Themes A and B

• Adultery

  A married person having a sexual relationship with someone other than their spouse.
• Artificial Contraception

  Precautions taken to prevent pregnancy and to protect against contracting or transmitting STIs (sexually transmitted infections), eg condoms, contraceptive pill.
• Annulment


  The declaration by the Catholic Church that there was no valid marriage in the first place, so it becomes null and void.
• Cohabitation


  A couple living together without being married/in civil partnership.
• Compassion


  Sympathy and concern for the suffering of others.
• Discrimination


  Actions that come from prejudice attitudes
• Divorce

  The legal ending of a marriage.
• Equality


  Belief that everyone is equal in value and worth.
• Gender discrimination


  Acting on prejudices against someone because of their gender.
• Gender prejudice

  Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person or group based on their gender.
• Homosexuality

  Being sexually/physically attracted to persons of the same gender.
• Marriage


  The sacrament in which a couple pledge their love to each other for life by making vows.
• Prejudice


  Negative thoughts, feelings or beliefs about a person (prejudging them) based on a characteristic they have, eg their sexuality or ethnicity.
• Procreation


  Having a child; seen as a duty in many religions.
• Sanctity


  The belief that something is blessed by God and is holy/sacred.
• Vows


  Promises made during a marriage ceremony.
• Bullying


  Seeking to repeatedly harm or intimidate someone using actions, words, threats.
• Civilian casualties


  People who are not part of fighting in a war (i.e. not part of the armed forces) who are killed during the conflict.
• Conflict


  Dispute between sides, can be between individuals, groups or nations.
• Conflict resolution


  Two or more parties working to find peaceful solutions to their conflicts.
• Forgiveness


  Letting go of blame against a person for wrongs they have done; moving on.
• Holy war


  Fighting for a religious cause or God, to defend the religion and belief. Believed to be sanctioned by God.
• Human dignity


  Being worthy of respect and honour; belief that all human beings deserve to be treated with dignity because they are part of God's creation in his image.
• Injustice


  A lack of fairness or justice.
• Just War Theory


  The Christian set of conditions that a war needs to meet before it can be justified.
• Justice


  Bringing fairness back to a situation.
• Martydom


  A person who is killed for their religious beliefs (martyr), and accepts death rather than renouncing their faith.
• Nonviolent resistance


  Working to achieve social change/public goals such as the end of conflict without using violence, e.g. protests.
• Nuclear deterrence

  Having nuclear weapons with the aim of deterring/preventing other states attacking for fear of retaliation and nuclear war (possibly leading to Mutually Assured Destruction).
• Nuclear weapons/war

  A weapon of mass destruction which causes widespread damage and loss of life. Nuclear war would be a war fought using these weapons.
• Pacifism


  The belief of people who refuse to take part in war and any other form of violence.
• Peace making


  Trying to get rid of the causes of tension that lead to conflict; working to bring about peace and reconciliation.
• Radicalisation

  Adopting extreme views on religious, social or political issues.
• Reconciliation


  Restoring harmony after relationships have broken down.
• Refugee

  A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
• Righteous anger


  Anger that is justified/motivated by worthy cause such as injustice or mistreatment.
• Terrorism


  Use of violence and threats to intimidate others; used for political purposes to build fear in the ordinary population and to secure demands from Government.
• Torture


  The action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something.
• Violent protests


  A statement or action to express disagreement; can be an organised event to demonstrate disagreement with a policy or political action.
• War

  Armed conflict between two or more sides.