RS-topic 3- marriage and the family Flashcards
How have attitudes changed towards marriage and family life?
Sex before marriage
Cohabit (live together before marriage)
Average age for marriage increased
Minority of marriages take place in church
Divorce is accepted
Extended family (grandparents look after kids)
Single parent families
Re constituted families (divorced and remarried)
Civil Partnership Act (2004)
Reasons for attitudes changing towards cohabitation and marriage
Availability of contraception- safer sex
Christianity lost its influence- fewer people refrain from sex until marriage
Media- celebrities made cohabiting popular.
Sexual relations occurring in films/tv programmes means it is more acceptable.
Reasons for attitudes towards divorce changing
Now much cheaper and easier to obtain
Increased equality for women– treated equally
In past, women financially dependent on husbands
Demographic changes
Reasons for attitudes towards Family life changing
Increased cohabitation- parents ‘not married’
Increase in divorce led to increase in remarriage
Extended family= more popular
Acceptance of unmarried mothers led to increase of single parent families
Reasons for attitudes towards Homosexuality changing
New laws have made it easier to be homosexual
Medical research– homosexuality= genetic– society ‘normal’
Increased openness of gay celebs
The work of organisations like Stonewall changed many attitudes
Christian attitudes to sex outside marriage
Should only take place between man and women who are married
Sex was given by God to procreate and children should be brought up in Christian family
The bible says fornication (pre marital sex and promiscuity)
The Catechism of the Catholic church says pre marital sex is wrong
All Christians are against adultery because it breaks faithful wedding vows and is a 10 commandment
Jesus condemned adultery.
Christian attitudes to divorce (Catholics) and reasons
Catholic church against divorce and remarriage. It is a sacrament and only way of divorce is from the death of one of the partners.
Jesus taught that divorce is wrong in Mark’s Gospel
The couple made a covenant with God and cannot be broken
The Catechism says that divorce is wrong
However if it can be proved it was an annulment, divorce is okay.
Christian attitudes to divorce (non Catholic) and reasons
Divorce is wrong unless marriage has broken down and remarriage is ok if talked to the priest or minister
Jesus allowed divorce in Matthew 19:9 for a partners adultery.
Certain situations– lesser of 2 evils
Believe in forgiveness and a second chance
Better to divorce than live in hatred and argue.
Cohabitation
Living together without being married
Nuclear family
Mother, father and children living as a unit (Simpsons!)
Re-constituted family
2 sets of children’s (step bros/sis) become one family because their divorced parents marry each other (Crosby’s)
Promiscuity
Having sex with a number of partners without commitment
