Marriage And Family Flashcards
Catholic Truth Society quote
Marriage is the sacrament in which a baptised man and woman vow to belong to each other in a permanent, exclusive, sexual, partnership of loving, mutual care, concern and shared responsibility in the hope of having children and bringing up a family
Purpose of marriage
- celebrate their love
- foundation of family love
- building block for community life
- respect to God
- sex
Quote for making a new family
‘A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh’- genesis 2:24
Quote for wives obeying husbands
‘Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wide as Christ is the head of the church’- Ephesians 5:2-25
Quote for couple bodies
‘The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife’- 1 Corinthians 7:4
Evangelical Protestant teachings on sex
- sex outside marriage is wrong
- adultery breaks marriage vows which are part of the sacrament
‘You shall not commit adultery’
‘Sex is an act of love and commitment and should only take place within a marriage’- Timothy 2:22 and Matthew 5:27-8
Church of England teaching on sex
- recognise that society has changed
- cohabitation is accepted as a trial marriage
- marriage is a gift to humans and is the ideal place to bring up a child
- best place for sexual relationship
- agape love
Roman Catholic teaching on sex
- ‘constitutes a grave sin’
- belongs to a permanent and exclusive sexual relationship
- cohabitation unacceptable
- ‘human love does not tolerate trial marriages’
- ‘be holy and completely free from sexual immortality’
‘ adultery ‘destroys the very idea of a family’
Different teachings in the bible on sex
- ‘you shall not commit adultery’ Exodus
- ‘your body is a temple of the holy experience’ Corinthians
- ‘be fruitful and multiply’ Genesis
Evangelical teachings on sex
- marriage is the only place for sex
- sex outside is wrong (NT)
- ‘do not commit adultery’
Liberal Christians teachings on sex
- accept pre marital sex
- part of loving relationship
- as long as there is no exploration
- Jesus said love mattered the most
Against pre marital sex
Sex is for procreation
Fornication is a sin
Promiscuity is wrong
Methodist teachings on sex
- ‘although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are only clearly affirmed in the marriage bond’
- responsible contraception is needed
- every child should be born in only a healthy environment
Baptist teachings on sex
- upholds family planning
- birth contort to regulate amount of children is accepted
How does the church support family life (4)
Help children support disabled or elderly parents
Provides a place for families to go and be brought together (church on sundays)
Charity work is done like helping families in financial breakdown- offers debt advice
Offers relationship or marriage counselling
RCC on divorce
Married couples can separate but not divorce
If someone remarries/is in a relationship after separation it’s adultery and can’t do holy communion
Can be legally divorced bit they’re married in the eyes of the Church
Marriage is a sacrament
RCC quote on divorce
What God has joined man cannot separate
Til death do us part
Annulments
If a marriage is not valid and annulment can be granted- as if marriage never happened
12 reasons for annulment
One partner... Was forced to marry Was suffering from mental problems Never intended to keep vows Wasn't baptised Withheld info eg infertility
CofE views on divorce
- can be allowed if it’s a last resort
- can remarry
- Christians should forgive
- vicar doesn’t have to remarry people
Churches response to divorce
Marriage perpetration courses
Marriage guidance counselling
Prayer
How many people divorce
180,000
How many single parents
1.2 million
Cohabitation figures
25% cohabit without marriage
Divorce laws changes
1534- act of Parliament only
1857- only when adultery
1937- when insanity, cruelty or desertion
1969- irretrievable breakdown
Bible on divorce
Matthew- divorce is allowed when adultery happens
Mark- divorce isn’t allowed
‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery’
3 points for premarital sex/adultery is wrong
Got gave sex to humans got procreation- ‘given as the foundation of family life’
Sex is special connection- ‘a sexual act must take place exclusively within marriage, outside constitutes a grave sin’
Relationship won’t be valued- typical marriage lasts 11 years
3 points for premarital sex/adultery is not wrong
Out of date- 5% 1950 43.7% 2006 babies outside of marriage
Pope is influential on Christians- Pope Francis married women in Vatican who had children
May not know compatibility- 50% of marriages end in divorce
The Church of England on contraception
- Sexual love is good in itself
- Sexual love provides a way for a husband and die to express their love for each other
- Accepts contraception in couples so that they can enjoy a sexual relationship and take responsibility for their family size
- Essentially they promote responsibility
Methodist on contraception
- Welcome contraception as a means to fulfilment in marriage
- Can be necessary to space pregnancies or avoid them
Roman Catholic Church on contraception
- Sex is essential in a marriage FOR PROCREATION, only acceptable in marriage and only with the intention to conceive
- Contraception goes against Christian marriage as this is for conception
- Sperm is potential life, shouldn’t be wasted
- Active measures goes against natural law and God’s plan
- Family planning services are allowed as it is natural and can be necessary for couples to limit the size of their family
- Rhythm method is allowed
Orthodox Church on contraception
- Different views within the Church
- Some that one important purpose of sex is procreation but sexual relationships also contribute to the well-being of family life and so accept contraception
- Others say sexual acts should ONLY be with the purpose of procreation and so contraception isn’t necessary
Abstinence
No engagement in sexual activity, 100% effective
Sterilisation
Vasectomy for male, prohibits sperm from reaching penis
For women stops egg reaching ovaries
Not 100% reversible so uncommon at early age
Doesn’t protect against STIs
Implant
Releases progesterone into woman's body Lasts up to 3 years 99% effective Doesn't protect against STIs Can cause side effects and long term changes
Injection
Every 8-12 weeks get injection of progesterone
98% effective
Doesn’t protect against STIs
Has side effects
Morning-after pill
Decreases in effectiveness every time it is taken
Must be taken 24 hours after unprotected sex, longer one waits, less effective it becomes
95% effective- may not work
Releases chemical which stops ovaries releasing an egg
‘Emergency pill’ not a longterm solution
Pill
99% effective
Doesn’t protect against STIs
Good in long term relationship if you know sexual history
Prevents egg being released by excreting progesterone and oestrogen
Has to be taken daily
Not invasive
Rhythm method
Track monthly cycle and have intercourse when woman is less fertile
May want to have sex outside this set window
Not very effective, woman is still fertile in this time
Can be up to 96% effective with major precision
Doesn’t protect against STIs
Condom
Worn my woman or man Protects against STIs Prevents sperm reaching egg 82% effective- they can break Women's can be invasive and ineffective if not fitted correctly
Withdrawal
Natural process where man removes penis before ejaculating which stops sperm entering woman
Success rate of 76%
May decrease sexual pleasure
Can be difficult to achieve
Attitudes toward divorce have changed
- Pope Francis married previously married people
- High divorce rates, 23, 500 in Sweden
- Divorce reform act changed, 1857- only act of Parliament, 1969- public if irretrievable breakdown
Attitudes toward divorce have not changed
- Bible has not changed, ‘a man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife’
- Still seen as a negative thing, looked down upon in society- remarriage service in eastern Orthodox is in sombre tone
- Marriage vows lose meaning and value- ‘till death do us part’ is disrespected
Sex before marriage is wrong
- Sex given to humans for procreation and only has place in marriage, ‘foundation of family life’
- Special act between committed people ‘a sexual act must take place exclusively within a marriage’- catechism
- Relationships and sex no longer valued, cohabiting relationship= 3 years, marriage=8 years and 50% of cohabiting couples break up within 5 years of having a child compared to 8% of married couples
Sex before marriage isn’t wrong
- Impractical in today’s society, 1950- 5% babies from unmarried couples, 2006- 43.7%
- Pope Francis married women who had children
- Compatibility needs to be tested, 50% marriages end in divorce
Why do some Christians allow divorce
- Church of Scotland- marriage isn’t a sacrament
- Irretrievable breakdown- adultery is unacceptable
- Agape love- ‘whilst laws are important, love and forgiveness are far more important’
- Modern views- Pope marrying women who have been previously married
Old Testament on homosexuality
‘No man is to have sexual relations with another man, God hates that’ Leviticus 18:22
‘If a man has sexual relations with another man, they have done a disgusting thing, and both shall be put to death’- Leviticus 20:13
New Testament on homosexuality
(Jesus doesn’t teach specifically about homosexuality, but he does preach love and forgiveness)
‘Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal… none of these will possess God’s Kingdom’ 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
‘en do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing’ 1 Romans 1:27
RCC on homosexuality
- Inclination is not a sin but action is
- Having the inclination is neither good nor bad morally
- Should be treated with respect and compassion
- Control feelings by practising celibacy
- St Pauls condemns it
Quote for RCC on homosexuality
‘Homosexuality is a disordered behaviour that must be condemned’ A Vatican in 2008
‘Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. They are contrary to the natural law… Under no circumstances can they be approved’ Catechism 2357
‘Homosexual persons are called to Chastity’ Catechism
‘You shall not lie with a man as with a woman’ Leviticus
Liberal Protestant on homosexuality
- Quakers in 2009 became the first Christian group to allow religious ceremonies for gay couples
- They believe in agape love
- Brought out a book, ‘Towards the Quaker View of Sex’
Quote for liberal protestants on homosexuality
‘An act which expresses true affection between two individuals and gives pleasure to them both, does not seem to us to be sinful by reason alone of the fact that it is homosexual’
Church of England on homosexuality
- Dividing views threaten to split up the Church
- Some Anglicans agree with the RCC
- Some say Jesus preached love and compassion and if it is a loving, committed relationship it can be accepted
- Examples of what seem to be gay relations in the Bible (David and Jonathan)
