GCSE RS Unit 3.3 - Divorce & Re-Marriage

Question 1

What is a divorce?

Answer 1

A divorce is the legal declaration that a marriage has ended

Question 2

What were the attitudes to divorce and re-marriage before 1969?

Answer 2

1) Difficult & Expensive
2) Few grounds: domestic violence + adultery
3) Socially unacceptable
4) Led to isolation
5) Rare
6) In 1960 - 28,000 divorces
7) In 1936, King Edward VIII was forced to give up the throne rather than marry a divorcee

Question 3

What occurred in 1969, which changed the idea of Divorce and Re-Marriage?

Answer 3

the Divorce Reform Act changed

Question 4

What were the attitudes to divorce and re-marriage after 1969?

Answer 4

1) More grounds for divorce
2) Marriage can end if “irretrievable breakdown”
3) No need to prove ‘fault’
4) Easier to obtain
5) Cheaper
6) More common
7) In 2000 - 155,000 divorces
8) In 2005, Prince Charles married a divorcee with government & public support

Question 5

What are the attitudes to divorce and re-marriage from a Catholic perspective?

Answer 5

1) Does not allow for religious divorce or re-marriage
2) Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2883: ‘marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any reason other than death’
3) Gospel of Matthew 19:6, Jesus says: ‘What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder’

4) Marriage vows - “I will love you and honour you all the days of my life”
- Catholic Church says this is a Solemn Vow which cannot be undone

5) Catholic Church allows annulment - declaration there was not a true marriage in the first place

6) Catholic Church allows operation of spouses - in case of violence, separation can protect individuals
- But hopefully the marriage can be reconciled

7) Does not allow for re-marriage; divorced Catholics cannot get re-married in the church (would be adultery)

Question 6

What are the attitudes to divorce and re-marriage from a Protestant perspective?

Answer 6

1) Does allow for Divorce in some circumstances
2) Divorce is wrong, but sometimes may be the Lesser of Two Evils

3) Matthew 19:9, Jesus says: ‘ … anyone who divorce his wife, except for sexual immortality, and marries another … commits adultery’
- If Jesus can allow for divorce, Christians should too

4) Re-marriage is possible at the discretion of individual churches and ministers (depends on circumstances)