Marriage And The Family

Question 1

What is cohabitation?

Answer 1

When two people live together without being married

Question 2

What is a nuclear family?

Answer 2

A traditional family that consists of parents and children living as a unit

Question 3

What is a re-constituted family?

Answer 3

When two divorcees remarry creating step-brothers and sisters becoming one unit

Question 4

What is homosexuality?

Answer 4

A sexual attraction between two people of the same sex

Question 5

What is re-marriage?

Answer 5

Marrying again after divorce

Question 6

What is adultery?

Answer 6

Completing a sexual act with someone other than your marriage partner

Question 7

What is faithfulness?

Answer 7

Staying with your marriage partner and having sex with only them

Question 8

What is pre-marital sex?

Answer 8

Having sex before marriage

Question 9

What is procreation?

Answer 9

Making a new life

Question 10

What is promiscuity?

Answer 10

Having sex with a number of partners without commitment

Question 11

What is sex outside marriage?

Answer 11

Any sexual act outside the married state including adultery and pre-marital sex

Question 12

What is contraception?

Answer 12

Intentionally preventing pregnancy from occurring

Question 13

How have attitudes changed to marriage and family life?

Answer 13

• most people now have sex before marriage
• it is now quite acceptable to live together before getting married
• the average age for marriage has increased to 31.8 for men and 29.7 for women
• divorce is now accepted as a normal part of life
• 11% of all families in 2006 consisted of parents who were not married
• the extended family is becoming more popular as single mothers go into paid employment and they are needed for child care

Question 14

What are the reasons for the changes in cohabitation and marriage?

Answer 14

• increased availability of contraception made it safer to have sex
• increased media publicity made cohabitation appear respectable
• Christianity lost its influence as fewer people went to church and so were not encouraged to wait until after marriage to have sex
• the presentation of films and TV showing sex outside of marriage as the norm

Question 15

What are the reasons for change in attitudes to divorce?

Answer 15

• in 1969 laws made it easier and cheaper led to an increase in the numbers of divorce
• expectations of marriage have now changed-women no longer accept unequal treatment
• more women now have their own job so don’t depend on their husband for financial support
• due to longer life expectancy and better medical care marriages now last longer so they are longer than the average length of over 100 years ago

Question 16

What are the reasons for change in the attitude of family life?

Answer 16

• increase number in cohabiting couples means that many more families have unmarried parents
• increase in divorce has led to an increase of re-marriage and cohabiting couples
• the extended family is more important now as they depend on them for childcare while they work
• increase in divorce and acceptance in society of unmarried mothers has led to an increase in the number of single parent familiarity

Question 17

What are the reasons for change in attitudes to homosexuality?

Answer 17

• changes in laws have meant that it is much easier to be openly homosexual
• medical research has shown that homosexuality is most likely genetic
• increase in gay celebrities makes it more widely acceptable
• the work of organisations such as stonewall changes people’s opinion and led to a an acceptance of equal rights for homosexuals

Question 18

What is the Christian attitude to sex outside of marriage?

Answer 18

• adultery is condemned in the Ten Commandments
• adultery is condemned by Jesus
• sex was given by God for procreation and a baby should be brought up in a family unit
• breaks the vows made in front of God at marriage

Question 19

What is the Muslim attitude to sex outside of marriage?

Answer 19

• sex outside marriage is forbidden n the Quran
• Allah says that sex is for procreation
• adultery breaks the marriage contract
• likely to harm the family and affect the children

Question 20

What is a civil partnership?

Answer 20

A legal ceremony giving a same sex couple the same rights as a husband and wife

Question 21

What is the Christian attitude to divorce?

Answer 21

CATHOLICS
-do not allow religious divorce re-marriage
-only way the marriage contract can be dissolved is through death of the partner
BECAUSE:
-Jesus taught that divorce is wrong in Marks gospel
-the couple had made a contract with God and this can not be broken by an earthly power
-as there is no religious divorce there can be no re-marriage

NON-CATHOLICS
-divorce is wrong but can be allowed if the marriage has broken down
-most of these allow divorce people to re-marry by shally require them to talk to the priest about why their first marriages failed
BECAUSE:
-better to divorce than live in quarrel all of the time which could affect the children
-they are allowed forgiveness and a second chance if they confess to their sins
-chose the lesser of two evils=better to divorce than stay together
-Jesus allowed divorce for a partners adultery- he accepts it

Question 22

Why is family life important to Christians?

Answer 22

• one of the main purposes of Christian marriage is to bring up children in a secure and living Christian environment
• teach them the difference of right and wrong
• the place where people learn their religion and are educated in this
• the family was created by God as it the basic unit for society

Question 23

Why is family life important to Muslims?

Answer 23

• Islam teaches that children are a gift from Allah and parents will be judged on how well they have brought up their children
• the Quran was created by Allah and is the basic unit of society
• where children learn the difference between right and wrong
• where children learn their religion and how to follow this to be good people

Question 24

What is the Christian attitude to homosexuality?

Answer 24

Catholic
-homosexuality is not a sin but a homosexuality relation ship is
-ask homosexuals to live without sexual activity
-condemns all forms of homophobia
BECAUSE:
-the bible condemns homosexual activity
-sex is designed for procreation
-the Catholic Church teaches that people can not control their sexuality but they can control their sexual activity

EVANGELICAL PROTESTANT
-homosexuality is a sin
-can not be equal to a Christian marriage
BECAUSE:
-The bible condemns homosexuality
-all the churches have taught that homosexuality is wrong
-God created a man and woman not to of the same gender

LIBERAL
-lifelong relationships are acceptable
-not equal to a Christian marriage
-ministers/priests can have sexual orientation but can not take part in homosexual sex
BECAUSE:
-the major Christian belief in love and acceptance means that they she be accepted
-love thy neighbour=loving to let them be happy