Unit 2: Section 3

Question 1

How have attitudes to marriage, divorce and family life changed in the last 50 years?

Answer 1

• (50 years ago) People only had sex in marriage, and married in church.
• (Today) - Cohabitation is acceptable.
• Fewer people marry.
• Less marriages in church.
• Law changes have made heterosexual sex equal to homosexual sex and since March 2014 homosexual couples can marry.

Question 2

Why have attitudes to marriage, divorce and family life changed?

Answer 2

• Historical Events - Abolition of slavery, women’s votes, right to free speech. Allowed other groups to protest for equal rights in society.
• Global World - Media and technology have allowed people to access different opinions or ways of life, so opening their minds to new ideas and thoughts.
• Decline in Religion - Traditional acceptance of church teachings and influence of the church has decreased.
• UK as a multi-faith and multi-ethnic society - There is a general agreement of what is acceptable so different people can live together peacefully.

Question 3

Why do most Christians believe that sex before marriage is wrong?

Answer 3

• The Bible only allows for sex between marriage partners.
• Children born outside marriage have a less stable family life.
• Promiscuity leads people more vulnerable to STI’s.
• Loving sexual relations unite a married couple.

Question 4

What is the Liberal Christian attitude to sex outside marriage?

Answer 4

-Couples may live together before marriage, but would expect them to marry before starting a family and would only accept a sexual relationship between two people committed to a long term relationship.

Question 5

Why do all Christians believe adultery is wrong?

Answer 5

• It breaks the wedding vows.

- It breaks one of the Ten Commandments.

Question 6

What are the four purposes of marriage in Christianity?

Answer 6

• The couple can have a life long relationship of love and faithfulness.
• The couple can have the love and comfort of each other.
• For procreation.
• For bringing up a Christian family.

Question 7

How does the Christian Wedding Ceremony symbolise the beliefs about marriage?

Answer 7

• The exchange of rings symbolises the unending agreement of marriage.
• The emphasis on Gods role makes it a spiritual agreement with God as well as a legal agreement.
• The couple exchange vows that promise a lifelong, exclusive commitment to each other.
• The congregation pray and ask for Gods blessing to help the marriage work.
• Verses from the Bible spoken by the vicar emphasise the nature and purpose of marriage for Christians.

Question 8

What were the attitudes to divorce 50 years ago?

Answer 8

50 years ago…

• Few divorces.
• People who divorced were looked down on.
• Re-marriage was rare.

Question 9

What are the attitudes to divorce today?

Answer 9

• Divorce is accepted as normal.
• 2/5 marriages end in divorce.
• Remarriage is normal.
• This is because divorce is cheaper, easier, and women have a more equal life.

Question 10

What do Roman Catholics believe about divorce?

Answer 10

• No divorce.
• Marriage is a sacrament where the couple promise to stay together until death.
• Jesus banned divorce.
• When people marry, they make an agreement with God which cannot be broken without Gods consent. So people can never be divorced according to Gods law.
• Catholics allow annulments if it can be proven the marriage never really existed.

Question 11

What do other Christians believe about divorce?

Answer 11

• Protestants disapprove of divorce, but allow it if there is no way of the couple getting back together.
• Non-Catholic Christians allow divorce.
• God is always prepared to forgive sins.
• Jesus allowed divorce for adultery.

Question 12

How has family live changed since the 1960s?

Answer 12

• (1960) The nuclear family was the norm.
• (Now) There are many single-parent families.
• There are many families with parents who are not married.
• There are more re-constitued families.
• There are more extended families as grandparents look after children as more mothers work.

Question 13

What are the Christian teachings on family life?

Answer 13

• Children should respect their parents, as instructed in the fourth commandment.
• Christian parents should follow Pauls teachings and treat their children well.
• Christian parents should also provide their children with the necessities of life, ensure they are educated and bring them up as Christians.
• Children should care for their parents when they can not care for themselves, based on the fourth commandment.

Question 14

Why is family life important to Christianity?

Answer 14

• They believe the family was created by God as the basic unit of society and is the only place children should be raised. Without the family society would collapse.
• The family is the place that children learn the difference between right and wrong, so without the family there would be much more evil in the world.
• The family is where children are introduced to Christianity so it is important for Christianity to continue to grow.

Question 15

How do churches help with raising children?

Answer 15

• Family services.
• Baptism services.
• Sunday schools teaching right and wrong.
• Teaching about marriage and divorce.
• Priests acting as family counsellors.

Question 16

How have the attitudes to homosexuality changed in the UK?

Answer 16

• Homosexuality between men was illegal until 1967, when it was made legal in private between consenting adults over 21.
• The legal age was lowered in 1994 from 21 to 18, and again in 2000 to 16 in Britain and 17 in Northern Island.
• In 2003 the law was finalised to treat homosexual sex the same way at heterosexual sex.
• In 2004 Civil Partnerships were introduced.
• In March 2014 it became legal for homosexual couples to marry and adopt.

Question 17

What do Evangelical Christians believe about homosexuality.

Answer 17

• It is a sin.
• They think that when you become a Christian you lose all sinful desires, so no Christians should be homosexuals.
• The Bible condemns homosexuality.

Question 18

What do Roman Catholics believe about homosexuality?

Answer 18

• Homosexuality is not a sin, but homosexual activity is a sin. The Catholic Church asks homosexuals to live without sexual activity, and the Roman Catholic Church condemns homophobia.
• Bible teachings condemn practising homosexuality.
• The tradition of the church.

Question 19

What do Protestants believe about homosexuality?

Answer 19

• Lifelong homosexual relationships are accepted, homosexuals are welcomed in the Church but their relationships cannot be equal to a Christian marriage and Priests may be homosexual but must not take part in homosexual sex.
• The teachings of the Bible need to be reinterpreted.
• The Christian belief in love and acceptance means that homosexuals must be accepted.

Question 20

What do Liberal Protestants believe about homosexuality?

Answer 20

• There should be complete equality for homosexuals provided the relationship is stable and the partners are stable.
• Bible teachings need to be reinterpreted.
• Anti-homosexual texts in the Bible reflect the Jewish culture at the time, not the words of God.
• Quakers believe inspiration comes from the spirit as well as God and if Christians believe the spirit accepts their homosexuality it cannot be denied.

Question 21

Why do changing attitudes to homosexuality cause problems for Christians?

Answer 21

• The law and society do not allow them to treat homosexuals differently.
• Homosexual clergy can divide churches as some Christians believe homosexuals are sinners.
• Civil partnerships or homosexual marriage can cause problems as biblical teachings on same sex activity say it is a sin.
• Teaching about equal rights in schools can cause problems in Christian families where homosexuality is regarded as a sin.

Question 22

Why may people use contraception?

Answer 22

• For the mothers health.
• Provide more food for the family.
• Provide a better standard of living for the family.

Question 23

What do Protestants believe about contraception?

Answer 23

• It is allowed.
• It raises the standard of living/education for children because there are fewer of them.
• God created sex for pleasure not just for procreation.
• It can limit family size.

Question 24

What do Catholics believe about contraception?

Answer 24

• Using artificial methods is going against Gods intentions.
• Sex should only take place in marriage, and intends to unite the couple and make new life.
• Every act of intercourse must be open to new life.
• Popes have condemned artificial contraception but allow the rhythm method.
• Contraception is a cause of promiscuity, broken families, STI’s and increase in divorce rates.

Question 25

How was the issue of family life presented in the media?

Answer 25

- 'Hidden Lives' - Focused on how the family smacked their children because the Bible says 'spare the rod spoil the child'/ They also monitor the childrens TV/music. - The family was made to look old fashioned, by contrasting modern childrens lives with this family, e.g. Friday night Bible study, waking up early to do chores and not being allowed to date. - They use old fashioned Bible verses. - They could have included a modern Christian family to make this more fair to Christians.