Unit 2 x 3 Flashcards
Ephesians 5:22-25
“Wives submit yourselves to your husband…for the husband is the head of the wife”
“Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church”
Genesis 2:24
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”
1 Corinthians 7:4
“The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but to her husband. In the same way, the husbands body does not belong to him but also to his wife.”
Matthew 19:6
“Let no man divide what God has put together.”
Catholic Church believes that these impediments in the marriage allow for an annulment
- partner did not understand the vows or was forced into making them
- partner lied when making vows (eg no intention to have children)
- couple never consummated the marriage (had sexual intercourse together)
What is an annulment?
A solemn declaration that from the very beginning no real marriage existed.
➡️ Free to re-marry in church if marriage partner is still alive!
Pope Francis said what about marriage?
He said that families are “bricks that build society”, but also believes that the church should forgive those who don’t obey church teaching to the letter. ✔️
Matrimonial Causes Act of 1973
Allows a divorce to be granted if it can be shown that a marriage has suffered an ‘irretrievable breakdown’
➡there is so much unhappiness in the marriage that to save it would be impossible. (couple living apart for over two years, ‘unreasonable behaviour’ such as violence, mental cruelty, alcoholism)
Protestant church marriage
- Jesus’ teaching is an ideal that married couples should try to live up to
- accept a civil divorce as an end to marriage and re-marriage. (Some problems that couples face are serious and demand the marriage to end)
Church of England marriage
Previously they would only give an informal blessing for remarriage occasionally.
➡️Since 1981, parish ministers have had the authority to remarry divorced people with the permission of their bishops.
Church of Scotland marriage
Marriage is not a sacrament and divorce is permitted but should be avoided.
RCC marriage
Takes the word of the Bible literally: once marriage has taken place, two have become ‘one flesh’. Marriage is made by God and should not be ended by anything except death.
➡️ if get a divorce from the State, they are still married in the eyes of God. Not free to marry again if previous partner is still alive
Eastern Orthodox marriage
Church has the authority to end marriages and the church itself will grant divorces. Remarriage is allowed in church, rarely more than once, and the ceremonies are less cheerful.
Pope Francis did what?
• attempting to modernise the church’s approach to marriage and divorce in a way which doesn’t neglect christian teachings.
- married ‘sinners’ he is tolerant and forgives them.
- married people who had cohabitated, previously been divorced and had children before being married
Church of England sex outside marriage
- recognise that society has changed and cohabitation can be accepted as trial marriage.
- marriage is a gift, ideal environment for children to be brought up in (therefore sexual relationships should take place in marriage - jesus and agape)
RCC sex outside marriage
- catechism of RCC: sex outside marriage “always constitutes a grave sin”
- sex belongs in permanent, exclusive sexual relationship
- catechism of RCC: “human love does not tolerate trial marriages” (cohabitation is wrong)
- every sexual act must have the intention of procreation
Genesis 1:28
“Be fruitful and multiply”
7th commandment
“You shall not commit adultery”
Protestants sex outside marriage
- wrong
- 7th commandment
- 2 Timothy 2:22
- adultery breaks the marriage vows which are part of a sacrament
2 Timothy 2:22
“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3
“For this is the will of God…that you abstain from sexual immorality”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
“The sexual act must take place exclusively within marriage. Outside marriage it always constitutes a grave sin.”
Sex outside marriage is wrong
- children born outside marriage may have a less stable family life.
- promiscuity makes a person vulnerable to STDs
- loving sexual relations unite a married couple
- 7th commandment
Changing attitudes to divorce
- 2/5 marriages end in divorce
- it’s easier and cheaper to divorce now
- women are less prepared to put up with bad treatment from their husbands than they used to be
- people don’t look down on divorces/ remarriages now and they used to be rare
Marriage vows
“Marriage is a sign of unity and loyalty” - sacrament
Cohabiting stats
- Typical cohabiting relationship lasts 3 years, marriage lasts 11 years. (People will not value a relationship - sex before marriage - don’t appreciate the gift from God)
- More than 50% of cohabiting couples split up within 5 years of the birth of the child, compared with 8% of married couples.
- less than 7% of couples cohabited before marriage. Now the figure is nearing 50%
Stats of babies born to unmarried couples
6% of babies were born to unmarried couples in 1950
That was risen to 43.7% in 2006 and now over 50% of babies are born to unmarried couples
(Peoples views on sex before marriage are modernising)
Mark 10:11
Jesus said: “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.”
Between 1975 and 2000, the number of couples cohabiting…
Between 1975 and 2000, the number of couples cohabiting had risen from 10% to 30%
Since 1971, the number of lone parent families…
Since 1971, the number of lone parent families has more than doubled.
What are the purposes of marriage?
- celebrate love- friends and family gather together to witness the declaration of love and ‘share the joy’ of their love (marriage service of the c of e)
- create a stable home in which children are to be born, nurtured, comforted. Marriage is known as the ‘foundation for family life’
- to obeys God will - marriage is a sacrament, gift from God, made holy by God. Brings a couple together, strengthens relationship
- sex, faithfulness - (c of e marriage service says) husband and wife are brought together ‘the delight and tenderness of sexual union’. only ones marriage partner-faithfulness, necessary for marriage to work
Leviticus 18:22
“Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.”
Romans 1:27
“Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
How do christian churches help with the upbringing of children?
- church schools provide Christian education
- welcome families and have monthly family services and at christmas and Easter to bring families together
- run organisations and youth clubs to keep children away from immoral activities
- ministers/vicars/priests also act as marriage counsellors
- Sunday schools - teach children about right and wrong, give children a moral social life, provide health and advice on family problems
RCC homosexuality
• homosexual thoughts are not a sin but homosexual actions are sins
➡️sex is for procreation!
- homosexuals should be treated with respect and compassion, but that homosexuals should control their sexual feelings by being celibate.
- St paul condemns homosexuality alongside adulterers, thieves, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers
A Vatican official stated on 30 July 2008:
“Homosexuality is a disordered behaviour that must be condemned”
Quakers homosexuality
• allow religious marriages for homosexual couples.
‘Treat same sex committed relationships in the same way as opposite sex marriages, reaffirming our central insight that marriage is the Lord’s work and we are but witnesses’
Why is family important?
- teaches us acceptable behaviour, bonding, basic way of society caring for vulnerable members
- Christians refer to the Church as a family - God is seen as the parent. Jesus taught his disciples to pray to ‘Our Father’
5th Commandment
“Honour your father and mother”
Quaker faith and practice says:
“It is the nature and quality of a relationships that matters; one must not judge it by its outward appearance but by its inner worth”
Changing attitudes to homosexuality in the UK
- 25 years ago, 65% of people opposed to same-sex relationships. That has dropped by 20%
- 1967 homosexuality was decriminalised
- 2001 age of consent was reduced to 16 (in line with heterosexual couples)
- 2004 - Civil Partnership Act - allows homosexual couples to be in a legally recognised commitment.
- 2014 - same sex marriage legalised
Homosexuality was presented in the media (Gay Vicars)
- introduces audience to two homosexual couples - religious Christian upbringing. Spoke of their discriminations, life stories, put viewers into their point of view- ensures a better understanding of what it’s like
- life experiences- discomforted others, some openly gay members of clergy were kicked out, woman exorcised as believed to have demons in her- elicits sympathy
- Anglicans+fundamentalists interviewed - sin according to what the bible teaches. Shown in a negative light - what they said was subsequently opposed to w bible related reasons (agape) - seem old fashioned, intolerant
- gene robinson - committed and faithful relationships should always be celebrated. If a homosexual couple adopts the conservative values of marriage in their civil partnership- should not be considered a sin!
Church of England contraception
Sexual love is good in itself and contraception provides an essential way for husband,wife to express and strengthen their love for each other. - means of enabling a couple to enjoy sex and take responsibility for the size of their family
RCC contraception
- sex is for procreation- artificial methods that prevent people fulfilling the purpose of christian marriage is a sin
- ‘be fruitful and multiply’ genesis 1:28
- natural planning methods are acceptable - because sex is still open to gods gift of a child.
Contraception necessary
- couples faced with increasing expenses want to ensure that their children have a good standard of living
- freedom to choose when they have children and how many
- important to prevent the passing of a genetic disease (haemophilia)
- too young to have children
- pregnancy would be harmful for mental/physical health of mother
- could not provide financially/emotionally for the child
Different methods of contraception
- Abstaining from sex
- pill v reliable but everyday
- rhythm method natural, restricted 96% reliable
- condom effective easily discontinued
- the cap no health risks, cervical cancer protection
1 Corinthians 13:13
“The greatest of them all [virtues] is love”
