Marriage and Family GCSE Revision A man will leave his father and Mother and be united with His wife and the two will Become ONE BODY (The bible) What God has joined Let no man separate (The Bible )

Adultery a sexual act between a married person and someone other than their marriage partner civil partnership a legal ceremony giving a homosexual couple the same legal rights as a husband and wife cohabitation living together without being married contraception intentionally preventing pregnancy from occurring faithfulness staying with your marriage partner, having sex only with them homosexuality sexual attraction to the same sex

nuclear family mother, father and children living as a unit pre-marital sex sex before marriage procreation making a new life promiscuity having sex with a number of partners without commitment re-constituted family where two sets of children (stepbrothers and stepsisters) become one family when their divorced parents marry each other re-marriage marrying again after being divorced from a previous marriage

Changing attitudes to marriage and family life More sex before marriage & more COHABITING couples More DIVORCES More single parent & reconstituted families Easier & Cheaper Women less prepared to put up with bad treatment People take vows less seriously People are not as religious Safer contraceptionMore divorces

More civil Partnerships (this is a legal Ceremony giving Homosexual Couples the Same rights as Husband and wife) Media coverage of Gay celebrities Changes in the law Medical research Has shown that Homosexuality is natural Gay rights campaigns

Sex Outside Marriage The Christian attitude to cohabitation is similar to that for premarital sex Most Christians “IT’S WRONG” Bible Church Leaders condemn PREMARITAL Sex Jesus said love most important thing Church has to modernise Liberal Protestants ACCEPT IF it the Couple intend to MARRY ADULTERY (when a married person has sex with someone other than their spouse) ALWAYS WRONG Breaks 7 th command ment Against Marriage Vows The husband and wife Promise to FORSAKE ALL OTHERS There shouldn’t be a Hint of sexual Immorality among you -ST PAUL

Catholics see Marriage as a SACRAMENT (an outward sign of God’s blessing) Weddings and Marriage Purpose Comfort & Companionship Have children and create a Christian Family Enjoy Sex in God’s intended way Live together in Love Wedding features Exchange Vows Exchange Rings Prayers and Bible Readings Outward sign of eternal love Promises before witnesses to stay together ‘til death God is an important part of the marriage

Divorce – LEGALLY dissolving a marriage, so the couple can REMARRY Jesus banned it (In Mark – the bible) A COVENANT (agreement) with God CANNOT be broken ANNULMENT allowed e.g. where one partner not baptised ROMAN CATHOLICS Not Allowed PROTESTANTS Disapprove but Allowed Jesus allows divorce for ADULTERY in Matthew God FORGIVES people and allows them a NEW START

Family Life Types Nuclear Extended Reconstituted Christian Family Parents CARE for children’s physical needs (food etc.) Parents set good CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE (Pray together, go to church etc.) Children OBEY and RESPECT parents Children LOOK AFTER parents when old Why family important to Christians Basis of Society Created by God Where children taught right from wrong A major purpose of marriage How CHURCHES assist family life Baptisms/Dedications – parents promise a loving Christian home Sunday School, Family Services Cubs, Brownies, Girls’ and Boys’ Brigade Family Guidance Counselling

Christianity and Homosexuality Liberal Protestants –Homosexuals should be respected, but they should restrict their sex to one lifelong partner. Because: –The parts of the Bible that condemn homosexuality are from the culture of the time not from God. –Jesus never condemned homosexuals and said love is the most important thing.

Evangelical Protestants –It’s a sin and homosexuals should pray to be changed. Because: –The Bible says homosexuality is wrong. –The Holy Spirit can change people. Roman Catholics –Being a homosexual is not a sin but having homosexual sex is. Because –The bible says things against homosexuality. –The Pope and church traditionally say it’s wrong –Sex should be about creating a new life and this can’t be done in a homosexual relationship.

Christian attitudes to contraception Contraception – intentionally preventing pregnancy. The Roman Catholic Attitude They don’t allow it because… Marriage is to have children May encourage adultery There should always be the possibility of children The Pope says it is wrong

The Non-Catholic Attitude They allow it because… Contraception improves women’s health God made sex for enjoyment not just to have babies There’s nothing in the bible that forbids contraception Contraception stops STI’s and unwanted pregnancy

How an issue from Marriage and the Family has been presented in one form of the media Media: Issue: Why this was important and why the producers focused on this issue TV Programme Simpsons “Homer the Heretic” Family Life It shows the problems associated with bringing up a family in the Christian faith when parents disagree. It was chosen due to the influence of other religions in a increasingly Secular (non-religious) Society.

Outline of how the issue was presented Homer splits his trousers and refuses to go to church. Marge insists on taking the children without him and they have a miserable time at church (cold, boring, they get locked in the church) Homer has his best day ever and decides to start a new religion of his own. Marge tries to convince Homer to come back to church and explains how important it is that the children are brought up in her faith. Homer accidently sets his house on fire. All the people of the county, of different religions, come together to save his house. Homer starts to go back to church.

Was the issue presented fairly? Yes: It showed... that there’s a struggle between faith and Secular society how the actions of a father sets examples for his children (Bart agreeing with Homer and wanting to stay home) the common arguments for people who still believe in God (theists) but choose not to go to church “why should I go to church when I can worship you everywhere in my own way” No: It... gave the impression that all people are theists but don’t to church due to boredom showed children being forced to share a religion because of parent and not choice (Marge forcing the children to go to church) implied that going to church was more important than family life as Marge said she would choose ‘God’ over Homer

Was it fair to religious beliefs? Yes: It showed... how strongly people hold their faith that God is ‘good’ as it was said that He had nothing to do with the fire, but was working in the hearts of all who helped. This shows the key ideas of compassion and tolerance in all religions, as the people were from different faiths No: It... had ‘God’ agreeing with Homer about how going to a place of worship and keeping one day Holy was unnecessary gave the impression that there is a belief that God will punish anyone who doesn’t go to church (Homer refused to go and his house caught fire)

Was it fair to religious people? Yes: It showed... all religions working together to help someone who didn’t share their faith Marge committed to bringing up her children in the way she promised People committed to their faith as a family (the church was cold, but the Simpsons and Millhouse’s family still went to church) No: It showed... Homer refusing to help a different religion (Krusty collecting for ‘Jewish Clowns’) Rev Lovejoy and the church as boring and cold Christians (Ned) disregarding tolerance and risking safety (of his family & others) to convert Homer A Christian holding his religion higher than any other (referring to Apu’s religion of Hinduism as ‘miscellaneous’)