Topic 18, 19, 20

Question 1

explain why christians have differing views on the status of partners within marriage

Answer 1

1. rcc -> use eph 5 and tim 2 to maintain a hierarchical approach, as men + women are biologically diff (men can’t breastfeed, makes sense for women to care for children, additionally hormones make them more suited, men generally stronger, more testosterone, better able to succeed in business -> god created men and women like this for diff roles, gods will that these roles should be fulfilled Tim 2 ‘woman will be saved through child bearing’, authority of natural law and order in society reinforcs this, as well as pope john paul II ‘favouring work in the home’
2. cofe -> equal roles and responsibilties, cofe often look to changing societal norms to adapt their views, recognising that traditional roles of men and women in marriage are not appropriate today, use rationality to decide what biblical evidence is relavent to today’s times
3. quakers -> equal, partners should discuss and base their roles on their conscience, which is the ultimate source of authority for quakers as it is the voice of god via holy spirit

Question 2

explain why some christians accept and some christians don’t accept same sex marriages

Answer 2

1. rcc against same sex marriages -> Pope Benedict ‘same sex marriages the most insidious and dangerous threats to common good today’ -> - marriage should be between man and woman for reproduction, natural law -> bible -> marriage union between man and woman, wrong to promote marriage between same sex -> authority of popes messages
2. cofe -> not allowed to carry out same sex marrige, but able to bless a same sex marriage -> biblical precedent -> marriage between man and woman, could split anglican church if these marriages were carried out
3. quakers -> for practsing quakers, as all marriages are valuable -> 1963 quaker view of sex, nature and quality of relationship is what matters -> look to conscience, to not support homosexual marriage would be discrimination

Question 3

explain differing non religious views towards same sex marriage

Answer 3

1. homosexual marriage was legalised in 2014, so this should be accepted as the law demonstrates that this marriage is of value
2. unnatural, maintain should only be between man and woman
3. disadvantaged, don’t have parent of both sex and may be bullied
4. if this marriage for a minority group is legalised, polygamy might be legalised, slippery slope argument

Question 4

explain non religious views on importance of marriage

Answer 4

humanists -> conduct weddings for couples who have been married to other people before, for couples from different faiths, and for same sex couples -> most important thing is love and support and commitment

Question 5

outline views about monogamy from a christian perspective

Answer 5

1. follow example of adam and eve, should be between one man and one woman, corinthians 7 ‘each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband’ (however there are examples of polygamory in the bible)
2. polygamy goes against god’s plan, leads to jealousy, hurt and sin

Question 6

outline non religious views about polygamy

Answer 6

1. polygamy can be acceptable in certain cultures, should not be rejected, can love more than one person in the way you can love more than one child
2. feminists, polygamy is sexist, as cultures that allow polygamy alwyas allow men to have more than one wife

Question 7

outline a christian marriage service

Answer 7

• priest is church witness to wedding
• marriage = sacrament
• readings from bible, exchange of vows committing partners to lifetime marriage and restricting sex to each other
• exchange of rings symbolising unending nature of marriage
• prayers asking god’s blessing on coupl and help of holy spirit to make marriage work

Question 8

explain how the purposes of marriage are reflected in marriage vows

Answer 8

1. Rcc -> priest says ‘will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?’ -> demonstrates marriage must livelong commitment, marriage prep class, purpose of marriage to have children
2. ‘will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall. life’ -> purpose of marriage as a lifelong commitment that is an ulitmate declaration of love and trust
3. ‘for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part’ -> marriage should last ntil death, people should not get a divorce, and marriage should be persevered at, the vows show that the purpose of marriage is a union blessed by god and should not be abandoned, it is a gift from god

Question 9

outline christian teachings on platonic love

Answer 9

• should be based upon agape love -> john’s gospel, jesus saus there is no greater love than a man to lay down his life for his friends -> self sacrificial and unconditional
• corinthians 13 -> love is patient, love is kind. it does not eny, it does not boast, it is not proud. it is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth