christianity

• Christian family


  The original cell of social life
• Types of Christian families

  • Nuclear families
  • Stepfamilies
  • Extended families
  • Same-sex parents
• God


  The Father, creator, and sustainer of all living things
• Christian teachings refer to God as the Father, creator, and sustainer of all living things
• Many Christians see the family unit as important for society and the Christian faith, as it reflects God's parental care for all humanity
• Purposes of the Christian family

  • To provide a secure environment for family through marriage
  • To procreate
  • To raise children in the Christian faith
• Marriage


  A covenant between God and the couple, where the couple's love reflects the sacred love Christ has for the Church
• Many Christians believe the main purpose of marriage is to honour God by following His command to leave their parents and become husband and wife
• Many Christians interpret the command "Be fruitful and multiply" to mean that a couple should have children, which are seen as a gift from God
• Sacrament of marriage (Roman Catholic)


  A public sign that an individual is giving themselves, totally, to another person, with God at the centre of the loving union
• Polygamy is illegal in the UK and not commonly accepted within Christianity, although some denominations allow it
• Jesus taught that anyone who divorced and remarried, except for sexual immorality, was committing adultery
• The Roman Catholic Church does not recognise divorce, and a marriage can only end when one partner dies or if there are grounds for an annulment
• Christian denominations' views on divorce

  • Catholic Church: Does not recognise divorce
  • Protestant Churches: Divorce is not desirable but can happen when all other attempts to save the marriage have failed
  • Anglican Church: Allows divorce if the marriage has truly broken down and cannot be repaired, with permission from the Bishop
  • Methodist Church and United Reformed Church: Accept divorce and remarriage as part of Christian teaching of forgiveness
• All Christian denominations allow widows and widowers to remarry as their first marriage has ended in death
• There is a range of views within Christian denominations towards same-sex relationships
• The legal ending of a marriage is known as divorce
• There is a divergence of views within Christian denominations about divorce
• In many instances, the Church will offer marriage counselling to try to help prevent a divorce
• Although not all Christian denominations accept remarriage, many Christians believe that a forgiving God would allow couples a second chance of happiness after the break-up of their first marriage
• Christian teachings allow widows and widowers to remarry as their first marriage has ended in death
• Marriage


  A man will leave his parents and join his wife
• Families come to celebrate the love and union of the couple, supporting them as they start their married life together
• Same-sex relationships in Christianity


  The legal changing of the definition of marriage in the UK, to include same-sex couples has caused debate in many Christian organisations and communities
• Some Christians use teachings from the Bible and Church traditions as evidence for not accepting that marriage should include same-sex couples
• Be fruitful and multiply: 'Genesis 1:28'
• Argument against same-sex marriage

  These couples cannot fulfil "be fruitful and multiply" through natural conception
• The Catholic Church and many Evangelical Christian Churches teach that marriage excludes same-sex relationships, as they believe that homosexual acts go against divine and natural law
• In some of St Paul's letters included in the Bible, he condemns men who have sex with men as "unrighteous" and claims that men who practise homosexuality will not "inherit the Kingdom of God"
• Interpretation of Biblical verses about homosexuality has caused debate between many Christians, with some denominations arguing that the biblical teachings are outdated and don't reflect modern views
• Some Christians accept that monogamous homosexual relationships can have the same values that are central to a Christian marriage
• Some Christian denominations, including the Quakers and the United Reformed Church, have conducted same-sex weddings since the new legislation came into effect, in 2013
• Wandsworth Preparative Meeting, 1989: 'We affirm the love of God for all people, whatever their sexual orientation … to reject people on the grounds of their sexual orientation is a denial of God's creation'
• 1 Corinthians 7:9: 'But if they can't control themselves, they should get married, because it's better to marry than to burn with passion'
• The Catholic Church teaches that sex should only take place within marriage
• Hebrews 13:4: 'Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral'
• Cohabitation


  Many Christians accept that, although marriage is preferred, cohabitation is acceptable where there is faithfulness, loyalty and commitment within a long-term relationship
• Pope Francis teaches that marriage is the appropriate context for sexual relationships, but he has also stated that this is a matter of conscience, rather than a strict rule
• The Joy of Love (2016): 'In such cases, respect can also be shown for those signs of love, which in some way, reflect God's own love'
• Exodus 20:14: 'You shall not commit adultery'