Personal and Family Relationships

Question 1

What do Christians believe that sexual relationships should only take place in?

Answer 1

A committed married relationship

Question 2

What do Christians believe the purposes of sexual relationships are?

Answer 2

1. A unitive purpose
2. A procreative purpose

Question 3

1. A unitive purpose

Answer 3

to unite the couple and bring them closer together as indicated in Genesis 2:24 “that is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one”

Question 4

A procreative purpose

Answer 4

the sexual relationship between the couple should lead to children being born as indicated in Genesis 1:28: God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Question 5

Why are artificial methods of contraception and homosexuality not acceptable in the eyes of the Catholic Church?

Answer 5

Some Christians insist that both purposes (of a sexual relationship) must be fulfilled when a couple have sex

Question 6

Why are certain denominations of Christianity more liberal when it comes to issues such as contraception and homosexuality?

Answer 6

Certain denominations of Christianity accept that the unitive purpose of sex can be more important - a couple can have sex without always having the possibility of children

Question 7

Celibacy

Answer 7

the state of abstaining from sexual relations

Question 8

Why would someone remain celibate?

Answer 8

• can be for religious or non-religious reasons
• people stay celibate for life
• stay celibate until marriage.

Question 9

Who believed that the best way to serve Christ through living a celibate life?

Answer 9

Saint Paul was a firm believer that the best way to serve Christ through living a celibate life.
In Corinthians 7:8 he states “To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to remain unmarried as I am.”

Question 10

religious reasons for remaining celibate

Answer 10

so that they can devote themselves to God and to the service of others.

Question 11

Reasons for non-religious celibacy

Answer 11

• They may be unmarried and believe that it is wrong to have sex outside marriage

• They may not have met the right person yet

• They believe that staying celibate until marriage is the best way to avoid unwanted pregnancy outside marriage

• They believe that avoiding sex before marriage and being faithful to one partner reduces the risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection

• They may want to dedicate their lives to God or some other worthy cause e.g. charity work.

Question 12

Christian denominations beliefs on celibacy differences

Answer 12

• Catholic tradition - priests take a vow of celibacy when they are ordained
• Protestant tradition - ministers from Protestant traditions are allowed to marry

Question 13

Heterosexual relationship

Answer 13

a sexual relationship between a man and woman

Question 14

Homosexual relationship

Answer 14

a sexual relationship between same sex couples

Question 15

Wedding

Answer 15

A ceremony carried out in a church or registry office by which two people become married

Question 16

Registrar

Answer 16

A person who makes an official record of births, marriages and deaths

Question 17

Vows

Answer 17

Promises, usually relating to baptism or marriage

Question 18

Christian purpose of marriage

Answer 18

• the life-long union of one man to one woman
• the proper place to bring up children.

Question 19

Fidelity

Answer 19

Being faithful to one sexual partner

Question 20

Divorce

Answer 20

The legal ending of
a marriage.

Question 21

Annulment

Answer 21

To declare that a marriage is invalid.

Question 22

Grounds for annulment

Answer 22

• One or both of the couple were forced into marriage against their will.

• The marriage has not been consummated (if sexual intercourse has not taken place)

• one or both of couple had no intention of having children

• it is discovered later one/both of couple are married to somebody else

• one of them has not been baptised as a Roman Catholic