Theme A - Relationships And Families Flashcards
Christian Views on Men and Women
- The Bible was written 6000 to 10000 years old and can reflect the views of society at the time.
- During this time, men and women were not considered equal, but Jesus worked to show them that women are not inferior to men which was radical for the time.
- Most Christians accept that men and women are equal so tend to disregard parts of the Old Testament which say women are
Equality in the Bible -
Example 1 - Woman Committed Adultery (John)
-Woman was sentenced to death by stoning for cheating on her husband (adultery)
-Jesus stopped the execution and said let those without sin, throw the first stone.
-Nobody could throw the stone as they all had committed sins
-Jesus taught them that everyone commits sins, but it is about forgiving people and treating them with respect which is the most important lesson.
Equality in the Bible -
Example 2 - Mary Magdalene found Jesus had resurrected (Mark)
-Mary Magdalene was a women and was the one who found that Jesus had resurrected.
- Jesus chose to appear to a woman after he had resurrected which shows he viewed women as equally as his male disciples.
- Mary Magdalene is considered the first true disciple of Jesus, so Christians use this to confirm that men and women are
Church of England beliefs on the roles of men and women in churches
first female priest in 1994 and in 2015, they allowed women to become ordained to be a BISHOP (a Bishop is someone in charge of the Churches and vicars in a certain region).
Catholic Church beliefs on the roles of men and woman in churches
one of the largest denominations of Christians, they do not allow women to be ordained to be a Bishops or priest.
Church of England- reasons for allowing female ordination?
- Men and women are equal
Men and women were created equal and are therefore of equal worth in God’s eyes. Men and women should therefore have the same opportunities to serve God. - It is the Church’s responsibility to tackle discrimination in society
The Church of England recognises that there are still high levels of sexism within our society. It is the Church’s job and duty to fight this injustice by setting an example. Christianity should be a religion of equality, inequality must be fought and inequality on the grounds of gender is no different. - Jesus treated women with equal respect to men
The Bible contains many stories which show
Jesus treating women with the same dignity and respect that he gave to men, such as the compassion he showed to the adulterous woman. Jesus is the example all Christians should follow - women and men deserve the same treatment.
Catholic Church- reasons for not allowing female ordination
- Jesus was a man
The Catholic Church teaches that a priest acts in the role of Jesus (in persona Christi). During the Eucharist, the priest copies the actions of Jesus. Jesus was a man and so those acting in persona Christi” should be male too if this symbolism is to be true to the real events. - Men and women are different
The Catholic Church teaches that men and women are suited to different roles and functions.
They argue that women do have an important part to play in Catholic family life and some roles within the Church, but that the role of priest, as spiritual leader and guide, is more suited to the nature of a man. - Jesus had male disciples
According to the Bible, Jesus chose men as his first followers, and these men did the same when they chose who would follow them, and so on.
The Catholic Church teaches that because Jesus chose men to carry on his work, current leaders in the Church should also be men.
Why is family life important?
First place where children learn about love, commitment, forgiveness and other values
Families educate children to become responsible adults which help brings peace to society
Families are important for the community e.g. care for elderly, provide hospitality.
Role of Adults/Parents in a Family:
- Procreation: having children is fulfilling a commandment from God so married couples should want to have a family
- Provide stable environment to raise children
- Educate their children about Christianity e.g. in Catholicism this is promised during Baptism
- Ensure the family prays and worships together
- Make sure the family follow the teachings in the Bible
Role of the Children in a Family:
Obey your parents as it says in the 10
Commandments (Exodus)
- Take responsibility for their actions and behaviours by following Christian teachings like
“love thy neighbour” (Matthew)
Purpose of Family - Catholic View
Family is the core of society so is the best environment to raise children with manners, love and respect.
- Only have children in marriage so it is stable and the mothers must teach children to be caring Women have a job to be care-givers to children
Purpose of Family - Church of England
Quality of the relationship and family rather than the form of relationship which is important - this means that whatever the type of family, as long as the people in it are happy, healthy and have good morals is what makes family important.
Disagree with Catholics that you must be married to have a family
- Agree that being. Amum is important if someone wishes to be one.
What might a religious upbringing look like?
*Attending church regularly
*Preparing for and receiving sacraments e.g. - the Eucharist
*Attending a faith school
*Regular prayers with the family
*Sunday school or children’s liturgy classes
*Celebrating Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter.
Catholic View on catechesis
- Catechesis is taken seriously in the Catholic Church
- When a child is baptized, the parents are asked to promise to raise their child in the religion.
why do catholics think that catechesis is important
- It keeps the faith alive in the next generation
- Ensures children are raised with clear and strong morals
- It is a person’s duty to God to pass on their faith to other people
Arguments FOR religious upbringing
- Keeps the faith alive for the next
generation - Infant Baptism cleanses you of original
sin and promises godparents to help
guide you in your faith - Learn good morals like love and respect
for each other by following Christianity
Arguments AGAINST religious upbringing
- You can learn good morals from school,
friends and family not just religion - Believers’ Baptism encourages people to
choose to believe when they are old
enough to decide
Marriage
legal union between two people
(Marriage in the UK is between two consenting adults, but the Church says marriage can only be
between men and women despite the Same-Sex Marriage Act 2013. Same-sex couples cannot
currently get married in the Church)
Why do people get married? (PURPOSE)
•To show commitment to one another
•To join 2 families together
•To declare their love for one another publicly
•For financial stability
•To fulfil religious traditions or expectations
•To fulfil cultural traditions or expectations
•To start a family - For Christians this is the main
purpose of marriage
What makes a good marriage?
- Trust
- Commitment
- Openness
- Similar values, hobbies, goals
- Shared expectations
Catholic view of marriage
- Marriage is a sacrament because it is a bond
between two people and God so they believe
in sanctity of marriage - Permanent and for life
- Indissoluble (cannot be broken)
- Exclusive – 100% commitment from the
couple so no cheating - Key purpose of marriage is procreation
- Marriage is a life-long commitment ”til death
do us part” is said in the marriage vows
Church of England view of marriage
- Marriage is not a sacrament and do not
believe in sanctity of marriage - Marriage is a gift from God (God gave a blond
of love to humans) - Exclusive – no cheating on each other
- Life-long commitment and should not be
entered without this intent - God wants people to join together in love as
this reflects the love that God has for people - Marriage is the best place to provide love,
care and stability for children
What happens/said at the preface?
• Priest explains importance
and meaning of marriage &
what Christians believe about
marriage.
