Topic 17 Purpose of Marriage

Question 1

explain non religious views on the purpose of marriage

Answer 1

1. public statement of love for one another
2. societal pressure to act ‘respectably’ and please older generations by marrying
3. stable environment for bringing up children
4. tradition

Question 2

explain different Christian teachings about purpose of marriage

Answer 2

1. RCC -> marriage is sacrament (outward + visible sign of an inward invisible grace) which represents divine action, as god unites couple -> gift from god, and purpose is to create suitable environment for sex and bringing up of children , as it is based on love ‘will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his church?’
2. CofE -> marriage’s purpose is to demonstrate love for each other, public declaration of love which makes splitting up more difficult, encouraging a long relationship of love and fatihfulness until ‘death do us part’
3. marriage purpose to provide comfort and support ‘for better for worse, for richer for poorer’

Question 3

outline reasons why people might object to marriage

Answer 3

• pointless, unwanted expense, surely love is enoough
• more romantic to remain unmarried because each day you choose to stay together rather than because you have to
• feminists = traditionally woman promised to obey and therefore the nature of marriage to control women is problematic

Question 4

outline some christian objections to marriage

Answer 4

1. don’t feel called by god to the vocation
2. may want to devote their lives to God instead, as family life can provide a distraction, paul mentions this in corinthians 2