EDUQAS GCSE RS Relationships

Name 5 different types of family

Blended

Extended

Nuclear

Single parent

Same sex

Explain 4 ways relationships and family life have changed

Less people getting married/more couples cohabiting Marriage has declined by almost 50% since the 1970s and cohabitation is now more common

More children born outside marriage Nearly half of all children are now born outside marriage and there is no longer a stigma associated with illegitimacy

Same sex marriage now legal Same sex couples have the same rights to marriage and families are often blended/single parent/same sex rather than nuclear

More divorces Divorce is now far more common and accepted, even by some branches of Christianity

Name 4 influences on changes in relationships and family life

Decline in religion

Improved contraception

More liberal attitudes e.g. to sexuality

Cost of weddings

Pressures of 21st century causing families to break down

Give 4 developed reasons why family life is important for Christians

Bible Ephesians 6:1-4 gives advice on family life showing its significance in Christianity

Purpose of marriage Marriage ceremonies emphasise bringing up a family as one of the purposes of marriage e.g. praying for the gift of children

Where children learn to believe in God Family is the place where children are introduced to the faith through baptism and being taken to church so it helps Christianity to grow

Morals A strong family base teaches the difference between right and wrong and helps children to live a good life in the future thereby reducing evil in the world

Give 3 developed arguments to support the statement that 'Family life is more important for Christians than for non-religious people'.

Purpose of marriage is to have children and bring them up in a secure and loving Christian environment

Ephesians 6:1-4 The Bible specifically teaches about the significance of family life (also commented on in the 4th commandment)

Church Christian families will visit church together where the importance of family life will be stressed in sermons and prayers

Give 3 developed arguments against the statement that 'Family life is more important for Christians than for non-religious people'

Irrelevant A family's religion is no marker of the significance they place on family life, it comes from the way in which the parents themselves were brought up and how strong their family unit was

More freedom Parents don't have to force children to be religious. For example, they can talk more openly about other viewpoints.

No guarantee Just because a family are Christian doesn't mean they put family at the heart of their life, they are just as likely as non-religious people to put more of an emphasis on other things

What are vows?

Promises each partner in a couple makes to the other during a wedding ceremony

What vows do couples make in the Christian marriage ceremony?

'for better for worse; for richer for poorer; in sickness and in health; till death us do part'

What do the rings symbolise?

That marriage, like a circle, is endless

What do the prayers in a Christian marriage ceremony demonstrate?

Show that God is central to the ceremony and the future marriage

What are the 4 purposes of Christian marriage?

Life long commitment

Obedience to God

Vows are taken in God's presence so are binding

Extending the Christian family

Give 4 developed explanations of how the purposes of Christian marriage are shown in a Christian wedding ceremony.

Life long commitment Vows commit partners to lifetime marriage and restrict sex to each to each other e.g. 'till death do us part', exchange of rings symbolises unending nature of marriage, 'a symbol of unending love and faithfulness'

Obedience to God Genesis 2:24: 'a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh' Ceremony - 'Marriage is a gift of God in creation...a way of life made holy by God'

Vows are taken in God's presence Marriage is a RC sacrament (a religious ceremony in which God is believed to be present and active), 'In the presence of God I make this vow', and an RC ceremony would include Eucharist

Extending the Christian family 'Marriage is given as the foundation of family life in which children are born and nurtured' (quote from the ceremony)

What does the Church of England Synod say about marriage?

'permanent and lifelong'

'procreation and nurture of children'

'to the exclusion of all others on either side'

Give 3 developed arguments to support the statement that 'The main purpose of a Christian marriage is to have children'.

C of E Synod Marriage is for the 'procreation and nurture of children'. A Christian couple having children and bringing them up in a Christian family is the only way for God to continue His race and therefore the duty of a married Christian couple

Christian Wedding Ceremony Emphasises procreation, including a prayer for the gift of children and St. Augustine wrote 'The union, then, of male and female for the purpose of procreation is the natural good of marriage'

Genesis Christians are told to 'go forth and multiply', a married couple 'become one flesh' and because God created sex for procreation this is the purpose of their marriage

Give 3 developed arguments against the statement that 'The main purpose of a Christian marriage is to have children'.

Love and faithfulness Main purpose is that the couple have a life-long relationship and keep their vows of not committing adultery and loving each other until they die Support and comfort Main purpose is to create a supportive relationship in which a couple work alongside God to support each other

Optional references References in the ceremony to the gift of children are optional and the main purpose of a Christian marriage can't be to have children because people who don't want/can't have children still have successful Christian marriages

Give 3 developed arguments to support the statement that 'There's no difference between living with a partner and being married to them'.

Just a piece of paper The only difference for a married couple is a certificate, this doesn't change the nature of a relationship

No restrictions Now sex before marriage is commonly practised/accepted there are no restrictions on a cohabiting couple that marriage lifts

Outdated Marriage is an outdated institution which puts unnecessary pressure on a couple to stay together

Give 3 developed arguments against the statement that 'There's no difference between living with a partner and being married to them'.

Commitment You can just walk out on a partner you live with, marriage makes this much more complicated, showing a deeper commitment

Legal/financial security Being married in law gives each partner legal and financial rights during the marriage and in the case of a divorce

Religion Religious marriage ceremonies involve vows taken before God making the couple likely to take them seriously and stay together, living together doesn't involve any vows

Give 4 developed reasons why most Christian are against sex outside marriage.

10 Commandments Exodus 20:14, 7th commandment commands Christians not to commit adultery - sex outside marriage

Catechism 'The sexual act must always take place exclusively within marriage', taught and encouraged by Christian Churches

Procreation Sex was given to humans by God for procreation of children, and children should be brought up in a Christian family

Marriage vows Sex outside marriage breaks the wedding vows to be faithful to each other, taken before God - 'forsaking all others'

Give 3 developed arguments to support the statement that 'Christians should never have sex outside marriage'.

10 Commandments Exodus 20:14 , 7th commandment commands Christians not to commit adultery - sex outside marriage

Catechism 'The sexual act must always take place exclusively within marriage', taught and encouraged by Christian Churches

Procreation Sex was given to humans by God for procreation of children, and children should be brought up in a Christian family

Give 3 developed arguments against the statement that 'Christians should never have sex outside marriage'.

Outdated Society now accepts pre-marital sex and the Church should change with the times, when the Bible is was unconventional and not socially accepted, things have changed

Commitment Sex is for a long term, trusting and exclusive relationship, this doesn't have to mean marriage and can be an important step towards the commitment it demands

Conscience People should allow their conscience to decide what is right for them, not outdated laws, we should not judge

Give 4 developed reasons why some Christians allow divorce and some do not.

No - sacrament For Roman Catholics marriage is a sacrament in which a covenant is made with God so it is not possible to undo this unless a partner dies - it cannot be broken by any earthly power.

No - Catechism Pope Francis said "When you divorce one flesh you sully God's image", the RC Church teaches that religious divorce is impossible and that Jesus Himself spoke against it in Mark 10.

Yes - Matthew 19:9 Jesus allowed divorce for a partner's adultery, therefore He showed it can happen if the reasons are sufficiently severe

Yes - Lesser of two evils It is better to divorce than live in hatred and quarrel all the time

Give 3 developed arguments to support the statement that 'No Christian should ever get divorced'.

Sacrament Marriage is a sacrament in which a covenant is made with God so it is not possible to undo this unless a partner dies - it cannot be broken by any earthly power Church teaching Pope Francis said "When you divorce one flesh you sully God's image", the Christian Church teaches that religious divorce is impossible

Mark 10 Jesus taught divorce is wrong in Mark's Gospel and Christians should follow the teachings of Jesus

Give 3 developed arguments against the statement that 'No Christian should ever get divorced'.

Matthew 19:9 Jesus allowed divorce for a partner's adultery, therefore He showed it can happen if the reasons are sufficiently severe

Lesser of two evils If a marriage has really broken down then the effects of the couple not divorcing would be a great evil than the evil of divorce itself

Quality of married life It is better to divorce than live in hatred and quarrel all the time, especially if there are children involved, life is holy and should not be wasted - Christianity teaches forgiveness

Give 4 developed explanations of how churches support family life.

Sermons in services encouraging and strengthening family values e.g. reminding parents of the vows they made in their marriage ceremony

Financial support and links to Christian family charities to support families through hard times e.g. if the family wage-earner is ill or made redundant

Worshipping together in family friendly services and being family friendly so that family life can be strengthened by families worshipping together

Church leader offering advice for family problems and maybe referring families to charities like Good News Family Care who can support families experiencing difficulties

Give 4 developed reasons why some Christians accept homosexuality and some do not

Not accepted - procreation As stressed by Pope John Paul II God intended sex to be creative as well as unitive and as it is not possible for homosexuals to have procreative sex they are going against God's intention

Not accepted - sinful The Bible condemns homosexual sexual activity and the Catechism teaches that homosexual relationships are a sin so only celibate homosexuality is accepted

Accepted - reinterpretation The teachings of the Bible are a reflection of the Jewish culture at the time rather than the word of God so they need reinterpreting in the light of modern knowledge

Accepted - love and acceptance The major Christian belief in love and acceptance means that homosexuals must be accepted

Give 3 developed arguments to support the statement that 'No Christian should be homosexual'.

Procreation As stressed by Pope John Paul II God intended sex to be creative as well as unitive and as it is not possible for homosexuals to have procreative sex they would be going against God's intention

Sinful The Bible condemns homosexual sexual activity and the Catechism teaches that homosexual relationships are a sin

Won't be accepted Because most Churches teach strongly against homosexuality, a Christian should not be homosexual because they will not be able to take on a full life in the Church

Give 3 developed arguments against the statement that 'No Christian should be homosexual'.

Not a choice Scientific research shows that homosexuality is genetic, rather than a lifestyle choice, so it's not a choice that a Christian has to make, they can't control their sexual orientation

Chaste Christian Churches are agreed that it is homosexual sexual activity that should be condemned, not homosexuals, so a Christian can be a homosexual as long as they are chaste

All children of God Homosexual or not, Christianity says that we are all created by God so He may have chosen to make a person that way and it is not humans' right to judge them, it has no effect on their potential to be a good Christian

Give 4 developed explanations of the main differences between natural and artificial methods of contraception

Planning Natural methods require a couple to be in a loving, stable relationship as they require planning. Artificial methods can be used without any planning and in any form of sexual relationship, however casual.

How they work Natural methods do not involve any drugs or any risk of promoting an early abortion, artificial methods involve either changes to a woman's body or interfering with the normal sexual process

Protection Natural methods do not prevent STIs whereas artificial methods such as condoms do (especially AIDS) Restrictions Natural methods of contraception require sufficient love and concern for the partner to give up sex at certain times of the month, whereas some artificial contraception prevents the monthly cycle from occurring

Give 4 developed explanations of why some Christians allow artificial methods of contraception and some do not

No - creative The purpose of sex is creative as well as unitive, artificial methods separate these two aspects, which is not what God intended

No - promiscuity Artificial contraception is a major cause of sexual promiscuity, broken families, the rise in the divorce rate and STIs

Yes - raises standards Artificial contraception raises the standards of women's health and of children's living as families are smaller

Yes - Bible There is nothing in the Bible that forbids the use of contraception and within marriage, it allows the role of sex to be separated from making children and this is not against God's will

Give 3 developed arguments to support the statement that 'It doesn't matter what type of contraception you use'.

All prevent life All methods of contraception allows sex to happen without conception occurring, so whichever you choose you are stopping life from being created

All put you in control All methods of contraception put humans in control of procreation, to a greater or lesser extent, rather than God

Benefits They all have benefits that include improvement in women's health and a better standard of living for children who can grow up in smaller families

Give 3 developed arguments against the statement that 'It doesn't matter what type of contraception you use'.

STIs It does matter because only some methods of artificial contraception e.g. condoms prevent the transmission of STIs as well as conception

Nature Artificial contraception means you are directly working against nature/God to prevent conception occurring, natural methods mean that you are working with nature

Early abortion Artificial contraception e.g. the morning after pill, can involve promoting an early abortion rather than the prevention of life in the first place and this has ethical implications

Give 3 developed arguments to support the statement that 'Christians should never use contraceptives'.

Roman Catholicism If they are RC, the teaching of the Catechism and the Popes e.g. in Casti Connubii, forbids them to use contraceptives

Purpose of sex God created sex for procreation and to increase His human race, He should be in charge of that and procreation should be out of human control so as not to interfere in His plan

Encourages promiscuity The use of contraceptives only increases promiscuity as people have no fear of getting pregnant or contracting STIs, this goes against Christian teachings of love and faithfulness

Give 3 developed arguments against the statement that 'Christians should never use contraceptives'.

Love and justice Christianity is about love and justice, contraception raises the standards of women's health and of children's living as families are smaller

Modern church teaching C of E and Orthodox Christians has declared it is legitimate for Christians to use contraception to limit family size

STIs It's better to combat HIV/AIDS by using condoms than by expecting everyone to follow Christian rules about sex and marriage

Give 4 developed points to explain how attitudes to the roles of men and women have changed.

1950s For decades, most people thought that a woman's role in society was to stay at home and look after the children - a century ago only 15% of married women worked outside the home War effort The female contribution to the war effort, and in fields such as health and social care, proved that women were capable of more than being just a housewife and mother and so more professions became available to them Changes in law In 1918 women in the UK were given the vote and in 1980 they gained the right to equal pay with men Currently Rather than being forced to stay at home and look after their husband and children, women now have the choice of whether to balance this with a career or to choose one or the other. Similarly, men can take on more traditionally female roles, particularly now they have the option to take paternity leave

Give 3 arguments for men and women having equal roles in life.

Sexism Discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of gender is wrong - women have proved time and time again that they are just as capable as men in every profession Oppression If women are not allowed to have equal roles to men in life then they will become oppressed and will be treated with the same prejudice that they were before they won the vote Equality Men and women have equal standing in law and politics now and the same should be true in society generally meaning they should have equal roles

Give 3 arguments against men and women having equal roles in life.

Tradition It is traditionally the woman's job to look after the house and the family so men can concentrate on providing for them Children Unless men and women stick to their traditional roles of provider and homemaker then any children won't have enough care and attention Blurred responsibilities If men and women don't have equal roles in life neither the man nor the woman would know where they stood or what their responsibilities were in their relationship

Give 4 developed points to explain why some Christians give equal rights to women in religion and some do not.

Imago Dei Christians today believe men and women have equal rights as both were made in God's image in Genesis 1:27, but their roles may be different Roman Catholics The Catechism makes it clear that women cannot be priests, so their roles are not equal in the Church. They take this standpoint because Jesus only chose male Apostles and because a female cannot take on Jesus' role when performing the Eucharist because He was male Traditional evangelical Protestants believe that men and women have different roles in religion. They also argue that women cannot be Church leaders because of St. Paul's teaching that women should not even speak in church and because of the church tradition that only men are priests Liberal Protestants Give women equal roles in Church because of Paul's comments that there is neither male nor female in Christ and Jesus' treatment of women, particularly in Luke's Gospel, who He chooses to appear to after His resurrection, rather than His male disciples. They also point out that there is evidence from the Early Church, specifically the Council of Laodicea, that there were women leaders in the very earliest Christian movements

Give 3 arguments for men and women having equal roles in Christianity.

Sexism Discrimination and prejudice on the grounds of gender is wrong - women have proved time and time again that they are just as capable as men in every profession, why not in the Church too? Wider effect If women are not allowed to have equal rights in Christianity then it will only encourage sexism in other areas of society, rather than championing equal rights for everybody which truly reflects what Jesus taught Equality Men and women have equal standing in law and politics now and the same should be true in every field, the Church has no right to be an exception

Give 3 arguments against men and women having equal roles in Christianity.

Tradition Evidence in the New Testament and Church tradition suggests that women should not be leaders in the Church Jesus Roman Catholics would argue that because Jesus did not choose female apostles, and because women have traditionally not been leaders in the Church they should not be Priests Eucharist Although women should have equal rights in society, they should not be Priests because they cannot take on the role of Jesus during the Eucharist as He was male