Rs- relationships

• Different types of families:

  • Nuclear (the most common type of modern family)
  • Extended family
  • Reconstituted family(step-parents and step-children families)
  • Single parent family
  • childless family
• Christian teachings on marriage:

  • marriage is the basis of family life
  • it is a god-given sacrament
  • It is the best environment for bringing children into the world
  • it is a lifelong commitment
  • It is a rite of passage full of symbolism
• L- lifelong commitment

  O- obedience to God

  V- vows are taken in God's presence so are binding

  E- extending the christian family (procreation)
• Key quotes for marriage and families:

  LB- "a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife" (genesis 2)

  LB- it should be the start of a christian life together " it is not good for man to be alone" (genesis 2)

  RC- women made from Adam's rib 'a helper'

  RC- "wives submit yourselves to your own husbands" St Paul in Ephesians 5

  NR- Traditional boundaries are outdated

  NR- Gender does not define family roles
• Christian attitudes to cohabitation:

  LB- They are tolerant of cohabitation but believe marriage is the ideal- "A step along the way to the fuller commitment of marriage"

  RC- Believe it is wrong as pre-marital sex is fornication- sec joins a couple as "one flesh" (genesis 2) which can only happen in marriage
• Christian attitudes to adultery:

  • LP/RC- Breaks the 7th commandment- "thou shalt not commit adultery" (exodus 20)
  • LP- Pre marital sex may be acceptable- sex can be unitive as well as creative
  • RC- marriage is a sacrament- "sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and woman" (catechism)
• Attitudes to divorce:

  • LP- Can be the 'lesser of two evils'- "some marriages fail for all sorts of sad and painful reasons" (C of E statement)
  • RC- Jesus' teachings are absolute so divorce is always wrong-" what God has united man must not divide"
  • NR-marriage is not "sacred"-unhappy marriages cause misery
• Beliefs around the nature and purpose of sex:

  • LP- Unitive as well as creative- sexual desire and relationships are celebrated in the bible, e.g. song of Solomon
  • RC- Part of christian duty- married couples should "transmit human life" (catechism)
  • NR- does not need to be creative- sex is not a sin and should be a healthy part of a stable relationship
• Attitudes to contraception:

  • LP- Can improve quality of life- "love thy neighbour" they believe in protecting women's health and preventing the spread of STI's
  • RC- creative as well as unitive- reproduction is a 'primary precept'
  • NR- can improve quality if life- If contraception 'results in every child being a wanted child...it must be a good thing"(BHA)
• Attitudes to same sex relationships:

  • LP- accept it is not someone's choice but rather their nature- Good samaritan, "love thy neighbour" (Luke 10)
  • RC- sex can't be creative so isn't acceptable- God tells Adam and Eve to "Be fruitful and multiply"
  • RC- Homosexuality is a sin- "under no circumstances can homosexual acts be approved"(Catechism)
  • NR- pro same sex marriage- no reason to disapprove
• Attitudes to roles of women in worship/authority:

  • LP- promote gender equality- "neither male or female in Christ" (St Paul, Galatians 3)
  • RC- Do not ordain women- cannot take on Jesus' roles in the eucharist
  • NR- against sexism- wrong for religion to be able to discriminate against women