Section C: Relationships, Families and Children
Homosexuality
1. Atheists
· Love is involved, no one is hurt
2. Roman Catholics & some Anglicans
· Thoughts aren’t a sin but actions are
§ “No man is to have sexual relations with another man; God hates that” OT
§ “Men do shameful things with each other” NT
· Treat them with respect & compassion
· Homosexuals should control their sexual feelings by being celibate
û Sex is for procreation
3. Liberal Christians & some Anglicans
· Nature & quality of the relationship matters most
· Expresses true affection and gives pleasure to both individuals
· Jesus’ message of love and forgiveness
4. Some religious people
· Homosexual not equivalent to heterosexual
· Contrary to religious teachings
· Accept monogamous relationship; condemn promiscuity
Cohabitation: living together without being married
1. Atheists
· Sensible to find out whether relationship will work
2. Catholics
· Might have sexual relationships / temptation of sex
· Sex before marriage not allowed
· “human love does not tolerate trial marriages”
3. Liberals
· If it leads to children & marriage
· Good way to test relationship
Celibacy: remain unmarried and having no sexual relationships
1. Christians
· Sex to procreate à don’t want children
· Devote time to worship God e.g. nuns
· Self-control to overcome physical desires
· Don’t want to commit to a long-term relationship à pre-marital sex is sin
2. Atheists
· Avoid hereditary disease
· Don’t want children / control yourself (independent)
· No need to spend money on contraception
· More time to focus on yourself
· Unable to have sex
Marriage
1. Christians
· Procreation
§ “Have children so that your descendants will live all over the earth”
· Christian family
· Sexual relationship
· Provides support and companionship
· Holy relationship with God
2. Atheists
· Support and companionship
· Have children
Sex outside marriage
1. Christians
û Sex is an act of love and commitment
û Only be part of a meaning, loving relationship
ü Accept if marriage is likely to follow
2. Roman Catholics
û Sex only belongs within marriage
§ “Human love does not tolerate ‘trial marriages’ ”
3. Evangelical Protestants
û Bible
§ “Do not commit adultery” (10 commandments)
4. Liberals
ü Part of a loving relationship
ü No one is harmed / exploited
§ Jesus’ teaching that love matters most
5. Atheists
· Trust is broken & people are hurt
· Promiscuity: sex with a number of partners with commitment
§ Sex is a special act between people who care about each other
Divorce: legal process that ends a marriage
1. Atheists
ü If you’ve made a mistake, better to start again
û Marriage is a serious commitment, divorce shouldn’t be 1st option
û People will be hurt
û Children separated? Not a nuclear family
2. Anglicans
û Marriage is a lifelong commitment
û Children involved
ü Understand some relationships break down, divorce may be best option
ü Divorce is a matter of courts, not the Church
ü God will forgive
3. Roman Catholic
û Marriage is a sacrament (holy relationship & promises made with God)
û Better for couple to live apart
û Only death ends a marriage
4. Baptists
ü When marriage has broken down, may do more harm than good
ü Attempted all methods e.g. counselling, meditation
5. Jesus
û “No human being then must separate what God has joined together”
Remarriage: marrying another partner after a divorce
1. Roman Catholic
û Promises to God cannot be broken
û Catholics who do can’t take the Holy Communion
û Adultery, 3rd person in relationship
§ Sermon on the Mount
ü Annulment: marriage not legally valid, by the Church
2. Anglican
ü Allowed though some vicars may refuse to perform the service
§ Have determination for new marriage to be lifelong relationship?
§ Divorced more than once?
3. Atheists
û Hurt people from previous marriage
§ Children can’t adapt to new family e.g. reconstituted family
§ Divorced husband / wife hurt
Importance of family
1. Christians
· Home is a holy place with God’s presence & loving relationships
· Bring children up in Christian faith
2. Atheists
· Care
· Support
· Teaching
· Shelter
· Identity
Types of family
1. Nuclear: parents & children living as a unit
2. Extended: extends beyond nuclear, living together
3. Reconstituted: children from previous marriages becoming one family when their divorced parents marry each other
4. Homosexual parents / single parents
Roles in family
1. Parents
· Provide necessities
· Bring children up as Christians
· Make sure they are baptised & confirmed
2. Children
· Obey parents (10 commandments)
3. Homosexual parents / single parents
Help from Christian communities
1. Support family
4. Short-term childcare
5. Day nurseries, out-of-school care
6. Counselling for parenting skills
7. Short-term accommodation
2. Help families stay together
· Teach couples about marriage & family life
§ Couples understand importance of what they are taking on
· Counselling
· Discussion groups
Contraception: a means of preventing a woman from becoming pregnant
Ø Artificial e.g. contraception pill, condoms
Ø Natural e.g. sex in less fertile times of the month
1. Anglican
ü Sexual love is essential for partners to express & strengthen their love
ü Enables couples to enjoy sex
ü Allows couples to take responsibility for the size of their family
2. Roman Catholics
û Artificial, interfere with natural law
û Intefere with God’s intentions for the couple
û Use natural family planning methods to limit size
û Goes against purpose of Christian marriage e.g. procreation
3. Atheists
ü Making responsible choices
ü Prevent overcrowding & poverty
Fertility treatment
1. Artificial Insemination by Husband: husband’s sperm to women’s uterus
ü Agape
§ God gave us knowledge & ability to help infertile
§ Helping people who can’t conceive
§ Jesus healed people
û Old Testament
§ Having a baby is a gift, not a right
§ Unnatural sex
2. Artificial Insemination by Donor: donor sperm to woman’s uterus
û Catholics
§ Form of adultery, 3rd party into relationship
§ Child not biologically from both parents
3. IVF: egg + sperm in test tube then uterus
ü Catholics
§ Number of eggs fertilised put back in mother
ü Anglicans
§ Up to 14 days
û Protestants
§ Destroys spare fertilised embryos
§ SANCTITY OF LIFE, life is sacred
§ Life begins at contraception
4. Surrogacy: pregnant with someone else’s child
ü Christians
§ Child is genetically from parents
û Catholics
§ Introducing 3rd party into relationship
§ Playing God
Childlessness
1. Christians
ü Focus on relationship with God
ü Not ready to raise children
ü God’s choice for couple not to have children
û Purpose is procreation
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