Marriage&family life Flashcards
changing attitudes to marriage and family
in the UK in the 1950s…
- people were expected to only have sex after marriage
- people married young in church for life
- families were husband and wife and children
- homosexuality was a criminal offence
- Women used to get married younger as fewer had careers
Now in the UK…
- most people have sex before marriage
- many couples live together rather than marry
- The average age for marrying has increased enormously
- divorce is accepted as a normal part of life
- The average age to get married is about 30
- homosexuals are allowed to marry in the UK
reasons for the changes in attitudes-cohabitation and marriage
cohabitation and marriage..
- effective contraception now available to everyone in the UK made it safer to have sex before marriage
- The media showed sexual relationships outside marriage as normal so more people thought sex outside marriage was okay
- fewer people go to church and are influenced by the Christian message to save sex for marriage
Christian attitudes to sex outside marriage
most Christians believe it is wrong because..
- God gave sex for the procreation of children who should be brought up in a Christian family so sex should only be in marriage
- The bible says sex outside marriage is sinful
- Adultery is banned by the 10 Commandments
- Jesus taught that adultery was wrong and we should follow Jesus’ teachings
some Christians would take a relaxed approach and say cohabitation is okay in long term committed relationship when marriage is intended
Catholic attitudes to divorce
catholics do not allow religious divorce or re-marriage because..
- Jesus taught that divorce is wrong: Marks Gospel
- The catechism teaches that marriage cannot be resolved as it is a promise to God so religious divorce is impossible
- there can be no remarriage as there can be no religious divorce, remarriage would be both bigamy and adultery
Non-catholic Christian attitudes to divorce
most non-catholic churches are against divorce but allow it if a marriage has broken down and allowed divorced people to remarry because…
- Jesus allowed divorced for a partners adultery
- if the marriage has really broken down it is the lesser of two evils to separate
- they believe it is better to divorce than to live in hatred and argue all the time
The catholic purpose to marriage
Church teaches that God created man and woman for each other in sacrament of marriage thus it involved not just the husband and wife but God too
- so couples have a life-long relationship of love and faithfulness
- so couples have support and comfort of each other
- fruitfulness for the procreation of children
- for the bringing up of a Christian family
The purpose to marriage in the wedding ceremony
- Exchange of vows shows commitment and promise to love and stay faithful to one another
- rings symbolise unending nature of marriage
- Priest emphasises that it is a sacrament in front of God that cannot be broken
- wedding preparation course councils the couple to teach them to support and comfort each other
- The priest asks the couple if they will accept children and bring them up as Christians
Christian attitudes to contraception
catholics are against it because…
- The church teaches that all sex should be unitive and creative contraception isn’t creative
- catholics believe artificial contraception leads to promiscuity broken families divorce and STDs
some non-Catholic Christians allow it because…
- there is nothing in the Bible that forbids the use of contraception
- they believe condoms are the best way to combat the spread of AIDS/HIV
Christian attitudes to homosexuality
evangelical Protestants believe it is wrong because…
-The Bible says it is a sin, all churches used to teach that is wrong even though some now say it is not
Liberal Protestants welcome homosexuals because..
- The major Christian beliefs of love and acceptance means it should be allowed
- they believe gay people should be open and honest not tell lies as stated in the 10 commandments
catholics believe..
- homosexuality is not a sin but at homosexual relationship is
- homosexuals should be celibate
- The Bible condemns homosexual activity
- The church teaches sex should be creative and unitive but is not possible for homosexuals to have fruitful relationships and have children
- The church teaches people cannot help being homosexual therefore they should not be discriminated against
- Jesus taught that we should show love to one another and not judge others
- The church teaches that all people are equal and should be treated this way
why family life is important to Christians
- One of the main purposes of Christian marriage is to have children and bring them up as good Christians
- Christian teaching on divorce shows that family is too important to be broken up
- without family children would not learn right from wrong
- Family is very important for Christianity to continue and grow
- Christian children are expected to care for their parents when they grow old according to Jesus
how parishes help with the upbringing of children
- parishes linked to religious schools help parents keep their baptism and marriage promises about raising children knowing christian teachings on right and wrong
- Parish runs preparation classes such as first Communion preparation to help parents bring children up to become full members of the church
- runs children’s liturgies to allow parents time to attend children’s worship
- some parishes run youth groups to help keep children away from bad influences
how parishes help families stay together
- during mass priest reminds parents of marriage vows
- priest available to help couples and give counselling advice
- The church has produced leaflets to help parishes understand problems Christians face and tell them how to support the church members
- some parishes offer financial support
reasons for changes in attitudes-divorce
Divorce..
- New laws made divorce cheaper and easier
- increased equality for women means that women are no longer willing to except unequal treatment from men and will divorce
- most divorce occur after 10 years which was the average length of marriage 100 years ago because women often died at childbirth
reasons for changes in attitudes-family life
Family life..
- Due to more cohabitation there are more families where parents are not married
- increase in divorce has led to increased in marriage and more reconstituted families
- more extended families as working parents rely on grandparents for childcare
reasons for changes in attitudes- homosexuality
homosexuality. .
- medical research has shown that homosexuality is normal so more people accept gay couples
- The work of gay rights groups has led to an acceptance of equal rights for homosexuals
- more gay celebrities, confirming it is normal
