General Religious Views Flashcards
What different types of love are there?
> storge - affection for things and animals (sentimental love)
philia - love for friends and family
eros - sexual love
agape - love given freely/unconditionally to anyone (Christian love)
Why would some people actually want to get married rather than just promise to love each other and then live together?
> gives people an opportunity of telling everyone about their promise to each other
gives the community a chance to witness the start of the relationship and wish people well
gives children a better form of security
makes people more aware of the commitment and responsibilities involved in a relationship
Why would some people prefer to not get married?
> they might believe that the promises thy make to each other are personal and just concern the couple and nobody else
they might draw up some other form of legal contract which replaces marriage and they might find this more convenient
they might not want to be tied down with the legal aspects of marriage so if the relationship breaks down they can walk away without too many problems
Why would people think marriage is out of date?
> it’s cheaper to live together
they feel they need to find out if marriage is a good step for them
they feel signing a formal document and going through a formal ceremony isn’t necessary as long as they love each other
they feel their promises to each other concern only them and nobody else
they feel that it’s simpler and easier to live together so if anything goes wrong they can split up easily
they might draw up a legal contract so that each one knows there rights and responsibilities
Why would people think marriage is not out of date?
> a formal marriage ceremony is a good way of showing that people are really serious about their relationship and of expressing commitment
if there is a formal ceremony couples may think more deeply about splitting up
if they have a formal ceremony their beliefs will help them in their marriage
weddings are a good way to allow family and friends to celebrate and the symbolic actions of giving the rings strengthen the bond between them
How important is family?
> good family life is vital for everyone because without a supportive and stable family life people can find life a struggle
EG children do well with a supportive family and elderly need good families too rely on for support them
‘the family’ is the builiding blocks of society as without good families the whole structure of society begins to crumble
people learn what is right and wrong mainly from what their family teaches them and they learn cultural values
people feel more secure in a good family and this is why people think couples should marry - others say it doesn’t matter as long as the family is a loving and stable unit
What is the role and purpose of sex?
> most think it’s to allow a couple to celebrate their love for one another and to have children - therefore sex should take place within a loving and committed relationship
others think sex is purely for pleasure - people who disagree say it devalues sex
What kind of pressures can a marriage come under?
>poor communication >lack of appreciation >differences in character >sexual problems >adultery >false hopes and expectations about marriage
Why do some marriages succeed and others fail?
> couples may have a very strong love for one anther and are able to work through difficult times and support one another - better chance of a successful marriage
couples may have strong religious beliefs which means they always try for reconciliation and forgive and forget problems in their relationship
couples may suffer from the pressures of marriage
couples may not find it within themselves to forgive and forget when things like adultery happen
What can people generally do when things start to go wrong in a marriage?
> talk to each other about their problems
get counselling
talk to family and friends
What kind of help can a religious community give when things start to goo wrong in a marriage?
> offer marriage guidance counselling or therapy sessions
the couple can talk to an older and more experienced couple within the community
the couple can talk things over with the vicar or priest
can pray for the couple
can give practical help to ease the couple’s problems
EG financial help or babysitting service
Is it necessary to marry in a place of worship?
> if people have a particular faith they would want to marry in a place to feel God’s love around them or because it’s holy for them
providing the ceremony is conducted according to their religious beliefs
it’s the ceremony not the place of worship that makes the difference to religious believers
the benefit of having a wedding ceremony in a place of worship is having the religious community present
Against same sex marriages in a place of worship
> same sex partnerships already have a civil ceremony and that should be enough for them
places of worship hold ‘marriages’ which should only refer to different sex couples
the actual format of the marriage ceremony would have to change which may mean that it is no longer marriage
In favour of same sex marriages in a place of worship
> if the couple are religious they have the right to have a proper marriage ceremony
all that matters is that the couple are willing to commit themselves to each other in front of God
all that is important is that the couple love each other
What are the advantages of assisted marriages?
> older and wiser couples with experience in life make the choice for the young couple and avoids the risk of marrying for sexual attractions
families have a less chance of an unpleasant surprise regarding a person’s character
unlikely a family would choose someone unpleasant or with bad characteristics for their child
families are there to support newly weds in all sorts of practical and emotional ways
