Theme A- Relationships and Families 🏳️‍🌈❤️

Question 1

What is a Christian view to homosexual relationships?

Hint: refer to quakers and methodists

Answer 1

• Quakers and Methodists allow same-sex marriage because ‘it is the nature of and quality of the relationship that matters’- it’s about love, not gender.

Question 2

What is a Buddhist view towards homosexual relationships?

Remember: Buddhist beliefs about homosexuality also apply to Buddhist beliefs about heterosexuality.

Hint: Roshi Robert Aitken, consensual.

Answer 2

• Buddhism doesn’t condemn homosexual acts and relationships as long as it’s loving, consensual and follows the five moral precepts.
• This is because Roshi Robert Aitken taught that ‘sex is just another human drive’ as avoiding it ‘is dishonest and unhealthy’. [because it creates dukkha]

Question 3

Give a second Christian belief supporting homosexuality. Refer to the concept of imago dei.

Answer 3

• Because all humans are created imago dei (in the image of God) some Christians would argue God has created us as unique individuals- including being LGBTQ+, therefore homosexuality and homosexual acts isn’t wrong.

Question 4

Whilst Referring to Jesus’ teaching about love towards others, Explain how situation ethics can be used as an argument to support homosexuality

Hint: judge, Christian principles and harm.

Answer 4

• Joseph Fletcher proposed situation ethics- the most loving thing should done.
• Therefore same-sex relationships can be (morally) acceptable if it’s loving, in line with Christian principles + doesn’t cause harm to a person.
• This is because Jesus taught to ‘love thy neighbour’ in Mark 12, so Christians should always do the most loving thing + love is the most important thing. Because if a relationship is loving, who are we to judge?

Question 5

Whilst referring to procreation, give a reason why some Christians would argue that homosexuality is wrong.

Hint: purpsose of marriage and Genesis 1:28.

Answer 5

• Some Christians would argue that homosexuality is wrong, because the purpose of marriage is to procreate (to create life).
• This is because Genesis 1:28 teaches Christians ‘to be fruitful and multiply’ but homosexuality contradicts procreation because it doesn’t allow for the creation of new life, therefore homosexuality and same-sex marriage is wrong.

Question 6

Whilst referring to Genesis 1:27, explain another reason why some Christians might not support homosexuality

Hint: God’s intention, Eve and Adam.

Answer 6

• God created men + women for one another, not for same-sex because he created Eve as a helper for Adam.
• Furthermore, God’s intention is for male and female to be together because in
  Genesis 1:27 it states ‘male and female he created them’. This is why some Christians might not support homosexuality.

Question 7

Whilst referring to situation ethics, explain why some Christians might see sex before marriage as acceptable

Hint: the morality of an action depends on the situation

Answer 7

Joseph Fletcher proposed situation ethics but also said that ‘the morality of an action depends on the situation’- it’s not necessarily wrong, if it’s loving and not harmful.

Question 8

Explain why a Buddhist might see sex before marriage as acceptable.

Hint: dosen’t cause harm and ______.

Answer 8

• Some Buddhists might see sex before marriage as acceptable, along as it doesn’t cause people harm and dukkha (suffering) through it.

Question 9

Explain why a Christian might think that sex before marriage is wrong.

Hint: deep, commitment of marriage, infections, 1 Corinthians 6:18

Hint: shouldn’t be casual and wrong to use

Answer 9

• Most Christians would argue that sex before marriage is wrong
• This is because sex expresses a deep union that needs the commitment of marriage , and it shouldn’t be casual because it’s wrong to use people for sex as it could potentially cause infections.
• Furthermore, this is reinforced by 1 Corinthians 6:18 which teaches Christians to ‘Flee from sexual morality’.

Question 10

Explain why some Buddhists might see adultery as wrong.

Hint: harm to a relationship, right speech, unskilful.

Answer 10

• it’s unskilful because it breaks the right speech which is part of Buddhist Ethics, [a core part of the Eightfold path] . This is because if someone’s lies about adultery, it creates deceit which can cause harm to a relationship.

Question 11

Explain why a Christian might see adultery as wrong.

Hint: vows made before God, sovereign

Answer 11

• A Christian might argue that adultery is wrong because it breaks the marriage vows that are made before God who is sovereign therefore it is wrong.
• This is reinforced by Exodus 20:14 which teaches Christians that ‘You shall not commit adultery’.

Question 12

What is a Christian attitude towards sexual relationships ?

Hint: marriage

Answer 12

• Christianity teaches that sex should be an expression of love solely in marriage.
• Although some Christians don’t agree with this, most do agree that adultery is wrong.

Question 13

What is a Buddhist attitude towards sexual relationships ?

Answer 13

• Buddhism doesn’t favour one form of sexuality over the over, or teach that sex before marriage is wrong.
• Instead Buddhism teaches the most important thing is to not cause harm to others through sexual activity
• (regardless of whether this is before marriage, in a homosexual or heterosexual relationship).

Question 14

What is a Christian attitude that supports cohabitation?

Hint: trial period

Answer 14

• Liberal Christians such as quakers might support cohabitation as they would argue that ‘it is nature and quality of the relationship that matters’.
• This is because there’s no obligation to be married and it acts as a trial period to see if you want to live with that person forever and ‘become one flesh’.

Question 15

What is a Christian attitude that opposes cohabitation?

Answer 15

• Conserative Christians such as Roman Catholics or Orthodox Christians oppose cohabitation.
• This is because they believe that sex should only take place within a marriage, as cohabitation could lead to sex before marriage which is sinful.
• [Corinthians 6:18 teaches Christians this]

Question 16

Does Buddhism support or oppose cohabitation ?

Answer 16

• Supports- Buddhism dosen’t teach against cohabitation.

Question 17

Explain why some Christians might support contraception

Hint: Anglicans, Liberal, unwanted, evaluation- unwanted, potential life.

Hint #2: sensible ______ planning

Answer 17

• Liberal Christians/Anglicans might support contraception (artificial) because it’s a sensible family planning method, since it prevents an unwanted pregnacy, limiting the number of children in a family.
• [So isn’t it more loving to prevent a potential life, than have a child which is unwanted and perhaps not cared for/neglected?]

Question 18

Explain why Roman Catholics oppose contraception

Hint: ‘intrinsically evil’

Answer 18

• Roman Catholics are against contraception because the Cathecism of the Catholic Church teaches that ‘artificial contraception is intrisically evil’.
• This is because they might argue that artificial contraception ‘denies the role of God in the transmission life’- contraception inteferes with God’s plan for humans to procreate, as they are divinely commanded in Genesis 1:27 ‘to be fruitful and multiply’.
• But if we interfere, we’re playing with God who is the soverign creator, therefore contraception is wrong.

Question 19

Explain why a Buddhist might oppose contraception

Hint: ahisma, preventing a fertillised ___, less acceptable than…

Answer 19

• Some Buddhists may have a different view to contraception because, they may consider contraception that works by preventing a fertilised egg, from implanting in the womb (e.g- the morning after pill) to be less acceptable (than natural contraception)
• This is because Buddhism differs on when a new life has begun; at conception or birth. Because of this, some may see it as taking a life—-> which breaks the 1st moral precept + ahisma (because they would argue that life starts at contraception).

Question 20

Explain why a Buddhist might support contraception, whilst referring to dukkha.

Hint: fertilisation, evaluation- suffering to a potential ___ life, bad karma.

Answer 20

• Most Buddhists believe it is acceptable to use contraception that prevents fertilisation.
• This is because giving birth to a child might cause serious harm to the mother, or if she has already a child whom she struggles to feed, having another child, would worsen the childrens’ quality of life which is not compassionate.

Question 21

Explain why a Buddhist might support contraception, whilst referring to dukkha.

Hint: fertilisation, evaluation- suffering to a potential ___ life, bad karma.

Answer 21

• As Buddhists aim to reduce dukkha [suffering] for others, and instead show karuna [compassion] to others:
• they might argue that not only is it the most compassionate but also the most loving thing to do. (as Buddhists aim to also show metta= loving-kindness)

Question 22

What’s the evaluation, to contraception ?

Answer 22

• Evaluation: But how is it compassionate to cause suffering to a potential life ?
• and potentially give the mother bad karma, for being unskilfully by contradicting the right action, of Buddhist ethics?**