Theme A: relationships & families

• Annulment is a statement by the Catholic Church that there was no valid marriage in the first place
• divorce is the legal ending of a marriage
• remarriage is when a person who has been married before goes on to marry another person
• some reasons for annulment:

  • one person continued having affairs after marriage = not taking exclusive nature of marriage seriously
  • couple did not have sex or insisted on using contraception = not prepared to live by promise to lovingly accept children from god
  • couple were forced or pressured to get married = therefore did not enter marriage freely & willingly
• since there was no proper marriage in the first place, anyone granted annulment is free to marry again in the Catholic Church
• after a divorce, a couple cannot remarry in the Catholic Church
• the Catholic Church does not accept the possibility of remarriage as:

  • the couple’s promises included ‘till death do us part’ = promises cannot be broken as were made in front of god & witnesses
  • god made man & woman to be united as one and no human has the ability to break this bond
  • jesus taught anyone who was married & then remarried another is committing adultery
• divorce quote?

  ’jesus said… ’whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her’‘
• the church accepts the need for a couple to legally divorce however does not accept that a couple can marry again in the church, until the other spouse has died
• many British people would claim that if a couple has fallen out of love, there is little point in remaining married - especially if there are children being affected

  • however some would argue that as it is so easy to get a divorce, people don’t try hard enough to make their marriages work
• some people, especially catholics, would argue that if a couple has made the marriage promises they should stick by them regardless of how the relationship develops

  • marriage promises are sacred & were made in full awareness of what the couple were committing to
• catholics believe that marriage is a sacrament (a holy act) between two individuals which is blessed by God and therefore should only take place once
• some believe that if a marriage is causing a couple great emotional distress, divorce may be the best and most compassionate solution
• according to catholic teaching, the only time when remarriage can happen is when the original spouse has died

  • this is as the marriage has ended naturally
  • therefore the remaining partner is free to remarry
• If a person has divorced and remarried while the original partner is still alive, they cannot receive communion
• both male and female were created in the image of god and so are of equal importance and are designed to complement each other
• genesis quote?

  'so god created humankind in his image, in the image of god he created them; male and female he created them. god blessed them, and god said to them, 'be fruitful and multiply'
• both men and women are created in the image of god and blessed by him, and therefore they are equal

  • 'god blessed them'
• god created men and women

  • 'male and female he created them'
• men and women are expected to procreate

  • 'be fruitful and multiply'
• in genesis 2, god takes adam (humanity) and splits it into two complementary parts

  • shows the idea of equality between the sexes, as men & women complement each other
  • together each person is able to give the other what the other lacks, producing a harmony that is not possible alone
• the nature and purpose of sexual love:

  • sexual intercourse should be within marriage
  • sex should be open to creating new life (procreative)
  • sex should be unitive
• sexual intercourse should be within marriage

  • sacrament of marriage allows people to commit themselves publicly & exclusively to each other
  • the promises made before god in the church include a commitment to be together for life
  • after promises made, they are consummated by physical union of sex = for a marriage to be valid, sex must have taken place
  • sex is not allowed before or outside of marriage
• sex should be unitive

  • sexual love expresses and deepens a couples' love for each other
  • 'the two shall become one flesh'
  • adultery is forbidden as it destroys the unity of the married couple
• sex should be procreative

  • through sex god creates new life
  • the catholic marriage ceremony contains the commitment to accept children lovingly from god
  • 'each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life'
• in pope john paul ii's theology of the body, he said:

  • god loves every person and created both sexes to have dignity and value
  • the full meaning of the body is appreciated through a deep relationship with the opposite sex in marriage
  • sex is an essential part of marriage & should only occur within marriage
  • true mutual love includes only having the number of children that can be lovingly cared for
• marital sex:

  • unites a couple in love
  • brings two people into a communion of persons
  • shows commitment, mutual love & respect = leading to greater intimacy
  • gives the possibility of creating new life
  • can make use of natural infertile periods to reduce chances of pregnancy = sometimes it is more loving to express love through non-sexual acts
• extramarital sex:

  • is a form of exploitation for personal pleasure
  • can make people selfish, caring only for themselves & not for their marriage partner
  • adultery breaks marriage vows & shows no commitment to a spouse
  • is a sin & distorts god's original plan for human beings
  • can lead others to think of people as sex objects & not individuals with dignity and value
• other christian denominations agree that sex should only occur within marriage & that sex should be treated with respect and consideration

  • catholic teaching says that sex should always be open to the creation of new life, however some christians may disagree with this point
• some people in britain have casual sex with many different partners as this is a social norm

  • many people, including some christians, also view using contraceptives as a responsible way of preventing pregnancy & sexually transmitted diseases
• the catholic church teaches that sex should be between a man and a woman, exclusively within marriage

  • adultery is seen as wrong and an act of betrayal
• homosexual sex is not acceptable within the catholic church
• sex before marriage quote?

  'because love is so great, so sacred, and so unique, the church teaches young people to wait until they are married before they can start to have sexual relations'
• • sex before marriage devalues or trivialises it
  • as there has been no sex before marriage there is no danger of sexually transmitted diseases
  • the gift of virginity offered in marriage makes both husband and wife feel special, privileged and loved
• other christian denominations generally share the catholic view that sex should be saved for marriage

  • many christians & non-christians in british society do have sex before marriage
  • some have casual sex & use contraceptives to prevent pregnancy
• adultery is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person & a person who is not their spouse
• • the catholic church teaches that adultery breaks the vows made in marriage = 'to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse'
  • it betrays trust within the marriage & causes suffering
  • it brings distress and tensions into the home, causing the whole family to be unhappy
  • it can cause a break-up of a marriage
• contrasting views about adultery?

  it may break a marriage promise, but there may be a reason why eg if one partner refuses to have sex; some may not have made a 'life-long' promise

  • personal happiness is important even if it may cause harm to another
  • there may be other reasons why the marriage is breaking up, eg an unhappy marriage
  • maybe the couple made a serious mistake in getting married & have found a more suitable partner
• catholic church teachings on homosexuality?

  sex should be open to the possibility of making new life

  • homosexuals should live celibate lives
  • homosexual relations are not acceptable as there is no possibility of new life
  • people are loved by god regardless of their sexual orientation, so should be treated with respect
• contrasting views on homosexuality?

  the church of england supports the idea of same-sex civil partnerships

  • same-sex marriage was legalised in 2014 in england & wales, reflecting the views of many in british society
  • some united reformed churches perform same-sex marriages