Homosexuality and the Church
Type of Submission
Poster
Campus Venue
Dixon Ministry Center, Alumni Hall
Location
Cedarville, OH
Start Date
4-10-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
4-10-2013 5:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Apr 10th, 1:00 PM
Apr 10th, 5:00 PM
Homosexuality and the Church
Cedarville, OH
Comments
Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to analyze the ethical practices of the evangelical church In regard to their treatment of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTC) population. The Evangelical Church has maltreated and discriminated, not only within its own circles, but also perpetuated such behaviors in secular society. In this paper, I will critique the church in light of virtue ethics as exemplified by Mother Teresa. Virtue ethics is an ethical approach that emphasizes the character of the moral age rather than rules or consequences. Mother Teresa practiced this in her interactions with people who held a different worldview than hers. I researched Aristotle, as the Father of virtue ethics, as well as modern applications. I used two biographies on Mother Teresa, as well as her book, Lord, Be My Light. I then analyzed books on the LGBTC population as well as news articles detailing current science and incidents between the church and the LGBTC community. In my research, I found the evangelical church to be hypocritical and unethical in their interactions with the LGBTC community according to virtue ethics as explained by Aristotle. I will also contend that personal preference, convictions, science, or religion are irrelevant in determining how the Evangelical Church treats the LGBTC population.