graver than homosexual- pe it a cow, moral. Its imm' ity, lesbianism. and ‘masturbation. Rape ersion: it is a is not nly a TV rime. a acril ecause it is an act committed ation of 4 blic law. Rape serves as the in violation " vie doral- J womantempted or consummated rape. What 1s surpris- ing to note is that men who rape are not necessar- ily mentally disordered. Our laws, however, define rape as an act com- mitted by having carnal knowledge of a woman under any of the following circumstances: a. By using force or intimidation; b. When the woman is deprived of reason or is otherwise unconscious; and c. When the woman is under twelve years old even though neither of the circum- stances mentioned in “a” and “b” are present.” Expressed differently, “rape is ... the act of having carnal knowledge of a woman by a man, forcibly against her will, or without conscious per- mission, or where permission has been extorted by force or fear of immediate harm.” Furthermore, rape is also defined as “the act of unlawful sexual intercourse between persons not married to each other accomplished through the use of force or fear of force by the man, implying lack of consent by the woman.”* Since rape is a crime, it is not a sexual act but an act of aggression and violence. In rape, the intention of the agent is not to satisfy its victim, but to humiliate and terrorize her. Victims of rape are picked not for their sex appeal, but for their sexuality — as if in rape, being a woman is in it- self a punishment. For this reason, rape is gravely immoral. However, can we also speak of spousal rape? Can a husband rape his wife? It seems that rape in marriage is prevalently understood as a contradiction in terms. Yet, it is true that there is Spousal rape; it is true that a husband may rape his wife. - Spousal rape occurs when there is a forced sexual intercourse between a husband and a wife. 250OI | ted a wife, the latter is actual ral Marriage does not mean eee or to tal sexual availability. In spousal rape, the hus- ( When a husband forcibly demands sex from his \ band considers his wife as a hi if not a household appliance Sopa roth we organs. Thus, in spousal rape, the husband makes his wife an object or a property and this is wrong; spousal rape is not sexuality, but an expression i of hostility and power of a husband over his wife. In our Penal Code, spousal rape did not exist, be- ‘ cause in marriage both spouses were presumed to have conjugal rights, i.e., SEX. But just recently. a bill was signed into Jaw to recognize spousal rape. 6. Incest Many times in our press and magazines. stories of inces' cestuous relationships and acts are undoubtedly shocking. Incest is a sexual intercourse of a fa- n with a mother. ofa r, or of an elder er. Generally. incest is al contact. From this point of view. it is also a crime. ce it is a forcible sexual re- does not see it as releases, tabloids. t are depicted. In- grandfathe! prother with forcible sexu: incest is rape: rape sin . Incest is lationship. Nevertheless. society such because of the victims" seeming compliance with the assail tt who is closely related to her. t victims are female and majority Majority of inces of incest assailants are males. e evil in incest is seen in the exploitation . of a bya father or grandfather upon a daugh- j ter or granddaughter or by an older brother upon a younger sister. Besides, the offsprings of incest are usually weaklings. if not physically deformed or mentally re |, Incest, therefore, is 2 viola- 1 of God. It is in “opposition to the tion of the f healthy preservation o! 1 justified in fe, our laws ieee cole sage void. Art. 37 of the | agCivil Code of the Philippines says: “Marriages be. tween the following are incestuous and void from the beginning whether the relationship between the parties be legitimate or illegitimate: a. Between ascendants and descendants of any degree; and b. Between brothers and sisters, whether of the full or halfblood.” Thus, it is evident that both ecclesiastical and civil laws prohibit incest. B. Immoral Practices Related To Sex Under the heading, we will discuss divorce, adul- tery, concubinage, pre-marital sex, and birth control. 1. Divorce Divorce means legal dissolution of a marriage. There are two kinds of divorce, namely: absolute and relative. The former is commonly called di- vorce a vinculo matrimony (refers to a total disso- lution of marriage); the latter is commonly called divorce a mensa et thoro (does not mean total dis- solution of marriage but only separation from bed and board of parties). Because of this, relative d+ vorce is also called legal separation. In the Philip- Pines, it is the latter that is recognized while the former is not. Under the Family Code of the Philippines (cf. Art. 555), a petition for legal separation may be filed on any of the following grounds: a. Repeated physical violence or grossly abusive conduct directed against the Petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner. b. Physical violence or moral pressure t0 compel the petitioner to change religious or political affiliation; 252c. Attempt of respondent to corrupt or in- duce the petitioner, a common child, or a child of the petitioner, to engage in prostitution, or connivance in such cor- ruption or inducement; d. Final judgment sentencing the respond- ent to imprisonment of more than six years, even if pardoned; e. Drugaddiction and habitual alcoholism of the respondent; ‘ f. Lesbianism or homosexuality of the re- spondent; . g. Contracting by the respondent of a sub- sequent bigamous marriage, whether in the Philippines or abroad; h. Sexual infidelity or perversion (e.g- adul- tery, concubinage); Attempt by the respondent against the life of the petitioner; and j. Abandonment of petitioner by respond- ent without justifiable cause for more than one year. divorce does not lie so much in the act itself, but in the consequence of the act. The devastating blow of divorce would fall on the future of the children of legally separated parties. Divorce has 2 negative bearing on the future of the children. Children are the innocent victims of divorce. They would be deprived of love. concern, sympathy. and parental guidance. To avoid di- vorce, immature and irresponsible persons should t marry. Be: lovers who are planning to get aa ied ‘should already make an assessment on mirthe they are meant for each other or not. The Rare it period, which is normally one year, jd be spent as an inventory period of both eee res openness toward each other. uld already disclose their authentic be- 253 i. The immorality in They sho!—. ing, their natural attitudes, and behaviors, if this is not done, the projected marriage would suffer later and the usual resort {s separation, Divorce is wrong, because it destroys bot, primary and secondary purposes of Marmiage, for marriage is intended for a stable unton into which a new life is born. Indissolubility and unity are indispensable requisites of marriage. This is why there is no divorce in the eyes of God since mar- riage is valid until one of the parties dies. Divorce, therefore, is against the moral law. 2. Adultery The act is committed only by married people; and the act is infidelity to the marital Partner. Adultery per se is immoral. It is defined as the act “committed by any married woman who shall have sexual intercourse with a man not her husband and by the man who has carnal knowledge of her, knowing her to be married, even if the marriage be subsequently void." 3. Concubinage The act is an exclusive infidelity of a husband to a wife. It cannot be attributed to a wife against her husband. The Revised Penal Code (RPC) of the Philippines defines concubinage as “an act done by any husband who shall keep a mistress in the Conjugal dwelling, or shall have sexual intercourse, under scandalous circumstances, with a woman who is not his wife, or shall cohabit with her in any other place” (cf, Art. 334), Just like adultery. immoral since it is a retraction by » his marital vows, i.e., to be in “one flesh” with his wife. Both a ; 4. Premarital se; Premarital Sex is sex bef iage. Obvi- ly, fore marriagt ously. when the act is Performed, the intention t 254, °marry is being postulated the agents. But, why the act condemned and oneideced immoral, oe ticularly by the Catholic Church? The reason be- hind this is to safeguard and preserve the sanctity of marriage. Pre-marital sex endangers marriage since pregnancy before marriage is an expression of fornication, if not of self-indulgence. Besides, responsibility on the part of the agents, particu- larly, the man is not ascertained. This will eventu- ally endanger the possible offspring. Birth Control Mention was made earlier of Pope Pius XII's proclamation on the four ends of marriage which are procreation, upbringing of offspring, mutual aid, and healing of concupiscence. From this point of views, it is very clear that the primary end of marriage is the begetting and rearing of children. In other words, the essential end of marriage is responsible procreation. The concomitant responsibility which is in- herent associated with marriage is respcnsible arenthood. Since there can be no parents with- out children and no chiidren without sexual in- tercourse of beth parents, then, it is obvious that man’s sexual fa ™l'y is created by God for repro- duction in the cu:.text of marriage. Thus, sexual intercourse ‘should be done freely and without fear in marriage. However, responsible parenthood in sexual intercourse should always be underscored. in marriage should mean responsible i parenthood to ab- fro the number of ee In fact. responsible parenthood should il the dimensions in life that affect mar- Pope Paul VI: s in husband and wi on rene ss of their mission of re- .... In relation to bio- nsible parenthood respect of theirfunctions... In relation to the tendencies of instinct or-passion, responsible parent- hood means that necessary dominion which reason and will must exercise over them.... In relation to physical, economic, psychological and social conditions, re- sponsible parenthood is exercised, either by the deliberate and generous decision to raise a numerous family or by the decision made for grave motives and with due re- spect of the moral law to avoid for the time being, or even for an indeterminate period of new birth.... The responsible exercise of parenthood implies, therefore, that hus- band and wife recognize fully their own duties towards God, towards themselves, towards the family, and towards society....° The Church does not prohibit birth control as long as it is oriented towards nature. Gener- ally, there are two kinds of birth control. namely: natural and unnatural. The Church approves only of the former. The rationale is obvious although it is difficult to translate into action. Many couples, for various reasons, such as financial, economic, proper spacing of children, etc. resort to unnatu- ral birth control. In unnatural birth control, the sexual pleasures in marriage are done while avoid- ing parental responsibility. In this light, the Church considers all forms of unnatural birth control aS immoral since the Church perceives them as per- versions of the natural purpose of human sexual- ity. What are these forms of unnatural birth con- trol? Generically, unnatural birth control is also called contraception. Literally, the term contracep- tion means “against conception”. That is why forms of contraception are called unnatural birth con- trol. They are as follows:” a.. Those that do not require a doctor's con-(1) Mechanical methods, e.g- ©0! 7 (2) Chemical methods, e.g. creams and gels foams, foaming tablets, sup- positories, and postcoital douche; and ‘ (3) Behavioral methods, €-g- absti- nence and withdrawal (coitus inter- ruptus). Behavioral methods, €-8- rhythm (safe period) and Ovu! ods; . (2) Biological methods, €-8- oval pill (oral contraceptives): (3) Mechanical methods, €-8- intrauter- ine device (IUD), diaphragm (cervi- cal cap); and Sterilization (surgical method), €-8- tubal ligation and vasectomy. trol methods are by the Church. Jess, a point de here concerning d towards nature, ding to the man- q) of clarifica' ul ds that are oriente those metho: e.g. th! m and abstin‘ nce. Accor’ dates of the Church, poth rhyt and abstinence are not cont nature and are therefore mor- ally accepta! ( arin tural) are in- e reason con! ceptives (unnat tea nothing else but for population control. ie irth of the conce| t of Family Planning. ‘in philippines: famil Janning® (which is a aN te sed by the government as it euphem’ ‘al ptio is even implemented by introduct e rural areas cities, there the gover ily pl clinics. is is where ae ae lie: 7 seeming conflict of interest the tron id the te. betwee? the Jation meth- .In sum, the Church is not against birth con- trol. However, it only requires methods that are oriented to the original plan of God in the context of responsible procreation. Neither is the Church against family planning. In fact, family planning is encouraged by the Church. However, family planning? should not be done through unnatural contraceptives. If there is family planning, it should correlate with the statement of Pope Paul VI con- cerning responsible parenthood. The Catholic Bishops state the following as their stand on birth control: We are strongly opposed to involvement of the federal or state governments in the area of population control or family planning (using the term as synonymous to contra- ception). These are always inherent risks to human freedom, danger of invading hu- man rights and too great a danger of as- suming that family planning will solve all the problems of poverty, racism, and so- cial injustice by this oversimplified expe- diency.'°Endnotes 1Sexual perversion means turning sexual powers away from their natural purpose, f.e. the good of the human race, to a mere means of natural satisfaction. 2See Jose N. Nolledo, ed., The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines with Related Laws (Manila: National Bookstore, Inc., 1988), p. 135. For further readings, see Oliver J. Steiner, “artificial Insemination: Moral-Legal Implications,” in Walter O. Spitzer and Carlyle Saylors, eds., Birth Control and the Christian (England: Coverdale House Publisher, Ltd., 1989), pp. 569-572. : 3Leonardo Reyes, The Law on Rape (Philippines: Na- tional Book Store, Inc., 1994), p. 1. 4, Thid. 5, Nolledo, loc. cit. 6, Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae. (The Regulation of Birth), parag. 10, in Birth Control and the Christian, ed. by Walter O. Spitzer & Caryle L. Saylor, pp. 481-482. 7See Lydia Q. Lugue and Ma. Fe M. de Leon, Family Planning (Manila: Rex Book Store, 1981), pp. 141-143. For further readings, see Edward Stevens, Making Moral Deci- sions (New York: Paulist Press, 1969), pp. 81 ff. sSee Gegorio Lim, ed., Family Planning in the Philippines. (Manila: Family Planning Association of the Philippines, 1960), p- 22. In common practice, there is no difference between family planning and contraception sirce the former is just euphemism for the latter. : ‘National Conference of ‘Catholic Bishops (NCCB). Birth Control Laws, Nov. 20, 1970. J. Brian Benestad and Francis J. Butler, eds., quest. - for justice. (U.S.A.: United States Catho- lic Conference, 1981), p. 176. rs _E&’