Section 2.3 Marriage and Family life

Question 1

‘Marriage is the best way to begin family life’

FOR (3)

Answer 1

P Marriage forms a stable background to have children
E C of E marriage service: ‘foundation of family life in which children are (born and) nurtured’
E marriage is commitment to your partner, could also be a commitment to child

P Marriage is a public statement that a family has been formed
E There is a congregation where family and friends of the couple gather
E Proof that your identity has changed, you are starting a family of your own

P Some Christians view marriage as partnership with God and so the only context in which to raise a family
E C of E marriage service: ‘those whom God has joined together’
E: marriage is a sacrament, a commitment between 2 people as well as God

Question 2

‘Marriage is the best way to begin family life’

AGAINST(3)

Answer 2

P Families only need love not marriage to be happy
E Most important thing in a family is for people to care for each other, not marriage

P Marriage is a legal ceremony and provides no guarantees of supportive parenting
E 1 in 3 marriages end in divorce
E Married couples can get a divorce and those who are married may not know how to look after a child

P There are lots of different types of families which offer excellent childcare
E Committed couples may decide not to get married
E Some people are raised by extended family, who are not their biological parents

Question 3

What do Christians believe about the purpose of marriage?

4

Answer 3

P Marriage is a public commitment to the permanence of a relationship
E C of E marriage service: ‘in the presence of God and his people’ and ‘til death do us apart’

P Marriage is a sacrament that brings the couple closer to God
E ‘Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder’
E sacrament is a holy law which cannot be broken

P Marriage is a secure and stable environment in which to engage in a loving, sexual relationship
E ‘delight and tenderness of sexual union and joyful commitment to the end of their lives’

P Marriage provides an opportunity for children to be brought up within a faithful environment
E ‘Foundation of family life in which children are (born and ) nurtured’

Question 4

Explain why some Christians do not allow divorce

4

Answer 4

P Christians make a promise when they are married in church
E C of E marriage service : ‘to have and to hold from this day forward… till death do us apart’
E shouldn’t break that promise

P Jesus was against divorce
E Mark : ‘A man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his wife’
E Jesus is the son of God

P St Pauls was against divorce
E New Testament: ‘A wife must not leave her husband and a husband must not divorce his wife’

P Christians believe that marriage is a sacrament
E: C of E marriage service : ‘those that God joined together, let no one put asunder’
E sacrament is a holy law which cannot be broken

Question 5

Attitudes to divorce haven’t really changed

FOR(3)

Answer 5

P Catholics still don’t allow divorce
E marriage is a sacrament between couple and God
E Cannot be broken

P Quakers have always accepted divorce
E kindest thing to do if marriage has broken down irreversibly

P Evangelical Christian’s views havent changed
E believes in the literal word of the Bible, e.g ‘thou shall not commit adultery’
E words of the bible havent changed, view also don’t change

Question 6

Attitudes to divorce haven’t really changed

AGAINST (3)

Answer 6

P Baptists have moved towards accepting divorce
E Recognise that when a marriage has broken down it may do more harm than good to stay together

P rate of divorce gone up significantly
E In the 1900s it was 0.6 but now in 2011 the figure was 3.6

P Divorce process is now much easier
E If all parties consent the process takes only a year
E legal process changed to make process more accessible

Question 7

C. Explain why most Christian are against sex outside marriage. (4)

Answer 7

P: Sex outside marriage is a sin
E: Catechism of RCC - “Outside marriage it [sex] always constitutes a grave sin”

P: Bible forbids adultery
E: Decalogue - “Thou shalt not commit adultery”
E: Evangelical Protestants believe that this includes both premarital and extramarital sex

P: Contraceptives are generally used in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies
E: Goes against RCC teaching - main purpose of sex is to have children

P: Extramarital sex is a breach of your partner’s trust
E: Many denominations teach that marriage is a sacrament, and that it is a sin to break it

Question 8

D. “The purpose of marriage is to have children.”

AGAINST (3)

Answer 8

P: Raising children is very expensive
E: Average cost of raising a child to 21 in the UK is £230,000
E: Poorer couples may not be able to afford this

P: Many people are infertile and cannot have biological children
E: Therefore if they got married, it would be for other reasons

P: Different kinds of families
E: Since same-sex couples can get married, it shows that marriage is not necessarily about having children

Question 9

D. “The purpose of marriage is to have children.”

FOR (3)

Answer 9

…

Question 10

D. “Condoms are the best form of contraception.”

AGAINST (3)

Answer 10

P: Not a natural form of contraception
E: Some denominations like the RCC denounce such forms of contraception, instead preferring natural methods like the rhythm method
E: “Be fruitful and multiply”

P: Some people cannot use them
E: Some people are allergic to the spermicides, plastic or latex often found in condoms

P: Some people do not like using them
E: Spending time putting it on means that they might feel that the enjoyment of sex is lessened

Question 11

D. “Condoms are the best form of contraception.”

FOR (3)

Answer 11

P: They are cheap and affordable
E: You can get them for free from sexual health clinics
E: This means that they can be accessed widely

P: They provide some protection against disease
E: STDs such as HIV, gonorrhoea and chlamydia
E: This means that they help to prevent common diseases

P: They generally have no side effects from use
E: This means that it doesn’t affect people in the ways that options that things like the pill and surgery might do

Question 12

Christian attitudes toward contraception

4

Answer 12

P RCC are against artificial methods of contraception
E prevents humans from fulfilling God’s command of ‘be fruitful and multiply’
E every sexual act should be open to the possibility of contraception

P C of E accepts contraception as a way of couples enjoying sex without fear of unwanted pregnancy
E Lambeth conference of 1930 approved contraception: ‘This conference agrees that other methods may be used, provided that it’s done in light of Christian principles’
E They don’t see it as going against God’s plan therefor not sinful

P Quakers do not have a collective view
E many Quakers use artificial methods of contraception
E Do not see it as going against God’s plan

P Orthodox Church thinks the only purpose of a sexual relationship is to have children
E Genesis: ‘He created them male and female, blessed them, and said, ‘Have many children’
E pleasurable side of sex not considered desirable therefore contraception seen as unnecessary and some say wrong

Question 13

Explain different Christian views on homosexuality

4

Answer 13

P RCC believe that homosexual thoughts are not a sin but actions are
E believes that sex is for procreation only, and homosexual sex cannot produce children, therefore it’s sinful
E Catechism: homosexuals ‘must be accepted with respect … every sign of discrimination should be avoided’

P Evangelical Christians are strongly against homosexuality
E Leviticus, ‘No man is to have sexual relations with another man, God hates that’
E they believe that the Bible is the literal word of God

P Quakers welcome homosexuals to the church
E the Bible need to be interpreted to suit today’s society and Jesus taught that love mattered the most
E Religion is a spiritual not sexual issue

P C of E is sympathetic but divided
E God created us in his image, homosexual relationships are judged on strength of love
E accepts that 2 people might enter into a homosexual relationship with hope of enjoying companionship similar to that of marriage

Question 14

Explain WHY Christians have different views on homosexuality (4)

Answer 14

P They have different orthodoxy
E Evangelical Christians believe in the literal word of the Bible, Leviticus states that: ‘No man is to have sexual relations with another man, God hates that’
E Some denominations have changed their views, for example C of E General Synod agreed that ‘homosexual orientation in itself is no bar to a faithful Christian life’

P Different sources of moral guidance
E Quakers believe in agape and using their conscience to decide on moral issues over using the Bible

P Different views on the purpose of sex
E RCC believe that purpose of sex is procreation which means homosexuality is a sin
E Catechism: sex has a ‘procreative’ significance

P Some Christians believe that homosexuality is unnatural
E Catechism: ‘tradition has always declared that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered’

Question 15

Explain how the marriage service shows the purpose of marriage (4)

Answer 15

P to have a family
E C of E service: ‘ the foundation of family life and in which children are (born and) nurtured’

P marriage is a sacrament
E C of E marriage service : ‘what God has joined together, let no man put asunder’
E holy vow that cannot be broken

P permanence of the relationship
E ‘til death do us apart’

lol just look at what Christians believe is the purpose of marriage

Question 16

How do Christian churches help to keep the family together?

Answer 16

1. P: Church offers family services on holidays
   E: Christmas and Easter
   E: Brings family closer together and creates happy memories
2. P: Priests/vicars/ministers act as family and marriage counsellors
   E: Conflict on issues such as divorce or homosexuality
   E: Helps the family in a useful way
3. P: Church teachings about the importance of family
   E: St Pauls said ‘parents do not exasperate your children, children obey your parents’
   E: Encourages good relationships between parents and child
4. P: Church charities
   E: Marriage Care helps with marriages
   E: Prevents couple feeling like they have to get a divorce

Question 17

How do Christian churches help with the upbringing of children?

Answer 17

1. P: Churches conducts important Christian ceremonies
   E: Infant baptism - parents dedicate child to God
   E: Important step into raising a Christian child
2. P: Offers social environment away from stress
   E: youth groups for kids and coffee mornings for parents
   E: People can share their experiences and relax
3. P: Church offers family services on holidays
   E: Christmas and Easter
   E: Brings family closer together
4. P: Priests/vicars act as family and marriage counsellors
   E: Conflict on issues such as divorce or homosexuality
   E: Helps the family in a useful Christian way

Question 18

Why might people want to prevent a pregnancy/use contraception?

Answer 18

1. P: Too young
   E: It is unhealthy for teenagers to get pregnant and it can be distressing at such a busy time in their lives
   E: Pregnancy would not be good for them mentally or physically
2. P: Could harm the health of the mother
   E: If the mother has had a lot of children in the past, it can lead to complications
   E: Mother wants to prevent risk of serious illness or death
3. P: The couple might not be in a good position to raise children
   E: Big financial strain - estimated £266,227 cost to raise a child
   E: Would not be able to adequately care for a child
4. P: One/both of the people in the couple has a genetic disorder they do not want to pass on to the child
   E: Cystic Fibrosis
   E: As they believe the child’s quality of life may be bad, they do not want to have it

Question 19

What do Christians believe about family life?

Answer 19

1. P: Children should be raised by a mother and father
   E: “Family is the cell of social life” - Catechism
   E: Vital that it is a nuclear family for all to benefit
2. P: Children should respect their parents
   E: “Honour thy father and mother” - Exodus
   E: God commands it in Bible, children should obey
3. P: It is one of the main purposes of marriage
   E: Marriage service states “marriage is the foundation of family life”
   E: Therefore very important that Christians carry it out
4. P: Christians are expected to raise their children in a good Christian environment
   E: Send them to Sunday School and take them to church
   E: Important for children to become Christians

Question 20

FOR: Christianity on sex before marriage

Answer 20

1. P: Jesus’ Teachings
   E: “Love one another as I have loved you”
   E: Jesus encouraged loving relationships and therefore it’s good
2. P: Cohabitation is a ‘trial marriage’
   E: Church of England supports this, although marriage is ideal
   E: Church is important so it is okay
3. P: It is better than divorce
   E: “Divorce is a grave offence against the natural law” - Catechism
   E: As cohabitation means it is less likely for a couple to get married and then divorced, it should be allowed
4. P: Love is important
   E: Different types of love emphasised in important religious teachings such as Bible and Church
   E: As love is so important, it is better that the couple lives together first rather than marries and then ends up hating each other

Question 21

AGAINST: Christianity on sex outside marriage

Answer 21

1. P: Adultery breaks the marriage vow of faithfulness
   E: During marriage ceremony, couple exchanges rings, a sign of unending commitment
   E: As the marriage ceremony takes place in the presence of God, the adulterer has broken a promise with God
2. P: Having loving sexual relationships unites a married couple
   E: Ceremony confirms this when the couple pledges “with my body I honour you
   E: It is something special which a couple should wait for until marriage
3. P: Sex was given by God for procreation within marriage
   E: Tells us this in ‘Creation of Humanity’ story in Genesis
   E: Therefore couples should not have sex outside of marriage as that is not what God intended
4. P: Jesus’ Teachings
   E: He said adultery and promiscuity are wrong in ‘Woman at the Well’
   E: Jesus is the messiah and if he instructs Christians not to do something, they should not do it

Question 22

FOR: Christianity on Divorce

Answer 22

1. P: Jesus’ Teachings
   E: “Love one another as I have loved you”
   E: The marriage may not be a loving thing and as love is so important, it is best to end it
2. P: God is always ready to forgive sins
   E: “your heavenly Father will also forgive you”
   E: You can still seek redemption even if you have sinned
3. P: Church of England allows re-marriage if vicar agrees
   E: “But [the Church of England does] recognise that some marriages do fail for all sorts of sad and painful reasons”
   E: If the Church accepts it, then it is okay
4. P: Quakers accept divorce
   E: “Good grounds for divorce do exist”
   E: If Quakers accept it, it is okay