Theme A - relationships and families

Jewish attitudes to marriage and sex

the Torah and the Talmud declare marriage between man and woman as the only form of lawful sex

in judaism the primary aim of sex is to have chuldren and as homosexual sex has no possibility of reproduction its wrong

mitzvot declares that Jewish adults should marry and raise family to continue Jewish race and faith

mordern revised Jewish attitudes to homosexuality - mostly liberal or reform

• they believe the Torah needs to be reinterpreted in the light of the modern world as scientists now believe sexual orientation is genetic it must be natural and now so God given

• Rabbis teach that Jews should treat others as they want to be treated which must mean accepting homosexuals, they feel that labelling homosexuality is wrong as it leads to homophobia

• liberal or reofrm groups see homosexuality as acceptable and there have been homosexual rabbis but htey see heterosexual marriage as the ideal state

quotes - jewish and christian against homosexuality

lev 18 ‘‘do not lie with a man, as one lies with a women, that is detestable

gen 2 ‘‘a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and they will become one flesh’’

gen ‘‘be fruitful and increase in number;;

reasons and quotes - jewish and christianity for homosexuality

lev 19 ‘‘do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself’’

accepting homosexuality

scientists now belive that sexual orientation is genetic, if homosexuality is natural, then it must be God-given and therefore cannot be wrong

labelling homosexuality is wrong as it leads to homophobia

homophobia may lead to discrimination and therefore is wrong

Jewish attitudes against sexual relationships before and outside marriage

• orthodox views discourage premarital sex, only marital sex provides emotional, spiritual and physical fulfilment for the sexual partners; produces children in a healthy Jewish environemnt and foritfies the Jewish home, an anchor of the Jewish people in the era of increasing assimilatin

• sex before marriage marriage goes against God’s design for sex and marriage

• Gen 1 and 2

• - sex is for procreation, children should only be born into a nuclear family (man and woman)

• talmud says jews should avoid sex outside marriage

• Lev 18:19 a man is forbidden from having sexual intercourse with a niddah, a menstruating women

Jewish attitudes for sexual relationships before and outside marriage

• reform jews do not always condemn it as long as the couple are commited and intend to marry in the future

• when Judan sleeps with his daughter in law Tamar, mistaking her for a prostitute (gen 38) he is never convemned for the sexual act, only for avoiding his livirate responsibilities

• when King David in his old age is able to keep warm a young virgin, Abishag the Shunammite, is bought to share his bed and wait on him Kings 1

• the bible is unembarrased about the sexual activities of its major personalities.

• incest and adultery = forbidden

attitudes to adultery

• condemned by God in the 10 commandments

• Exodus 20 - breaks the lifelong marriage contract that a married couple promise to keep

• harms the family as family life is very important for teaching children about Jewish faith and practise, children are the future of Judaism

• however, many biblical figures had multiples wives e.g. jacob

Christian belief in vocation

the belief that someone has had a divine call to live a religious life and are called by God to serve him. Any Christian may have vocation to serve God

Christian quote for homosexuality

Galatians 3 - all humans are equal in the eyes of god

Christian quotes against homosexuality

Corinthian 6 - no homosexual person will go to heaven

Genesis 1- one of the purposes of marriage is porcreation, not possible in gay marriage ‘‘Be fruitful and multiple and fill the Earth’’

Judaism quotes against homosexuality

Genesis 1- one of the purposes of marriage is porcreation, not possible in gay marriage ‘‘Be fruitful and multiple and fill the Earth’’

Leviticus 18 ‘‘You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; such a thing is an abomination.’’

Christian quotes against sex outside of marriage

Catechism 23:90 The sexual act must take place exclusively within marriage. Outside of marriage it always constitutes a grave sin

Corinthians ‘‘In their sexual relationship, a husband and wife become “one flesh” in a way that is under God's blessing’’

‘‘the sexually immoral person sins against his own body’’

Judaism against sex outside of marriage

The Torah never explicitly forbids non-marital sex

• reform Jew may believe that sex is ok as long as the pair are in a commited relationship and intent to marry.

• genesis 1 Be fruitful, and multiply

Catholic Christianity against contraception

Catholic church - Pope Pius XI condemned all forms of artificial conception

 Catholics beleive in the natural family planning method (restricting sex to the infertile period of a womans menstrual cycle) as the Church teaches that artificial methods of contraception goes against Gods intentions to not separate the unitive and creative aspects of sex.

non- Catholic Christianity for contraception

• permissable if they are used to restrict the size of the family as oppose to having sex at all

• Christianity is about love and justice and contraception holds thec capacity to preserve the womans health and raises living conditions as parents dont have as many kids to provide for

• John : ‘‘I am come that they might have life, and have it in abundance.’’ good shepard concerned for his crop

Judaism against contraception

Genesis - SIn of Onan - contraception that harms sperm is wrong

Christianity quotes marriage

Ephesians - ‘‘Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and he gave himself up for her’’ - a husband's love for his wife reflect the relationship of Christ and the Church

Genesis - ‘‘ a man is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.’’

nature of families Christianity quotes

Catechism - Catholics believe that the family was created by God and is the right place to bring up children. The Family is the 'domestic Church' (The Catechism) because the family is a place to learn; what is right or wrong, about the faith and how to pray.

corinthians - polygamy, only marry one person to prevent sexual immorality ‘‘to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband’’

Colossians 3:20-21 - obey parents, do not embitter your children

Judaism nature of Family

Family is very important

Exodus Role of chilren -’’Honour your father and your mother’’

Role of men and women, equal but different

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ‘‘If you destroy the family you will destroy civilization. A strong wholesome family is the strength of society’’

proverbs 17:6 ‘‘Grandchildren are the crown of their elders. And the glory of the children is their parents’’

gender equality Christianity

Galatians 3:28 - all humans are equal in the eyes of God

Liberal - yes - Jesus treated women as equals; Galatians 3:28

no gender equality Christianity

Ephesians 5:22 - women submit to your husbands as to the lord

1 Timothy 2:11 - women cannot have authority over men

Catholic Christians - no - Jesus chose men as disciples; Jesus was a man and the priest represents him in a mass

Judaism for gender equality

Women are separate but equal (Orthodox belief)

Genesis 1:27 - many Jewish scholars say the first human was dual gender

The ten commandments require respect for both the mother and father

Exodus 32:2 - Golden Calf - women are more righteous because they'd didn't worship it

Shekhinah often described as the female aspect of God

Christianity views against divorce

Corinthians ‘‘A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.’’

Christianity views for divorce

Sometimes divorce can be the lesser of 2 evils

Roman Catholic Church: Annulment sometimes posible - declaration the marriage was never a true marriage (having sex within a year of marriage, consummating the marriage)

Judaism for divorce

• recognised the concept of ‘‘no-fault’’ divorce thousands of years ago and accepts divorce as a fact of life, think its better to divorce or than to remain together in a state of constant bitterness and strife.

• Talmud specificallys ays a man can 'divorce a women because she spoiled his dinner or because he finds another woman more attractive. Womean's consent isnt required.

• Acceopt in certain cases of misconduct by the wife, a man who divorces his wife is required to pay her substancial sums of money as specified in the ketubah

Judaism against divorce

The Talmud teaches that divorce is an offence to God: “If a man divorces his wife, even the altar of the Temple sheds tears”

Divorce harms children and their upbringing

Marriage is a contract between husband and wife, that can be broken in some circumstances

'her former husband who set her away may not take her again to be his wife... For that is an abomination before the lord.'