Christianity: Marriage and the Family

Question 1

What does the Bible say marriage should be like?

Answer 1

It says that marriage should be monogamous and between a man and woman for life
‘a man will…be united to his wife, and the two become one flesh’ - Mark 10

Question 2

What are the 3 main purposes of marriage for Christians?

Answer 2

1) To provide companionship, friendship and support between husband and wife
2) To enjoy a sexual relationship within marriage to have children and raise a family
3) To make a lifelong commitment to the other person, creating a permenant and stable relationship

Question 3

What are the 4 main Christian beliefs about marriage?

Answer 3

• Marriage as a sacrement, a ceremony in which God is involved. Through vows, marriage is shown to be sacred and binding
• A gift from God - it it part of his plan for men and women to live together as shown in the Bible
• It is shown to provide security and stability for children to be raised as Christians
• God doesn’t want everyone to be married - Jesus wasn’t, and monks and nuns have a voacation from God to not get married

Question 4

What are some Humanist views about marriage?

Answer 4

Humanists don’t use religion in their lives and instead rely on their use of reason
They don’t see marriage as a religious institution blessed by God, but they do see it as a way of making a commitment to each other
Although humanist weddings are possible, they are not accepted legally and a civil ceremony would also be needed

Question 5

What are Christian views on cohabitation?

Answer 5

Some couples cohabit outside of marriage because they see it as expensive or unnecessary
Christians, however, argue tthat marriage provides much needed stability for family life
As it does not sacred vows from God, they don’t accept any form of cohabitation

Question 6

What are the 5 main things that the Bible says about sex?

Answer 6

• Casual relationships are wrong - marriage is for sexual relationships
• Adultery is forbidden in the Ten Commandments
• Married couples should be faithful, as declared in the vows
• St Paul condemns homosexual acts, saying they are ‘shameful’
• Being sexually pure is advised, and many Christians take a vow of chastity

Question 7

What are some sources of authority for sexual relationships?

Answer 7

‘God will judge the adultere and all the sexually immoral’ - Hebrews
‘whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body’ - 1 Corinthians
‘God said, ‘be fruitful and increase in number’’ - Genesis

Question 8

Describe the nature and important of sexual relationships in Christianity

Answer 8

They believe sex is a gift from God intended for procreation, so it should only take place within marriage
Sex is an important way for a man and woman to show their commitment to each other
All forms of sexual activity outside marriage are forbidden

Question 9

What are some divergent Christian views on sexual relationships?

Answer 9

Some Christians believe that some ideas about sexual relationships are outdated - they say that love is important and should be celebrated in all forms
This may allow cohabiting couples to have a sexual relationship, as well as homosexual couples
Parts of 1 Corinthians may be interpreted to mean that sexual relationships are a way of honouring God’s gift

Question 10

What are some non-religious attitudes to sexual relationships?

Answer 10

Humanists believe that consenting adults should be allowed to have a sexual relationship, as long as it does not harm anyone elase
Atheists are unlikely to have a problem with sex outside marriage or homosexuality

Question 11

What are the 4 main purposes of family, according to Christians?

Answer 11

1) It provides the right place for a married couple to have children
2) It provides stability and security for society, as children can be raised with the ‘correct’ moral standards
3) To teach children the different between right and wrong
4) To raise children as Christians and introduce them to the Christian faith

Question 12

Give an example of the Bible showing the roles within the family

Answer 12

‘Fathers, do not exasperate your children’ - Ephesians

Question 13

Describe the basic Christian beliefs about parents and their role within the family

Answer 13

Most Christians believe that they have a responsibilty to get married and have children, as this is what God intended
Parents have a responsibility to love, support and care for their children and keep them safe from danger
Christian parents raise their children as Christians, by gettting them baptised or christened and taking them to church

Question 14

Describe the basic Christian beliefs about parents and their role within the family

Answer 14

The Bible teaches that children should honour, obey and respect their parents
Children are expected to care for their parents in their old age, just as their parents once cared for them

Question 15

Describe the basic Christian beliefs about the social environment within families

Answer 15

Children are introduced to Christianity in their family. They attend church and celebrate special events together
Children are also baptised, attend Sunday School and learn about their faith

Question 16

Why is family still important today?

Answer 16

It strengthens society, providing structure and support

Family is where people feel safest - with the people they love

Question 17

What are some divergent Christian responses to different types of family?

Answer 17

All Christians believe that family is important in ensuring that children are raised correctly
Many Christians prefer the nuclear family, as this best reflects the idea of family as shown in the Bible by Adam and Eve
Some Christians accept that changes need to be made to the traditional family structure and are willing to accept modern structures, as long as they continue to support their children

Question 18

In what 6 ways can the local parish support families?

Answer 18

• supporting couples who ware expecting children
• organising special family worship services
• running parental support classes
• being involved in rites of passage, eg. weddings
• encouraging children to attend Sunday School
• providing counselling

Question 19

How can the local parish provide counselling?

Answer 19

Ministers and vicars will counsel couples if they are experiencing struggles in their relationship
Many Christians communities offers services such as Marriage Care

Question 20

Why is the support offered by parishes still important today? (4 reasons)

Answer 20

• They offer all kinds of support (emotional, practical, spiritual)
• The parish allows Christians to socialise with others experiencing similar issues
• The support offered shows the love of God
• The parish provides a sense of Christian community and it strengthens the church itself

Question 21

What does the Bible say about the familial support offered by parishes?

Answer 21

‘Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these’ - Matthew 19

Question 22

What are the 2 main types of contraception?

Answer 22

Natural - when a couple has sex when the woman is not fertile
Artificial - human-made objects that prevent pregnancy

Question 23

Why is the issue of contraception difficult for Christians?

Answer 23

It is a modern issue, therefore there are no teachings about it in the Bible
Some take the Genesis verse ‘be fruitful and increase in number’ to mean that God wants humans to procreate

Question 24

What are the main Catholic beliefs about contraception?

Answer 24

• Every sexual act should be open to the possibility of a child, so artificial contraception is banned
• Contraception prevents the main purpose of sex - having children
• Contraception encourages casual sex, which could lead to STDs
• Natural contraception is allowed because fertilisation is still possible
• The Humanae Vitae affirms that contraception is not acceptable

Question 25

What are the main Protestant beliefs about contraception?

Answer 25

Most agree with using contraception because:

• the main purpose of sex is procreation, but sex also shows the love between a couple
• contraception is a sensible method of family planning
• there are no teachings against using artificial contraception

Question 26

What are the main atheist beliefs about family planning?

Answer 26

They would argue that a person’s individual situation would need to be taken into account. They would say that people can use contraception if:

• they want to plan their family
• they are not ready to have children
• their lifestyle does not allow for children
• pregnancy could be harmful to the mother
• they want to be safe from STDs
• the couple carry genetic disorders

Question 27

What are the main humanist beliefs about contraception?

Answer 27

They generally have no issue with the use of contraception. The British Humanist Association argues that if contraception ‘results in every child being a wanted child’ then it must be a good thing

Question 28

Explain the Christian concept that marriage is for life

Answer 28

Marriage is intended to be for life and is symbolised by the ring being an unbroken circle
They believe that if a couple want to divorce, they need to have tried everything to repair their relationship
If one of the couple dies, then the marriage is effectively ended and the partner is free to remarry
‘what God has joined together, let no one separate’ - Mark 10

Question 29

What are the main Catholic views about divorce?

Answer 29

• Divorce is not recognised because marriage is for life
• Jesus said divorce is wrong
• Marriage is a sacrament and divorce would break the promises made with God
• The marriage bond is unbroken even if the couple receives a legal civil divorce
• Remarriage is not allowed in Catholic churches
• A legal separation may be allowed if it would otherwise harm the children

Question 30

What are the main Protestant beliefs about divorce?

Answer 30

• Divorce is not encouraged but is allowed if necessary
• It must be acceptable as UK law allows it
• People make mistakes and God is ready to forgive sins
• It is up to the individual minister to decide whether a couple is ready to remarry

Question 31

What are the main humanist and atheist beliefs about divorce?

Answer 31

They believe that the breakdown of a marriage causes issues within a family but they accept that divorce is sometimes necessary
They do not associate marriage with religion so no Holy promises are broken
They often take an ethical stand, where they consider the best action for each situation to get the best outcome

Question 32

What are some Christian arguments for gender equality?

Answer 32

• Men and women were both made in the image of God, different from all other beings
• Many Christians feel that the traditional view that men are superior is outdated
• Men and women are different physically but the same mentally
• Though women were made as ‘helpers’, this may mean that they help each other equally

Question 33

What are some Christian arguments against gender equality?

Answer 33

• In Genesis, it says that women are a ‘helper’ to man. This could mean that men are supposed to be the head of the house and the women should support him
• Catholics argue that they were made physically different as women were designed to help men
• In Ephesians, it commands wives to ‘submit yourselves to your own husbands’

Question 34

What are some atheist and humanist views for gender equality?

Answer 34

They are likely to accept more modern views on gedner equality and roles of men and women in the household
They say that as long as they are happy in their roles, then that is what matters

Question 35

What is gender prejudice?

Answer 35

It is when someone is judged on their gender to be superior or inferior

Question 36

What is gender discrimination?

Answer 36

When people are treated differently based purely on their gender

Question 37

Give an example of gender discrimination within the church

Answer 37

Catholics only accept men to be bishops, priests or the pope

They believe that these roles represent Jesus and follow the teaching in the Catholic Catechism

Question 38

Give an example of where the Bible promotes equality

Answer 38

‘There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one’ - Galatians 3

Question 39

How is the church promoting gender equality?

Answer 39

Many Christian organisations promote gender equality, including Christian Aid which believes that gender inequality goes against human rights. They work in communities to tackle inequality by using Christian teachings

Question 40

What are some humanist and atheist views on gender discrimination?

Answer 40

They are likely to share the view that men and women are equal. They would say that men and women must be treated equally as this is morally right