Relstionships

• Homosexuality


  Being physically and sexually attracted to persons of the same gender
• In the UK, the Sexual Offences Act 1967 legalized homosexual acts between consenting men over 21, and the Equal Age of Consent Act 2001 aligned the age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual acts
• Same-sex marriage became legal in the UK in 2013
• Quran, Surah 26: 'Must you lust after MALES and abandon the wives God has created for you?
• St. Paul, 1 Corinthians: 'Men who have sex with men will not inherit the kingdom of God'
• Quakers: 'It is the nature and quality of the relationship that matters, not the gender of those involved'
• Imago Dei


  The belief that all humans are created in the image of God
• Jesus never condemned homosexuality and taught that love is the most important thing
• The Bible teaches to "be fruitful and multiply", which is seen as incompatible with same-sex relationships
• The Catechism states that homosexuality is "contrary to the natural law"
• Cohabitation


  Living together as a couple without being married
• Christians and Muslims condemn sex outside of marriage (adultery)
• Ten Commandments: 'Do not commit adultery'
• Quran, Surah 17: 'Adultery is an outrage and an evil path'
• Adultery goes against marriage vows and is seen as breaking a promise made in the presence of God and witnesses
• Hebrews 13:4: 'The marriage bed should be kept pure, and God will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral'
• Premarital sex is condemned in Christianity and Islam as it is seen as going against God's plan for sexual relationships within marriage
• Cohabitation is also condemned as it involves sex outside of marriage
• Some Christians and Muslims take a more liberal view, focusing on the quality and commitment of the relationship rather than the gender or marital status of the partners
• Adultery causes upset and harm, it is not a loving thing to do
• Quran: 'Those who engage in illicit sex acts will be punished'
• Contrasting beliefs about sex before marriage

  • Positive attitudes: Liberal Christians say it is not necessarily wrong between two consenting adults, as long as it is in a loving, committed relationship
  • Negative attitudes: Islam is very clear that sex must take place within marriage, and the Quran states you should remain chaste until you are ready for marriage
  • The Catholic Church says it is a grave sin to have sex outside of marriage
• Contraception


  Precautions taken to prevent pregnancy and protect against STIs
• Catechism of the Catholic Church: 'Artificial contraception is intrinsically evil'
• Reasons religious people may support the use of contraception

  • Church of England says it is acceptable within a committed, Christian relationship
  • Liberal Christians see it as a sensible method of family planning
  • Some Muslims believe it can be used within marriage for family planning or health reasons
  • Situation ethics says contraception may be the most loving, responsible, and wise thing to do
• Reasons religious people may oppose the use of contraception

  • Catholic Church says it denies God's role in the transmission of life
  • Conservative Christians say it may encourage sexual immorality and promiscuity
  • Some Muslims believe it interferes with God's will and could be considered early abortion
• Marriage

  A committed, lifelong relationship
• Christian beliefs about the purpose of marriage

  • To become one flesh
  • To have a committed, loving sexual relationship
  • To procreate and start a family
  • To fulfill the sacraments
• Islamic beliefs about the purpose of marriage

  • To procreate and start a family
  • To support and protect one another
  • To fulfill religious responsibilities
  • To provide stability to society
• The Catholic Church sees marriage as a vocation, a calling written into the nature of man and woman
• Cohabitation

  Living together without being married
• The Church of England accepts cohabitation if it will lead to marriage
• Marriage involves making vows, promises made during the marriage ceremony
• Reasons the Catholic Church opposes divorce

  • The belief that what God has joined together, no man can separate
  • The idea that in marriage, two people become one flesh in the eyes of God
• Annulment

  Where someone very important in the church (the pope) says the marriage is declared invalid, so that a valid marriage never happened
• In the Catholic Church, divorce is not allowed, but annulment can be sought instead
• Marriage in Christianity/Catholicism

  You become one flesh in the eyes of God, and so cannot be separated
• The Church of England accepts that marriages can fail and allows divorce and remarriage
• Jesus' teaching on divorce

  Divorce is only acceptable in cases of sexual immorality
• Situation ethics would say divorce may be the most loving thing to do in some situations