Religion and Family Cohesion

Question 1

What is community cohesion?

Answer 1

A common vision and shared sense of belonging for all groups of society.

Question 2

What is discrimination?

Answer 2

Treating people less favourably on the basis of ethnicity / gender / age / race / sexuality / class.

Question 3

What is ethnic minority?

Answer 3

A member of an ethnic group (race) which is much smaller than the majority group.

Question 4

What are interfaith marriages?

Answer 4

Marriages where the husband and wife are from different religions.

Question 5

What is a multi-ethnic society?

Answer 5

A society in which there are many different races and cultures living together.

Question 6

What is a multi-faith society?

Answer 6

A society in which there are many different religions living together.

Question 7

What is prejudice?

Answer 7

Believing that some people are inferior/superior on the basis of ethnicity / gender / age / race / sexuality / class.

Question 8

What is racial harmony?

Answer 8

Different races living together peacefully.

Question 9

What is racism?

Answer 9

The belief that some races are superior to others.

Question 10

What is religious freedom?

Answer 10

The right to practise your religion or change your religion.

Question 11

What is religious pluralism?

Answer 11

Accepting all religions as having an equal right to coexist.

Question 12

What is sexism?

Answer 12

Discriminating against people because of their gender (being male or female)

Question 13

How and why have the attitudes to the roles of men and women changed in the UK?

Answer 13

Many more women work now instead of automatically become a stay at home parent and so it is much more socially acceptable for women to have job, especially after women had to work during the world wars.

• The Representation of the People Act (1918) enabled women over 31 to vote. • The Electoral Reform Act (1928) gave women over 21 the right to vote and stand as MPs.
• The contraceptive pill was introduced in the 1960s, which gave women a choice as to whether to have a family or not and so more were able to work.
• The Equal Pay Act (1970) gave women the right to the same pay and benefits of a man in the same job.
• The Sex Discrimination Act (1975) made discrimination in jobs on the basis of gender or marital status illegal and the Equal Opportunities Commission was set up.
• The Employment Protection Act (1975) entitled pregnant workers to maternity leave and made it illegal to dismiss a woman because she was pregnant.

Question 14

What do Evangelical Christians believe about women and gender equality?

Answer 14

• Men should be the head of the family and that women should not be able to speak in church or become ministers/priests.
• St. Paul said “Women should remain silent in the Churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says” and “the head of the woman is the man”.
• Evangelicals believe that the Bible is the unalterable word of God.

Question 15

What do Liberal Christians (Methodists, Church of England) believe about women and gender equality?

Answer 15

• Men and women should have equal roles in life including religion and therefore women should be able to be priests.
• St. Paul said “There is neither…male nor female for you are all one person in Christ.”
• Jesus treated women as equals and had women followers like Martha and Mary and they were the only people to stay with him during his crucifixion.
• The first person to see Jesus when he rose from the dead was Mary Magdalene.
• They believe that Jesus only had male disciples because of the culture of the time and not for theological reasons.
• General Synod in 1992 voted to ordain women as priests.

Question 16

What do Roman Catholics believe about women and gender equality?

Answer 16

• Men and women should have equal roles (but not necessarily the same) because they are equal in the eyes of God but women cannot become priests.
• Jesus only chose men to be his disciples and apostles for his word to be spread and this is what priests also do.
• The priest represents Jesus in the Mass (Holy Communion) and Jesus was a man.
• Virgin Mary has a very high status in the Church and therefore women cannot be inferior.
• “Each of the two sexes is an image of the power and tenderness of God, with equal dignity though in different ways.” (Pope John Paul II).

Question 17

What do Quakers believe about women and gender equality?

Answer 17

• Sex does not change anything that anyone does.
• No ordained clergy in the Quaker church so women and men can help others to know the will of God equally.
• Woman can give guidance and spirited leadership on an equal footing with men.

Question 18

What has the UK government done to promote community cohesion?

Answer 18

• Race Relations Act (1976) made it illegal to:
  
  • Discriminate against someone because of their race in the areas of jobs/training/housing/education/provision of services.
  • Use threatening/abusive language which could stir up racial hatred.
  • Publish something likely to create racial hatred.
• Commision for Racial Equality was set up to help monitor the laws passed in the Race Relations Act - now has been cut and does not exist.
• Race Relations Amendment Act (2001) meant that:
  
  • 1976 was extended to cover work of police and other public authorities.
  • Public bodies not had a duty to promoye equality.
  • Racially aggravated violence was now a crime.
  • Police officers were made accoutable for their treament of people.
• Equality and Human Rights Commission:
  
  • Catholics can rule as monarchy.
  • Monarchy succession goes to the eldest child regardless of gender.
  • Worked to improve rights of various minority groups who might be victims of discrimination.

Question 19

What are the advantages of a multi-ethnic society?

Answer 19

• Enriches the culture of a country by bringing in different types of things, such as diffent food, music, buildings.
  
  • Neasden Temple in London.
• World is more peaceful because people learn to live alongside one another.
• ​Educates people more widely on the world because people can understand how others live in countries that are less multi-ethnic.
  
  • Iranian family shows what life is like in iran without having to go to Iran.
• Brings new people with new and fresh ideas.

Question 20

What has a Christian Church done in the UK to help asylum seekers/immigrants?

Answer 20

St. Thomas Church in Sheffield works with a charity called Assist Sheffield. They also have a project called ‘Open Hands’ which tries to provide accomodation and give small weekly grants.

Assist Sheffield helps by:

• Finding people night shelter to prevent them sleeping rough.
• Finding people temporary accomodation with host families or houses to rent.
• Giving small weekly grants to help with food and living expenses.
• Showing people other routes to assistance.
• Giving people travel passes who might find it hard to walk.
• Raising awareness about the problem of desistitute asylum seekers through events and talks.

Question 21

Why should Christians work to promote racial harmony? (5)

Answer 21

• The Bible condemns racism:
  
  • “God does not show favouritism, but accepts men from every nation.” (Acts 10)
  • “There is neither Jew nor Greek - you are all one in Christ.” (Galatians 3)
• Jesus taught that races should all be treated equally and with respect:
  
  • Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) showed that even those hated in society by the Jews (The Samaritans) were good people.
• Jesus acted in a way which showed he would interact with everyone and was not discriminating and acted always with love:
  
  • Jesus healed a Roman Centurion’s servant.
• All men are made in the image of God and so everyone is equal. Catechism condemns discrimination:
  
  • “Every form of social and cultural discrimination must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design.”
• Christians should follow the teachings of modern Church leaders, because they are role models for Christians’ behaviour:
  
  • Martin Luther King” was a Baptist minister and lead the civil rights movement in America and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
  • Archbishop Desmond Tutu said that when you “speak of God, you must speak of your neighbour”, because God “does not tolerate a relationship himself that excludes your neighbour.”

Question 22

What are the different attitudes to other religions among Christians? (just bullet points)

Answer 22

• Exclusivism.
• Inclusivism.
• Pluralism.

Question 23

Who might exclusivists be, what do they believe and why?

Answer 23

• Evangelicals are exclusivists, which means that only true Christians (with a personal relationship with God through Jesus) will be let in to heaven.
• They believe this because they believe that the Bible is the literal word of God:
  
  • “therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew)
• They also belief this because they think that the only way to God and heaven is through Jesus:
  
  • Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” (John)

Question 24

Who might inclusivists be, what do they believe and why?

Answer 24

• Roman Catholics are inclusivists, which means that they believe all religions can help people to reach God, but Christianity is the only religion with the full truth.
• They believe this because they believe Jesus is the son of God and this is what only Christianity teaches:
  
  • “The Catholic Church recognises in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near.” (Catechism)
  • “The difference between Christianity and other religions is not basically the difference between truth and error, but between total and partial understanding.” (Bishop Neil - RCC Bishop)

Question 25

Who might pluralists be, what do they believe and why?

Answer 25

• Quakers are pluralists, and they believe that all religions, although different, are not wrong, will all lead to God and are equal.
• They believe this becausr Jesus didn’t try and convert the Jews:
  
  • “In my father’s house there are many rooms, and I am going to prepare a place for you.” (John)

Question 26

What are the benefits of living in a multi-faith society?

Answer 26

• Widens the knowledge of the world because people see how others live in different societies.
• Gives people new ideas on what to do in their lives, for example some liberal Christians use Buddhist meditation as part of their worship
• Enriches the culture of a country with the introduction of many different things from other religions like food and buildings - Neasden Hindu Temple in North London.
• Increases the tolerance and understanding of other ways of life and therefore minimises conflict.
• Gives people a choice in what they want to do properly, as people have easy access to groups of all different faiths and it is easy to see what life would be like and speak to those people.
• Unites communities through different religious events and helps people to make friends for example street parties for Divali.

Question 27

What are some of the issues raised for religion with a multi-faith society?

Answer 27

• Conversion is an issue - problems might arise when people are teaching religion and want to convert others.
  
  • implies that someone’s religion is better than another’s
  • provoke religious intolerance
  • successful conversion can cause family divides
• Interfaith marriages are likely to happen in a multi-faith society, but they might cause problems on subjects such as:
  
  • the marriage ceremony’s location
  • the religion of the children
• Bringing up children is another issue, because children are likely to interact with those of other religions

Question 28

How do religions work to promote community cohesion in the UK?

Answer 28

• Develop interfaith marriage services:
  
  • Protestant Churches and Liberal Jewish Synagogues have specil services for mixed couples.
• Inter Faith Network was founded “to promote good relations between people of different faiths in this country” (website) and has many members of different religions working together - Church of England.
• Individual church leaders are welcoming to other faiths and can preach cohesion and spread the message, for example Reverend Isaac Poobalan opened his Anglican Church in Scotland to let Muslims do their worship due to their mosque’s overcrowding.

Question 29

How is an issue about religion and community cohesion presented in one form of the media?

Answer 29

Vicar of Dibley:

• Presented reasons against women working (and being vicars) in the Church:
  
  • all the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were male;
  • all of Jesus’ disciples were men.
• Presented the Vicar of Dibley (played by Dawn French) as a very kind and capable woman. This showed that there should be no issue surrounding women working in the Church.
• Presented how some people may conflict in their views by showing two approaches to the issues surrounding change:
  
  • good example of change is traffic lights changing;
  • bad example of change would be gravity changing.

Question 30

What does every authority in the UK have to help with RS in schools?

Answer 30

SACRE (Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education) which meets to agree on what should be taught in RS in the local schools.

Question 31

What are the problems caused by living in a multi-ethnic society?

Answer 31

• It enables racism - e.g. Stephen Lawrence was murdered due to his race.
• People often don’t understand different races and so are afraid of them - intolerance.
• People may feel alienated from specific racial groups.

Question 32

What are the problems caused by a multifaith society?

Answer 32

• Conversion - some Christians (e.g. Evangelicals) will want to convert people to their religion which can cause tension.
• Interfaith marriages - there are problems about how marriages should work (i.e. where the ceremony should take place).
• Bringing up children - if two people of different religions have children, there can be issues about which religion the child should be.
• Feeling like being the minority - Britian is predominantly Christian so other faiths may not feel properly represented or acknowledged.

Question 33

What are some examples of problems with Britain being a multi-ethnic society?

Answer 33

• Crime - many people believe that young black men turn to crime because racism prevents them from becoming employed. For people without jobs - crime is the only way to make money.
• Extremist groups - with a multi-ethnic society come more race fuelled hatred.
  
  • BNP (British National Party) was formed and encourages the separation of ethnic groups and society - stirring up hatred.
• Different groups/races have their own ideas and this can cause conflict when two aren’t the same.
  
  • 2001 riots in Oldham were caused directly by racial tension between white and Asian communities.
• Some groups become exclusive and when treated unfairly, they may feel like they must revolt:
  
  • Bombings in July 2005 were done by British citizens who had lost their sense of allegiance to Britain and were prepared to kill because they felt society worked against them.