What religious ethics can and cannot tell us about reproduction and sexuality

The Religious Right movement maintains that only sexual activity open to reproduction is morally acceptable, and that violating this imperative violates God's will. Religious progressives and secular humanists deny these positions, arguing instead that the moral quality of sex is determined by how its participants treat each other. However, religious progressives (but not secular humanists) continue to believe that religion has some authority in ethics. This paper shows why no such arguments are successful, and concludes that any compelling case against the Religious Right sexual ethic and in support of a humane one must be based in secular ethics.