Christianity - Family PDF

**Two ways to remember the Christian purpose of marriage**    **Traditional features of a marriage ceremony are:** - - - **Marriage is important to Christians because:** - - - - - **Roman...

**Two ways to remember the Christian purpose of marriage**    **Traditional features of a marriage ceremony are:** - - - **Marriage is important to Christians because:** - - - - - **Roman Catholics** believe that Marriage is a **Sacrament** (an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual blessing ) This is why a Catholic marriage can never be broken in the eyes of the church because once God has given his blessing he cannot take it away All Christians believe that the marriage vows are sacred and form a solemn and binding contract and are intended for life. However, **Protestants** believe the marriage vows are a **covenant** (an agreement between two people) it is possible for them to be broken, therefore divorce is possible. **[Humanist attitude towards Marriage]** - - - - **All** Christians believe that **Adultery** (sex with someone who you are not married to) is wrong -- - - - They would also believe that **Promiscuity** (sleeping around) is sinful Many Christians (**Roman Catholic, Evangelicals**) believe that sex should **only** happen within marriage, therefore sex before marriage is also wrong. The Bible teaches that the body is a temple to the Holy Spirit and people should honour God with their body and treat it with respect. To them this means sex within marriage. Paul says that Christians should: **'flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you know that your body is a temple of the holy spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God.'** - - - **Roman Catholic** Catechism teaches that premarital sex is a serious sin and couples who sin in this way cannot receive communion in church. **Evangelical Christians** emphasise the importance of the Bible and they interpret **sexual immorality** to mean all sex outside the marriage between a man and a women [.]They encourage Christians to wait until they are married e.g. [ ] True Love Waits campaign in US - teenagers promise to remain sexually pure until their wedding day **Liberal Protestants** do not regard sex before marriage as sinful so long as it is within a long term committed relationship. They interpret **sexual immorality** as promiscuity, adultery or infidelity. They would hope that the couple will choose eventually to be married in church and would expect a couple to marry before starting a family **Humanist attitudes towards sexual relationships** Humanists do not disagree with sex before marriage BUT premarital sex is only acceptable within certain limits: - - - - - - Same sex marriage is now legal in the UK (not just civil partnerships) The **Roman Catholic** church does not accept any union between same-sex couples. They encourage people who are attracted to the same sex to remain within the church, but not to have any active sexual relationships. - - Many **liberal** Christians do not have a problem with same sex marriages and think if you are in a committed relationship and want to marry you should be able to. They justify this by arguing that the passages on homosexuality being a sin are actually talking about the experimentation outside your sexuality. They say it is heterosexuals who have sex with their own gender for fun, not because they are born that way that these verses apply to. **Quakers** make no distinction between homosexual or heterosexual couples and will perform a marriage ceremony for a same sex couple. The **Methodist** church may officially bless their members to be "welcoming and inclusive" but the union is not seen as marriage. The **Church of England** is exempt from the legislation on same sex marriage and opinion is divided. They encourage people who are homosexual to remain celibate. However there are groups within the church of England such as **Inclusive Church** and **Changing Attitudes** who are campaigning for same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage to be seen as equal to heterosexual relationships and marriage. **Humanist attitudes towards same sex relationships** - - - A couple want to control the number of children that they have: - - - A couple might also want to use contraception to: - - - +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Protestant Christians** | **Roman Catholics** | +===================================+===================================+ | - - - - - - | - - - - | | | | | | However many Catholics ignore | | | official church teaching on this | | | issue. | | | | | | - - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Humanist Attitudes towards contraception** In making ethical decisions **Humanists and Atheists** assess the rights and wrongs of an issue by looking at the **consequences**. They also consider **Utilitarian** principles They argue contraception : - - - Humanists argue that if contraception "***results in every child being a wanted child and in better, healthier lives for women, it must be a good thing***" British Humanist Society **Reasons marriages fail** - - - - - - - **Support for problems in a marriage** ====================================== When a marriage runs into trouble, there are several organisations to which the couple could turn including **RELATE** (the National Marriage Guidance Council), **CMAC** (the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council). A Christian may well turn to their local vicar or priest or the church may also have trained counsellors. **Law on Divorce**: The only grounds for divorce is that the marriage has broken down irretrievably( From **1969** you no longer needed proof that someone was to blame, instead "marriage had irretrievably broken down" could be used[)]. There are five supporting facts that a petitioner can present: - - - - - **Biblical teaching on divorce** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Divorce is acceptable** | **Divorce is wrong** | +===================================+===================================+ | : **'*If a man marries a woman | ***"What God has joined together | | who becomes displeasing to him | let no man separate"*** | | because he finds something | | | indecent about her... he writes | The teaching of Jesus in the New | | her a certificate of divorce, | Testament is against divorce (the | | gives it to her and sends her | ***[legal]*** ending | | from his house*.' Deuteronomy | of a marriage before the death of | | 24:1** | a spouse). | | | | | **'*Whoever divorces his wife, | | | let him give her a certificate of | | | divorce.' But I say to you that | | | anyone who divorces his wife, | | | except on the ground of | | | unchastity, causes her to commit | | | adultery; and whoever marries a | | | divorced woman commits adultery.* | | | Matthew 5:31-32** | | | | | | God hates divorce but allows it | | | because people are so hard to | | | teach. Matthew 19:1-9 | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Roman Catholics** believe divorce is wrong because: - - - - Roman Catholics prefer to have an **annulment**, which is a declaration that the marriage never took place in the first place. There are strict conditions for this including: - - - Other Christians (**Protestants**) agree that whilst divorce is not desirable, Jesus preached forgiveness. They believe that: - - - **Remarriage of Divorcees** Most **Protestant** churches now allow the re-marriage of divorcees in church. Since 1981 the **Church of England** have allowed people to marry again after a divorce however the decision is up to the local vicar, however certain conditions are expected to be met: - - - - The **Catholic church** however does not recognise some marriages being valid (see notes on annulment above) so a Catholic can remarry if his first marriage did not take place in a Catholic church. **Christian beliefs about the family** - - - - - - - **Non-religious views on the family** Surveys show 60% of people have little or no contact with religion. However the family is still very important : - - - - - - - **Humanist attitudes towards the family** - - - The Church of England and Roman Catholic church contains separate **parish** churches grouped into geographical areas called **dioceses.** Each parish has a priest/vicar who is responsible for Christian worship and pastoral care -- providing **emotional, spiritual and physical** support and help for problems in that parish. **Parish churches try to help families in a variety of ways including:** - - - - - - - - **Parishes try to help families because:** - - - - - **Support from the church is important for Christian families because:** - - - - **Roles of Husband and Wife in the Home** ========================================= The "Holy Family" - Mary, Joseph and Jesus are seen as the model Christian family life, which should be based on forgiveness, agape love, thinking of others before yourself, mutual respect and faithfulness ============================================================================================================================================================================================================= +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Traditional Views (Roman | **Modern views (Church of | | Catholic, Evangelical)** | England, Methodist,Quaker)** | +===================================+===================================+ | A literal interpretation of | Other Christians see the sexes as | | Biblical texts has led to a | being equal | | **patriarchal** model of the | | | family. They believe that they | - - - | | must stay true to the authority | | | of the Bible -- it is the word of | This means the roles of men and | | God so shouldn't be changed to | women in the family : | | fit in with the latest ideas | | | | - - - - | | - - - - - | | | | | | **Evangelical Protestants:** men | | | and women have separate and | | | different roles with the wife | | | submitting to the husband ***"A | | | wife is to submit to the servant | | | leadership of her husband***" | | | Southern Baptist Convention, USA | | | 1998 | | | | | | **Roman Catholics**: men and | | | women should have equal roles in | | | the family "**May her husband put | | | his trust in her and recognise | | | that she is his equal"** Roman | | | Catholic marriage service | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Humanist attitudes towards equality of men and women in the family** Humanists believe men and women are equal and family roles should not be based on gender alone (eg woman looking after children while man goes out to work) but on what is right for each family and both husband and wife should be happy with the roles they play within the family. ***The details of family arrangements hardly matter as long as adults are making responsible choices and everyone involved is reasonably happy" British Humanist Association*** Feminists particularly criticise traditional church teaching on the family roles of men and women. They say the traditional view has been responsible for the mistreatment, repression and inequality of women for centuries. "***The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation***" **Elizabeth Cady Stanton** (19^th^ century atheist and leader of women's rights) **Roles of men and women in the Christian community** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | **Traditional Views (Roman | **Modern views (Church of | | Catholic, Evangelical)** | England, Methodist,Quaker0** | +===================================+===================================+ | - | Some believe men and women should | | | be treated the same in every way, | | | e.g. be leaders, preachers and | | | priests, too. As everyone is made | | - | in the image of God --"***So God | | | created human beings in his own | |. | image' Genesis* "1;26.** | | | | | Jesus only chose men to be his | Even though Jesus lived at a time | | apostles and this was | when women have few rights in | | intentional. | society, he treated them as | | | equals: | | **Evangelical Protestant**: women | | | should not lead worship or preach | - | | in church and only men can be | | | leaders and teachers. ***I do not | | | permit a woman to teach or to | | | have authority over a man; she | - - | | must be silent"*.** (1 Timothy | | | 2:12) | At Pentecost the Holy spirit was | | | given to men and women equally. | | | | | | In the early church there were | | | women in authority -- a church | | | met at Lydia's house (Acts 16) | | | | | | Many women feel they have been | | | called to becoming vicars and | | | curates. The Church of England | | | have had women priests since 1994 | | | and the first woman Libby Lane | | | became bishop in 2015. | | | | | | The Quakers and Methodists treat | | | men and women as completely | | | equal. | | | | | | - - | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ **Humanist attitudes towards gender prejudice and discrimination** - - - - -