RELIGION, SEX, AND PUBLIC ETHICAL DISCOURSE

THE CARE, FEEDING, AND NURTURE OF PUBLIC CIVIL MORALITY & DISCUSSION

RELFECTIONS

• “Sex, a great and mysterious motive force in human life, has indisputably been a subject of absorbing interest to mankind through the ages; it is one of the vital problems of human interest and public concern.”

• “Religion divides people from each other. .”

• “GOD BRINGS US TOGETHER”

DEFINITIONS: DEFINITIONS:

• RELIGION, RELIGIOUS, RELIGIOSITY

• SEX, SEXUAL, SEXUALITY

• MORALITY, MORAL, MORALISTIC, MORALS

• [GENDER]

SOURCES OF MORALITY

• THEOLOGY/RELIGION

• PHILOSOPHY

• SOCIO-ECONOMICS

• FORMULAE FOR HUMAN SELF-WORTH/SELF-ESTEEM

BACKGROUND & BACKGROUND & “THEIRSTORY”“THEIRSTORY”

HEBRAIC-JUDAIC ANTECEDENTSHEBRAIC-JUDAIC ANTECEDENTS THE EDICT THE EDICT

TRANSNATIONAL MORALITY & RELIGIONTRANSNATIONAL MORALITY & RELIGION EASTERN SCHISMEASTERN SCHISM

REFORMATION & MORE FRAGMENTATIONREFORMATION & MORE FRAGMENTATION

ENLIGHTENMENTENLIGHTENMENT

SECULARIZATION OF WESTERN LIFESECULARIZATION OF WESTERN LIFE ““PURITANIZING” OF CIVIL/CIVIC LAW/MORALITYPURITANIZING” OF CIVIL/CIVIC LAW/MORALITY

PURPOSES & EFFECTS I

• SOCIAL PURPOSES: • POPULATION GROWTH—• MORE CONSTITUTENTS?

• MORE “’SOULS’ TO SAVE”?• US v. THEM?

• SELF-WORTH/ESTEEM OF “PRACTICTIONERS”?• SELF-WORTH/ESTEEM OF “THE AUDIENCE”?

• EXERCISE OF SECULAR POWER• “TRUTH”– “BELIEF”• “FACT”– “PROOF”

• “FAITH”

PURPOSES & EFFECTS IIPURPOSES & EFFECTS II

• PROTECTION OF WOMEN’S PREROGATIVES AND AUTONOMYPROTECTION OF WOMEN’S PREROGATIVES AND AUTONOMY

• INDIVIDUAL AS MORAL AGENTINDIVIDUAL AS MORAL AGENT

• MAINTENANCE OF THE SEPARATION OF THE SECULAR AND MAINTENANCE OF THE SEPARATION OF THE SECULAR AND THE RELIGIOUSTHE RELIGIOUS

• LIMITS ON SOCIETY’S ROLE IN “THE PRIVATE”/INTIMATE LIMITS ON SOCIETY’S ROLE IN “THE PRIVATE”/INTIMATE SPHERESPHERE

• PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMY/DECISION-MAKINGPROTECTION OF INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMY/DECISION-MAKING

TERMS OF DEBATE & DISCOURSE CLAIMS OF AUTHORITY

“SECULAR EFFECTS”– INTENDED EFFECTS AND THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

ABSOLUTIST RHETORIC VS. ACTUALITIES

TOLERATION

CURIOUS PERMUTATIONS CURIOUS PERMUTATIONS & COMBINATIONS& COMBINATIONS

SMITHIAN SOCIO-ECONOMICS WITH SMITHIAN SOCIO-ECONOMICS WITH CHRISTIAN SEXUAL MORESCHRISTIAN SEXUAL MORES

BUT, IF SMITH IS GOOD FOR “PRO”-BUT, IF SMITH IS GOOD FOR “PRO”-DUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION, WHY DUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION, WHY NOT FOR “REPRO”-DUCTION??NOT FOR “REPRO”-DUCTION??

CONSIDER THE 1CONSIDER THE 1STST 4 BOOKS OF THE 4 BOOKS OF THE HEBRAIC-JUDAIC-CHRISTIAN BIBLE HEBRAIC-JUDAIC-CHRISTIAN BIBLE [FIRST AMENDMENT ESTABLISHMENT [FIRST AMENDMENT ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE DISCLAIMER] - PUBLIC CLAUSE DISCLAIMER] - PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE, & MORALS HEALTH, SAFETY, WELFARE, & MORALS CODECODE

ROLE OF RELIGION IN PUBLIC AND ROLE OF RELIGION IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE & DISCOURSE I: MORE PRIVATE LIFE & DISCOURSE I: MORE

“THEIRSTORY”“THEIRSTORY”

• PROBLEMS OF SPIRITUAL/PERSONAL MEANING; SEEMING EMPTINESS OF THE MATERIAL— A SENSE OF NEEDING MORE

• “THE GREAT AWAKENINGS”

ROLE OF RELIGION IN PUBLIC LIFE & DISCOURSE II: COMFORT ZONE OF THE FAMILIAR AND DOCTRINAL & PRINT CONTROL

• PRE-REFORMATION CHURCH MONOPOLY ON THE PRINTED WORD- - & KNOWLEDGE.

• REFORMATION+GUTENBERG= REVOLUTION & INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE

• DOES DIGITALIZATION+CLOSED CODING=NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR ENFORCING INFO./KNOWLEDGE MONOPOLIES?

• WHAT OF BROADCAST TECHNOLOGIES?• MEDIA EMPIRES? FEWER AND FEWER OUTLETS OF

KNOWLEDGE & INFORMATION?

THE FUTURE I?

MERGER OF ABSOLUTIST RHETORIC & PERSUASIVE APPEALS WITH “QUANTUM ELECTORAL REPRESENTATIVE dEMOCRATIC EVENTS” IN A DIVERSE WORLD

ABSOLUTIST APPEALS, NOT ABSOLUTIST APPLICATIONS

THE FUTURE II?

• “THE NATURAL” “UN-NATURAL” “CONVENTIONAL”

• TREATMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES– CLONING, et al. [SEE “SPEAKING OF FAITH” PROGRAM, 6 MARCH]

THE FUTURE III?

• DOES “RELIGION”=“MORALS”?

• “SEX”= “PRO-CREATION”/ REPRODUCTION?

• “---”= MATING?• “---”= SOCIAL ORGANIZATION?• “---”= SOCIAL ROLE?• “---”= ????? [FUN?]