Philosophy and Ethics: Relationships and Families Flashcards
1
Q
Explain the importance and purpose of marriage for Catholics
A
- created by God as a way of establishing and preserving society
- one of the seven sacraments, so brings God’s grace, strength and salvation
- the proper place to have sex and have a family
- to raise a Catholic family
- to have lifelong companionship and love
2
Q
Why does the Catholic Church teach that marriage can only be between a man and a woman ? (w/Bible quote)
A
- this was how marriage was established by God when he created humans
- “at the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
3
Q
Give the key Catholic teachings about marriage
A
- marriage is between man and woman
- marriage is a sacrament between the couple and God, hence is unbreakable
- divorce is not allowed in the Catholic Church for this reason
- it is not a requirement for every Catholic to marry, but it is encouraged
- marriage is the only place where having sex is okay, as God intended sex to be enjoyed by married couples
4
Q
Give two quotes detailing the inseparable bond that marriage creates between a couple and God (and why divorce is forbidden)
A
- “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery”
- “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
5
Q
Describe Atheist and Humanist attitudes to marriage
A
- decisions about sex and marriage are personal and individuals are free to live how they’d like
- cohabitation and pre-marital sex is not frowned upon
- marriage is viewed as a contract rather than a sacrament, so there is no problem with divorce
- Humanists would have reservations about people having multiple sexual partners, but atheists may accept this (unless it is cheating)
- despite viewing it non-religiously, marriage is still important to these non-religious groups, and the rate of marriage is increasing amongst them
- much pressure from the gay community and their allies for gay marriage to be legalised, and this was done in the Marriage Act of 2013
[] demonstrates that marriage is important enough that people will fight for it
6
Q
Why is marriage important from a non-religious perspective ?
A
- provides certain legal and financial protections in the event that one spouse dies
- provides more social acceptance of the relationship
- more stable home to establish a family
- it is a public declaration of the couple’s love for one another
7
Q
Describe the Catholic response to non-religious views on marriage
A
- disagree with the non-religious acceptance of cohabitation and pre-marital sex
[] reaffirm that sex should be refrained from until having a Christian marriage - reaffirms its belief that gay marriage should not be legal and is not of the same calibre as heterosexual marriage
8
Q
Give the quote from Pope Francis stating that gay marriage is not of the same calibre as straight Christian marriage
A
“There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar… to God’s plan for marriage and family.”
9
Q
Give the quote from “Not Just Good, But Beautiful” by Pope Francis disagreeing with a family headed by a married gay couple
A
“children have the right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother”
10
Q
Give the quote from the CCC supporting the idea that sex should only be for married couples
A
“The sexual act must always take place exclusively within marriage.”
11
Q
What are the four different types of sexual relationships ?
A
- pre-marital sex
- adultery/extramarital sex
- cohabitation (two people living together and having sex but are not married)
- marital sex
12
Q
Why does the Catholic Church teach that sex is important ?
A
- it is a gift from God for married couples to enjoy
- (marital sex) is both unitive and procreative, so fulfils God’s commandment to “be fruitful” and thus bring up Christian children, as well as bringing the couple closer together emotionally
13
Q
Give the CCC quote supporting the idea that marital sex is not purely biological but also emotional and spiritual in nature
A
the sacrament and commitment of marriage make marital sex “TRULY HUMAN”
14
Q
Explain the key teachings of the Catholic Church on sexual relationships outside of marriage
A
- ANY FORM OF SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE IS WRONG
- fornication is sinful (said by Bible)
- CCC teaches that premarital sex is wrong because God intended sex for married couples exclusively
- adultery is wrong as it breaks the confines of marriage and disobeys one of the Ten Commandments (“thou shalt not commit adultery”)
15
Q
Quote the sixth commandment (on the issue of adultery)
A
“thou shalt not commit adultery”
16
Q
DESCRIBE the Catholic attitude towards homosexuality
A
- BEING homosexual is not inherently sinful
- ACTING on homosexuality is sinful
17
Q
EXPLAIN the Catholic attitude towards homosexuality
A
- being gay isn’t a sin because all people were made in God’s image and deserve the right to human dignity according to CST
- acting on homosexuality is sinful, as the Bible condemns homosexual sexual relations
[] gay people cannot control being gay, but can control their sexual activity - the Catholic Church calls gay Catholics to remain celibate
- MARRIAGE IS BELIEVED TO BE FOR MEN AND WOMEN ONLY
- marriage must be unitive and procreative, so a couple of the same-sex will not be able to “naturally” procreate and thus do not have grounds for marriage
18
Q
Give the Bible quote condemning gay sex
A
“If a male lies with another as with a woman, they both shall have committed an abomination”
19
Q
Give the quote from a Catholic book condemning discrimination of gay PEOPLE
A
“Every person, independent of their sexual tendencies, is respected in their dignity”
20
Q
Give the Atheist and Humanist attitudes to sexual relationships
A
- premarital sex is completely fine
- any sex should be consensual; rape is always wrong
- any sex should be between people “of age”; paedophilia is wrong
- promiscuity is frowned upon by some people
- cheating is always wrong
- any sex should be “safe” with the use of contraceptives unless trying for a child
- homosexual relationships are completely okay for most people; many people’s arguments against homosexuality are religious, so for MOST OF the non-religious, these arguments are irrelevant
21
Q
Explain why there has been a rise in acceptance of gay people amongst the non-religious
A
- organisations such as Stonewall have dedicated themselves to raising awareness and combatting discrimination against people due to their sexual orientation
- some celebrities and people with authority have come out as gay, raising acceptance
- medical research has shown that there is a strong link between being gay and genetics
22
Q
Describe the Catholic response to Atheist and Humanist attitudes towards sexual relationships
A
- reaffirms that ACTING ON homosexuality is wrong
- reaffirms its own views in line with the Bible and Catholic teaching
23
Q
What is the purpose of family for Catholics ?
A
- family created by God as the basic unit of society and as the only place for children to be brought up
[] SO, family is most important societal unit - children must be brought up Catholic in a Catholic marriage, so purpose is to continue the faith
- family is there to provide children with their basic physical and material needs as they grow
- Catholic family has the duty to instill good moral values in children so that they grow to be conscientious adults
- Catholic children have a moral duty to take care of their parents when they are too old or infirm to take care of themselves
24
Q
Give the Bible quote from the decalogue meaning that Catholic children have the obligation to care for their parents when they become too old/infirm to care for themselves
A
“honour your father and your mother”
25
Why is family life IMPORTANT for Catholics ?
- family members can support each other emotionally and spiritually
[] reinforce faith by speaking about any doubts and having conversation
- allows the married couple heading the family to bring up children in the way that God intended
- family is God's basic unit on which society is founded
- Catholic teachings on divorce make it clear that the family should be inseparable, as the mother and father of a Catholic family must remain together
- the family is the place where children learn right and wrong
- the family is where children are first introduced to faith through baptism and later going to church
[] is imperative for instilling faith in God in children and allowing them to grow to be good Catholic adults
26
Why isn't marriage/starting a family imperative for Christians ?
Jesus taught that there are more important things in life than getting married and having a family
- if one felt they could serve God better by living a celibate life, such as nuns and monks do, then they should do this instead
27
What are the 5 main types of family ?
- nuclear
- blended
- multi-generational/extended
- same-sex parented
- single parented
28
What is a nuclear family ?
heterosexual MARRIED parents living together with their children
29
(percentage-wise) how many nuclear families are still in existence in the UK ?
60%
30
What percentage of the world's families are single-parent families, and why is this ?
- 25%
- rising number of divorce amongst married couples means that the rates of single parents with dependent children have also risen
31
When did same-sex couples gain the right to marry in the same way as heterosexual couples (but didn't require religions to provide same-sex marriage ceremonies) ?
2013 Marriage Act
32
When did same-sex couples gain protections against discrimination in terms of adoption and accessing the same rights as heterosexual married couples ?
2010 Equality Act
33
Why has there been a recent increase in the percentage of multigenerational/extended families ?
- squeeze on income and jobs in recent years made many financially vulnerable and in need of extra support, so rely on family
- increased cost of housing and childcare
34
Why has there been an increase in the amount of blended families ?
rising divorce rates also means that remarriage rates have risen too
35
Describe the Catholic response to nuclear and extended families
Catholic Church gives its blessing, as these families can easily live without breaking Catholic law or living in sin
36
Describe the Catholic response to single-parent families
- these families should be given extra care and attention by the Church
- may have come about in wrong ways (eg. cohabitation gone wrong or divorce), but the family themselves are not actively living in sin, so should be treated with kindness and support
37
Describe the Catholic attitude towards same-sex parented families
- Catholic Church teaches that same-sex married couples are inferior to heterosexual married couples
- thus, the families of same-sex couples are also inferior, as God did not intend the family to be structured in this way
- Catholic Church teaches marriage is only for men + women
- Pope St John Paul II said Catholics in civil marriages cannot receive the sacraments until the civil marriage is validated; gay couples could only have civil marriages so not possible
38
Describe the Catholic Church attitudes towards blended families
- okay ONLY if result of the remarriage of a widow and a widower
- Pope St John Paul II said that divorced spouses who remarry have chosen a way pf life contrary to the Gospel and thus can't be admitted the sacraments
- Catholic Church teaches that divorced spouses with alive divorced partners would be committing adultery if entering into a new relationship
39
Describe the Catholic Church attitudes towards cohabiting couples
- disapproves of cohabitation
- said not "tolerate trial marriages"
- in "Not Just Good, But Beautiful", Pope Francis emphasises the importance of a family grounded in marriage rather than cohabitation
40
Describe the Catholic Church attitude towards families headed by one Catholic and one non-Catholic parent
- Pope St John Paul II advised special care for these families from the Church
- said there should be a joint decision between the couple to raise the children as Catholic
41
Describe non-religious attitudes to the importance and purpose of the family
- at leat 60% of families in the UK have little or no religion
- family still seen as important due to "selfish gene" (evolutionary desire to continue one's own bloodline) and also falling in love
- purpose of the family: support each other monetarily and emotionally, pass on moral values to children, bring up children safely + securely until mature enough to look after themselves
42
What is a diocese?
collection of parishes under the jurisdiction of a bishop
43
How do parishes support families within them ?
- each parish has a parish priest, who advises parents on parenting matters from a religious perspective, the processes of baptism and confirmation, first communions
- most have local church schools, which helps parents instill their children with Catholic values and morals whilst educating them in the secular sense also
- children's liturgies and other family-friendly forms of worship to help families worship more easily even with young children
- provide classes to prepare children and parents for first sacraments like baptism, first confession, first communion, confirmation etc., as well as offering marriage counselling and family-help services from the Church like Catholic Marriage Care and National Catholic Child Welfare Council
44
Give the CCC quote designating the parish as having the responsibility to support the faith of the family
"The parish is the Eucharistic... heart of the liturgical life of Christian families"
45
Why do parishes try to help families ?
- CCC gives responsibility
- purpose of Christian marriage is to bring up Christian children, and this is more easily done with support from the parish
- family created by God as basic unit of society, so social responsibility in supporting family also
- to make sure that the Chrurch continues to grow
46
Why is support from the Church important for Christian families ?
- raising Christian children means taking them to Church, which needs a welcoming church
- clergy + religious schools have the religious knowledge and expertise needed to teach about religion, which parents likely don't have
- taking part in sacraments needs help of Church
- knowing part of Church family is emotional comfort for a family
47
What is the purpose of sex between married Christians ?
- unitive (brings joy + pleasure to couples)
- procreative
48
What does the teach teach regarding family size?
Christians shoukd practice responsible parenthood (deciding number of children to have and when) but should be done through natural family planning
49
Why is contraception banned in the Catholic Church ?
- separate unitive and procreative aspects of sex, which is against God's intention for sex
- some have abortifacient properties, which would be regarded as murder, as most Christians believe that life begins at conception
- Catholic Church regards contraception as big cause of promiscuity, broken families, stds and rise in divorce rates, all against Church teaching
50
Describe how natural family planning works (nfp)
- only have sex at most infertile points of woman's cycle
[] monitor fertility by using menstrual tracker apps, monitoring colour of vaginal discharge, hormone levels in the urine etc.
51
Why do people try to limit family sizes ?
- for health of the mother
- to provide more food and care to the family
- to provide better standard of living
52
What are the non-Catholic Christian attitudes to contraception ?
- the vast majority of denominations support the use of contraception as long as it is only used to limit family sizes and NOT to stop having children altogether
- Baptists have more of the Catholic view against contraception however
53
Why do most non-Catholic Christians support the use of contraception ?
- christianity about love; contraception improves women's health and raises standard of living for families, so aligns with Christian values
- God created sex for enjoyment between married couples, so separation of the procreative and unitive aspects is not against God's will
- nothing against contraception in Bible
- better to combat HIV/AIDS by using condoms
54
Give the CCC teaching on contraception
(contraception is) "intrinsically evil"
55
Give the Baptist teaching on contraception
"Contraception is seen as a gift from medical science under God's sovereignty... However, those contraceptives that have abortifacient properties... are considered to take human life and should be avoided."
56
Give the atheist and humanist attitude to contraception
- in favour, because prevents unwanted children being born, improves material and emotional living standards in families, prevents stds and improves women's health
- should be used in casual sex
57
Give the Catholic response to atheist and humanist attitudes to contraception
- reaffirm teachings of Catechism and Pope Paul VI against contraception
- Pope Francis 2015 reaffirmed Pope Paul VI's teachings against contraception and promoted "responsible parenthood" (nfp)
- Pope Benedict used situation ethics to argue that only in the case of homosexual relations could physical contraception be justified, as might indicate some "moral awakening" (kys Pope Benedict)
58
Why have attitudes towards divorce changed ?
- new laws mean cheaper and easier to divorce
- more women's rights meant less women likely to endure poor treatment from male partners
- women's rights meant more women financially independent and could afford to live alone after a divorce
59
Give the Catholic
