relationships and families

sexual relationships - christianity

they are a part of Gods plan for humans. genesis says that a man and a woman should be united together and increase in numbers. it is written in the bible that sexual relations between 2 men is distasteful

sexual relationships - buddhism

in the lay community, it is taught that sex isn’t wrong or shameful. everyone has passions and they should not be avoided or denied. in the monastic community, most monks and nuns take a vow of celibacy when they become ordained. they follow a simple life, which means no sexual activity

sex before marriage - christianity

sex between two unmarried people used to be shocking, especially for women. many christian’s believe that sex expresses a deep, lifelong union that first requires the commitment of marriage. christian’s believe it is wrong to use people for sex, and irresponsible to spread STIs and risk pregnancy. anglican churches teach that unmarried people shouldn’t have sex

sex before marriage - buddhism

sex before marriage is not forbidden. some individuals choose to wait for marriage, but usually for cultural and personal reasons. for many the most important thing is to follow the five moral precepts and that sexual acts are respectful, loving and consensual

sex outside of marriage - christianity

christian’s believe adultery breaks the promise christian’s make before God, to forsake all others and be faithful to each other

sex outside of marriage - buddhism

they regard adultery as unskilful, as it generally involves dishonesty, and doesn’t show kindness towards or awareness of the feelings of the person being cheated on

purpose of marriage - christianity

marriage was one of Gods gifts at creation. it is natural for a man and a woman to leave their parents and become one flesh, through which they bring new life into the world. some christian’s believe marriage is a sacrament which reflects the sacrificial love of jesus, and a covenant before God in which the couple promised to live faithfully together until death

purpose of marriage - buddhism

buddhism doesn’t view marriage as a religious duty or a sacred act. this does not mean that buddhism is against marriage, just that it is viewed as a social construct. buddhist weddings are secular, non religious occasions, and the couple are expected to follow the civil laws for marriage depending on the country they’re in. having children is also not viewed as an important purpose of marriage. buddhism teachers that everything is interrelated and interdependent, and this is true for marriage as well. strong, trusting relationships are important for the wellbeing of a community and society as a whole

purpose of marriage - britain

people marry to share their lives with the person they love. marriage is a legal contract that brings security as it protects the rights of each partner, provides legal and financial benefits, and is a serious, lifelong public commitment

views on contraception - christianity

artificial contraception goes against natural law and the purpose of marriage for catholics and sex should always be open to creating new life. family planning should only involve natural methods of contraception, like the rhythm method.

for anglicans and non conformists, contraception is allowed for couples to develop their relationship before having children, to space out pregnancies, to avoid harming the woman’s health and to limit the number of children in a family so they can all be cared for. in 1930 the church of england approved artificial contraception used “in the light of christian principles”. christian’s who believe life begins at the moment if conception are against methods that prevent the fertilised egg from developing, as this is causing an abortion and a form of murder

views on contraception - buddhism

most buddhists believe it is acceptable to use contraception that prevents conception. some believe contraception that prevents a fertilised egg from developing is a form of killing and breaks the first moral precept, so it isn’t acceptable. however they might make exceptions, if for example the birth threatens the woman’s life, or if she would struggle to care for the child. having children is not considered an obligation; it may even be considered better to not have children if one wants to follow a spiritual life

british views on contraception

there is widespread acceptance of artificial contraception to help family planning. many people think it is responsible to use contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancies, control population growth and prevent the spread of STDs

why do people get divorced?

• addiction

• adultery

• immaturity

• work and money pressures

• lack of communication

• domestic violence

• inability to have children

views on divorce - christianity

some christian’s believe in the sanctity of marriage vows, which means that they must be kept no matter what. the catholic church teaches that marriage is a sacrament that is permanent, lifelong and cannot be dissolved by civil divorce. catholics can separate but not remarry while their partner is still alive. other christian’s believe that sometimes divorce is the lesser of two evils and should be allowed for compassionate reasons

protestant. hunches accept civil divorce and allow remarriage in church under certain conditions. divorced anglicans can remarry in church with the bishops permission. these christian’s believe that the church should reflect Gods forgiveness and allow couples a second hand for happiness. jesus taught that anyone who divorced and remarried was committing adultery, but matthew 5:32 says if a man divorces his wife for any reason other than un chastity, he involves her in adultery.

when having marriage problems, christian’s may be offered counselling, prayer and sacraments by the church. they may also be referred to outside agencies like ACCORD or Relate. they would be encouraged to bring in forgiveness and reconciliation into their relationship

views on divorce - buddhism

in buddhism, there is no teaching that states divorce and remarriage is wrong. but society’s where buddhism is prevalent tend to disapprove of divorce, which is seen as a last resort, this means couples out in more effort into mending a relationship when it goes wrong. clinging to an attachment that produces suffering is against the buddhas teachings, and many buddhists would therefore consider divorce when it isn’t possible to reconcile the relationship and is the only way to reduce the couples suffering. many see remarriage as an opportunity to commit to a new healthy relationship that increases people’s happiness.

during problems, they may be encouraged to practice the 5 moral precepts more fully

cohabitation - buddhism

buddhist teachings don’t go against sex before marriage or cohabitation, as long as the relationship is loving and respectful

cohabitation - christianity

catholic and orthodox churches oppose cohabitation because they believe sex should only take place in a marriage. protestant and anglican christian’s accept that although marriage is best, people may cohabit in a faithful, loving and committed way without being married

types of family

• nuclear family: the most common type of family type in the west, with a mother, father and children. for christian’s, it fulfills Gods plan for a man and woman to be united together and increase in number.

• extended family: includes grandparents and other relatives. in biblical times, many people loved with extended family for extra support. extended families are still common in countries such as sri lanka and thailand

• families with same sex parents: when a same sex couples raise children together. some christian’s disapprove of same sex parents as they believe children should grow up with a male and female role model as parents. other christian’s and most buddhists think it is more important for children to be in a secure and loving family regardless of the gender of their parents

• polygamous families: when a man has two wives. illegal in the UK, and goes against Gods plan for marriage to be between a man and a woman in christianity. may lead to sexual immorality. not the favoured family model in buddhism because it is likely to cause suffering to others

role of parents

• encourage positive morals and values

• love and care for their children’s

• teach their children right from wrong

• educate their children about their faith

role of children

• support and care for their parents in their old age

• love and respect their parents

• preserve the traditions of the family in buddhism

• obey their parents

purpose of families

• procreation: mainly takes place within the family. especially in catholicism, procreation is a purpose of the family. in buddha,, there are no religious pressures or expectations to have children

• stability and protection of children: families provide stable, secure environments for children to grow up in. families offer mutual support and protection for their members

• educating children in faith: christian parents are expected to be good role models and teach their children christian values. they should teach children about the faith and nurture their spiritual lives, which they may do through daily prayer. some parents send their children to faith schools or groups run by their church for religious reasons. most buddhist parents teach their children buddhist beliefs and practices, and how to show devotion and respect towards the Buddha. they will teach their children good morals and values (such as the 5 moral precepts), involve their children in ceremonies and gatherings, and send their children to monasteries to be educated

examples of gender based prejudice

• in catholicism, women are not allowed to be ordained as priests

• in theravada buddhism, nuns are generally seen as subservient to monks

• in the UK, some women are paid less than men for doing the same job

• in the UK, women make up roughly half the workforce, but men hold a higher proportion of senior positions

gender discrimination in the UK

in the past, women has less power and rights than men. traditional roles involved men working to support the family, and women caring for the home and raising children. today, most people in the UK are against gender prejudice and discrimination, but it still occurs. the roles of men and women have become more flexible, and childcare is often shared between parents equally. who takes on what role in a family may be decided by financial consideration or the different skills of the parents

christian views on gender prejudice and discrimination

christian’s believe all people are created equal in the image of God. the command to love one’s neighbour means discrimination is wrong. jesus treated women with respect and welcomed them as disciples. some traditional christian’s believe husbands should rule over their wives, based on a literal interpretation of genesis 3:16. most christians today see marriage as an equal partnership

buddhist views on gender prejudice and discrimination

in the buddhas time women were seen as inferior to men. the buddha ordained women as nuns, although he was reluctant to do so. the aparimitayur sutra suggests women must be reborn as men before they can achieve enlightenment. some buddhists still believe this today. in contrast, the lotus sutra teaches that men and women are equal in their ability to attain enlightenment. many buddhists today believe men and women should have equal status, and that gender discrimination expresses a lack of loving-kindness. the triratna buddhist order ordaines men and women through the same process