Personal and family issues

• Celibacy


  Remaining unmarried and without sexual relationships for religious reasons
• Virgin


  Someone who has never had sexual relations
• Chastity


  To abstain from sexual relations
• Vocation


  The Christian belief that God calls people to a certain job
• Homosexual


  A person who is sexually attracted to someone of the same sex
• Lesbian


  A female who is sexually attracted to someone of the same sex
• Heterosexual


  A person who is sexually attracted to someone of the opposite sex
• Singleness


  To be without a sexual or marriage partner
• Adultery


  Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse
• Monogamy


  Having only one sexual partner
• Marriage


  A legally recognised union of two people as partners in a personal relationship
• Inter-church marriage


  A Christian marriage between a man and a woman who belong to different denominations
• Genesis 2:24: ''That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife and they become one.''
• Exodus 20:14: ''Do not commit adultery.''
• Mark 10:9: ''No human being then must separate, then, what God has joined together.''
• Ephesians 5:25-33: ''Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.''
• Christians believe that marriage was designed by God and is therefore sacred
• God intended that a man and a woman should become one
• Marriage is exclusive - a married couple must be faithful to one another
• Marriage is permanent - the bond between the couple is made in the presence of God and should last for a lifetime
• Marriage is based on love and respect, the love which Christ has for the Church
• Christian teaching on marriage

  • Sacred (given by God)
  • Exclusive (no sexual relationships other than between marriage partners)
  • Permanent (a lifelong union)
• Church wedding ceremony


  1. Minister, pastor or priest asks both the bride and groom if they want to marry the other person

  2. Shows that Christian marriage is a relationship that is freely entered into by both people
• Church teaching on marriage

  • The Presbyterian Church
  • The Church of Ireland
  • The Roman Catholic Church
  • The Methodist Church
• Church of Ireland Marriage Council, 1996: '"Children are the supreme gift of marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves."'
• Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, 1992: '"Children are the supreme gift of marriage and contribute greatly to the good of the parents themselves."'
• Methodist Conference, 1980: '"Christian marriage has a two-fold purpose - fellowship and parenthood. Permanence in the union is an essential condition."'
• Wedding ceremony


  An outward, public sign of a couple's love and commitment
• Church wedding


  Christians believe marriage should take place in a church because it is not just a legal agreement but a sacred bond made before God
• Non-religious ceremony


  A couple may choose not to marry in a church and have a ceremony performed by a registrar
• Declaration of purpose


  The minister, pastor or priest speaks about the importance and purpose of marriage
• Vows


  Promises, usually relating to baptism or marriage
• Rings


  Symbolise the promise of unending love and the exclusive commitment each partner is making
• The unending circle of a ring symbolises eternity and hope that the marriage will be everlasting
• The prayers, Bible readings and sermon during the wedding ceremony emphasise the importance of love and commitment in a marriage
• Sacred


  Marriage is a sacred bond
• Exclusive


  Marriage involves an exclusive commitment between two people
• Permanent


  Marriage is intended to be a permanent relationship
• Having children and bringing them up in the Christian faith is an important part of marriage
• Married couples have a higher average income and are more likely to own their own home than families led by single adults