Deontological Ethics And Homosexuality

CHRISTIAN ETHICAL ISSUES ON HOMOSEXUALITY AND CHURCH LEADERSHIP

With this backdrop, we will now address the ethical question using deontological, teleological and virtue ethics.

Deontological Ethics and Homosexuality and Church Leadership

According to Wells “ethics that focuses on right action is most commonly known as deontological ethics.” This approach is concerned with questions regarding what is right. In this model one has the duty to uphold moral laws and imperatives. The question we will seek to answer in this ethical framework is, what laws are our duty as the church to obey and follow? It assumes that what are most needed are rules, principles and structures to guide and retain the behavior of persons and groups. As we apply this

Pst. Yee Li adds that “such behavior does not fit in with biblical leadership.” Pst. Zuchobeni though who describes herself as being liberal says that “personally I would give them opportunities, and allow them to work on their weaknesses.” Whether an action is considered right or wrong is determined by the socio-religious guidelines of behavior in the social context. The issue of whether a homosexual should hold a leadership position in the church will therefore be determined by the guidelines within the church context. Pst. Jemon agrees that in considering to choose a homosexual for a church leadership position it would depend on the “church by laws or standards or procedures.”

As we have seen in the denominational views that have been presented, each denomination has guidelines on the subject of homosexuality of which they expect their members to adhere to. Some of these guidelines are biblical mandates while some are community

In the church context, individual as well as the whole community behavior is regulated so that the best interests of the church community are not at stake and that its moral and ethical fabric is maintained and strengthened. Therefore the argument that has been promoted some with an individualistic worldview is that one’s sexual orientation is their personal preference. They fail to realize that one’s personal preference cannot be turned into a community standard or biblical mandate. The members of the community must have a sense of duty and responsibility towards the community as a whole and in this context, the church. It this sense of duty or responsibility that would help both church leaders and church members to obey the rules and regulations. We note that even nature obeys God by functioning systematically in the way God intended and