Key Terms

• Adultery

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

  To legally end a marriage
• Cohabitation

  To live together in a sexual relationship, without being married, or in a civil partnership
• Commitment

  A sense of dedication and obligation to someone or something
• Contraception

  Methods used to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant during or following sexual intercourse
• Gender equality

  People of all genders enjoying the same rights and opportunities in all aspects of their lives
• Responsibilities

  Actions/duties you are expected to carry out
• Roles

  Position, status or function of a person in society, as well as the characteristics and social behaviour expected of them
• Good

  That which is considered morally right, beneficial and to our advantage
• Evil

  That which is considered extremely immoral, wicked and wrong
• Forgiveness

  To grant pardon for a wrongdoing; to give up resentment and the desire seek revenge against a wrongdoer
• Free will

  The ability to make choices voluntarily and independently. The belief that nothing is pre-determined
• Justice

  Fairness; where everyone has equal provisions and opportunity
• Morality

  Principles and standards determining which actions are right or wrong
• Punishment

  A penalty given to someone for a crime or wrong they have done
• Sin

  Deliberate immoral action, breaking a religious or moral law
• Suffering

  Pain or distress caused by injury, illness or loss. Suffering can be physical, emotional/psychological or spiritual
• Afterlife

  Life after death; the belief that existence continues after physical death
• Environmental sustainability

  Ensuring that the demands placed on natural resources can be met without reducing capacity to allow all people and other species of animals, as well as plant life, to live well, now and in the future
• Euthanasia

  From Greek, eu 'good' + thanatos 'death'. Sometimes referred to as 'mercy killing. The act of killing or permitting the death of a person who is suffering from a serious illness
• Evolution

  The process by which different living creatures are believed to have developed from earlier, less complex forms during the history of the earth
• Abortion

  When a pregnancy is ended so that it does not result in the birth of a child
• Quality of life

  The extent to which life is meaningful and pleasurable
• Sanctity of life

  The belief that life is precious, or sacred. For many religious believers, only human life holds this special status
• Soul

  The spiritual aspect of a being; that which connects someone to God. The soul is often regarded as non-physical and as living on after physical death, in an after life
• Censorship

  The practice of suppressing and limiting access to materials considered obscene, offensive or a threat to security. People may also be restricted in their speech by censorship laws
• Discrimination

  Acts of treating groups of people, or individuals differently, based on prejudice
• Extremism

  Believing in and supporting ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable
• Human rights

  The basic entitlements of all human beings, afforded to them simply because they are human
• Personal conviction

  Something a person strongly feels or believes in
• Prejudice

  Pre-judging; judging people to be inferior or superior without cause
• Absolute poverty

  An acute state of deprivation, whereby a person cannot access the most basic of their human needs
• Relative poverty

  A standard of poverty measured in relation to the standards of a society in which a person lives, e.g. living on less than X% of average UK income
• Social justice

  Promoting a fair society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity. Ensuring that everyone has equal access to provisions, equal opportunities and rights