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.
What BELIEFSabout marriage are being
demonstrated at the preface?
• Marriage should be taken seriously
• Marriage is valued and important within
Christianity
What happens/said at the declarations?
• Couple declare they are free to marry
& understand
what they’re doing. Publicly declare
love for each other.
What BELIEFS about marriage are being
demonstrated at the declarations?
• Marriage is undertaken in front of God /
with God
• Marriage should be taken seriously
What happens/ said at the marriage vows?
Couple make promises to each
other “until death do us part”
What BELIEFSabout marriage are being
demonstrated at the marriage vows?
• Church of England: Marriage
is intended to be permanent
• Catholic: Marriage is indissoluble
What happens/said at the exchanging of rings?
Couple exchange symbols of
their promises: “until death do us part”
What BELIEFSabout marriage are being
demonstrated at the exchanging of rings?
• Marriage is undertaken for life
• Marriage is exclusive (no adultery)
What happens/said at the prayers and blessings?
• Priest prays for children & happiness.
• The marriage is blessed.
What BELIEFSabout marriage are being
demonstrated at the prayers and blessings?
• Purpose of marriage is procreation
• Catholic: marriage is sealed by God
Polygamy and the Bible
- Old Testament: polygamy was common
practice in much of the Middle East and
the world so some Christian figures had
multiple wives e.g. Abraham - However, many passages in the Bible
speak against polygamy - Genesis: God created Adam and Eve for
each other so Christians take this as they
should be with one person and not
multiple.
Polygamy and Christianity Today
- Roman Emperor Constantine banned polygamy in
Christianity (around 320AD) - Majority of Christians reject polygamy
Polygamy and Mormons
- Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) are
a denomination in Christianity. - They used to allow polygamy although they
DO NOT ACCEPT IT TODAY - Used to allow polygamy until the end of
19th Century but around 15% of Mormons
today still practice it - Mormons make up around 14 million
people worldwide
Views on divorce in the Catholic Church?
- If someone is legally
divorced, they are still seen
as married in the Church as
marriage a sacrament - Vows cannot be broken as
you made them with God - Divorced Catholic can
attend church and Eucharist
ONLY it not remarried and no
having sexual relations with
anyone else.
Catholic views on remarriage?
- Getting remarried is
considered adultery (cheating) - Do not allow remarriage in
Church and remarried Catholics
are not allowed Eucharist - Couples can separate but not
get remarried or have sex with
anyone else
Catholic views on ANNULMENT
- Accept annulment as the
promises were not real in the
first place. - If a couple want an
annulment, they need to get
permission from the Pope and
prove that: - One person were forced into
marriage, one person was
married already or did not
understand the commitment
of marriage or that one
person did not intend to have
children, and this was not
made clear before marriage.
Church of England views on divorce?
- More accepting of divorce
and understand it happens - Wants to reduce divorces
so offer marriage lessons
before marriage happens
to help couples recognise
the commitment - Offer marriage counselling
to help reduce divorce
and try to resolve
problems - Recognise that divorce
can bring peace to the
couple and family
Church of England views on REMARRIAGE
- Allows divorced people to
remarry - Divorced people who want to
remarry attend marriage
preparation sessions
Christianity – Value and Purpose of Sex
- Brings a couple closer together
- Strengthens the bond of marriage
as Genesis says the couple become
‘one flesh’ - Procreation is the point of sex and
marriage as God said to ‘go forth
and multiply’ (Genesis)
Catholic Church Views on EXTRA-MARITAL SEX (ADULTERY)
- Sanctity of Marriage: adultery is a sin as
marriage is sacred - You made a promise to God so adultery is
disrespecting God and your partner - adulterer should be forgiven and go to
couple’s therapy
Catholic Church Views on PRE-MARITAL SEX &
COHABITATION
- No sex before marriage or cohabitation as
this leads to sex - Main purpose of sex is procreation which
should happen in a marriage
Church of England Views on EXTRA-MARITAL SEX (ADULTERY)
- Adultery is a sin and must be avoided
- You make vows to be faithful in marriage so
this should not be broken - Set a good moral example to children by not
cheating on your partner - Accept mistakes do happen so the adulterer
should be forgiven
Church of England Views on PRE-MARITAL SEX &
COHABITATION
- Teaches the preferred status of sexual
relationships is within marriage - Believe sex is mainly for procreation which
should be in a marriage, but they accept
families come in many forms and marriage
does not have to be a part of that. - General Synod – “sex should take
place in a loving, stable
relationship” - Want sex to happen in a loving, consensual
relationship so accept both pre-marital sex
and cohabitation.
For Contraception arguments
• Children are more likely to be loved and cared for
if their parents wanted them
• Limits spread of STIs
• Helps to tackle the current over-population crisis
• Allows couples to be in control of their family size
and choices
• Allows couples to express love through sex before
they are ready for the commitment of children
• Prevents abortions
• Allows couples to have a family when they
are financially stable
Church of England– the Church teaches that
contraception is a sensible practice for couples
Against contraception arguments
In 1968, the Pope at the time (Pope Paul VI) issued
a document called Humanae Vitae meaning Of Human
Life. The document stated clearly and boldly the
reasons why the Catholic Church was against
contraception, including:
• God designed sex for a purpose: procreation.
Denying this purpose is denying God’s plans for
humankind.
• Repeated use of contraception can lead to a loss of
respect for women
• Contraception leads to a more casual approach to
sex, minimising its value and importance
• God explicitly told humans to “go forth and
multiply” (Genesis 2)
• Human life should be seen as a precious gift, always
welcomed and encouraged
Catholic Church does recognise the need for family planning
CoE view on being Gay (not marriage!)
- Accept homosexuality as everyone is equally
valued and loved by God - ”Homosexuals are as valuable and as valued
by God” – General Synod 2007
Catholic view on being Gay (not marriage!)
- Being homosexual is not good or bad and
homosexuals should be treated with respect
and compassion. - However, homosexual sex is not acceptable
so they should remain celibate.
Church of England & Catholic Church views on same sex marriage
- Both against same-sex marriage so
cannot get married in the Church - Believe marriage is a gift from God
between a man and a woman so
they can procreate - Adam and Eve were a man and
woman so believe marriage should
be this way. - Attitudes in the Church of England
are slowly changing with votes
going ahead to allow blessings of a
relationship in the Church but this
is still not approved
Quaker church views on same sex marriage
- Totally accept same-sex
marriage and always have - Quakers were a leading group
to change the marriage laws in
the UK - Quakers believe everyone is
equal as we are all made in the
image of God
Church of England & Catholic Church views on same sex parenting
Both against same-sex parenting
- Believer a child needs a male and
female role model in their life
- Fear children will be deprived of
what God gave them and their will
miss out on emotional maturity
and development
Quaker views on same sex parenting
- Totally accept same-sex
parenting through adoption, IVF
or other means - Quakers believe a family is
made of loving relationships - Quakers believe the child needs
love and care and role models
rather than specific genders
