Issues of Relationships Content

Christian attitudes to family

- Pope Francis describes family as the 'essential cell of society'

- The family is a vital unit and should be based on the marriage of a man and a woman which includes children

- Children should be brought up by two parents (who are good role models) in a loving environment

- St Paul said, 'Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right...' (Ephesian 6. 1-4)

- One of the Ten Commandments 'Honour your father and mother'

- Children have a duty to obey their parents

- Parents should raise their children as Christians by helping them to prayer, study the Bible and encouraging them to be baptised/confirmed

Islam attitudes to the family

- Family is important because it brings stability to society and to individuals

- Islam commands men and women to get married and have children

- All people are born Muslims, so children should be brought up to develop their faith

- Children should obey their parents and not question their judgement. They should care for their parents in old age and show kindness

- The Qur'an says, 'And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment...' (Qur'an 17.23)

- It is a duty of parents to guide their children to stop them making unwise decisions, even if this means restricting the children's freedom of choice, e.g. arranged marriages.

Christian attitudes to the roles of men and women

- Jesus' disciples were all male and arguably he would not have gained so many followers if he was a woman

- However, there is evidence to suggest that Jesus broke some of the gender norms by treating women with respect

- 'There is neither Jew not Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus' (Galatians 3.28)

- Some believe men and women are equal but have different roles

- St Paul, 'Now I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man' (1 Corinthians 11.3)

- Traditional Christians would say that the man is the head of the household and the woman is responsible for housekeeping and childcare (Eve was created to keep Adam company)

- Liberal Christians recognise times have changed and gender inequality indicated in the Bible is outdated.

Muslim attitudes to the roles of men and women

- The Qur'an indicates that men and women are equal in the eyes of God

- 'And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer - those will enter paradise...' (Qur'an 4. 124)

- Men and women have different strengths and abilities and therefore play different parts in society and family life

- Hadith, 'Women are the twin halves of men' (Sunan Abu Daawood:236)

- Traditionally men are responsible for the security of the family, physically and financially, while women look after the home and children

- Prophet Muhammad also said that the mother is the most important member of the family

Other views on the roles of men and women

- Gender roles in the family are changing and evolving

- Women and men have shared responsibilities

- Increase of women continuing to work after marriage and children, and an increase of house-husbands

- 2015 law made it possible for women and men to share parental leave from work

Christian attitudes to marriage

- Marriage is a gift from God and a sacrament

- In a marriage ceremony the service is ordained by God and the vows exchanged between the bride and groom reflect this

- In the Gospels, Jesus teaches about the importance of marriage. Jesus highlights that marriage is the complete joining together of two people in a very special way, and becomes the most important human relationship

- '...man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' (Mark 10. 6- 8)

- Marriage should be a lifelong union. In a marriage service the phrase 'what God has joined together, let no man put asunder' highlights this point

- Traditionally Christian marriage ceremonies take place in a chapel or church because marriage is believed to be a gift from God

- In the Synod of the Church of England, the Church confirms that: marriage should last until death of the first partner, should endure through all circumstances, should be between and man and woman only, should be faithful to each other, marriage should produce children, and the couple should provide support for each other.

Muslim attitudes to marriage

- The Qur'an makes many references to the importance of marriage and how it is the basis of family life

- Although divorce is permitted in Islam, the ideal is that marriage is for life

- 'And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought' (Qur'an 30.21)

- This quote highlights that marriage is a gift from God and within this relationship the couple are able to show affection towards one another.

Christian attitudes to interfaith marriage

- Orthodox Christians only allow marriages with baptised Christians

- Catholic christians allow interfaith marriages as long as the children will be raised Catholic

- Catholics urge tensions that different religious views may put on the marriage

Muslim attitudes to interfaith marriage

- Muslims discourage it as the children are less likely to follow their faith if only one parent follows it

- Islamic law forbids a Muslim woman to marry a non-muslim man though a Muslim man may marry a non Muslim woman

Christian attitudes to cohabitation

- Liberal Anglicans accept cohabitation where it is part of a committed relationship, although they still believe that marriage would be the ideal

- Other traditions, e.g. Roman Catholic, believe cohabitation devalues the special and sacred nature of sex which should only take place within marriage. Additionally, conservative Christians expect a couple to not have sex before marriage

- Some Baptist Churches may refuse to marry a couple who are cohabiting

Muslim attitudes to cohabitation

- Islam teaches that cohabiting is wrong

- Muslims believe that for a couple to live together in a sexual relationship they must first be married

- The Qur'an says that sex outside marriage is an evil that leads to further evils

Christian attitudes to adultery

- Marriage is sexually exclusive and should not be shared with anyone else

- The Ten Commandments forbid it 'You shall not commit adultery'

- Marriage is a sacrament, a gift from God, and adultery goes against this

- It goes against the vows the couple made to each other and to God when they got married

- Committing adultery destroys the special relationship between a husband and wife

- Committing adultery can harm the family unit and cause the partner to feel cheated and betrayed (which goes against agape)

Muslim attitudes to adultery

- Sex outside of marriage is generally strongly disapproved of

- Marriage is a lifelong union, based on trust, morality and devotion

- Vows promising to be faithful to one another might be exchanged in the marriage ceremony

- Adultery is seen as harmful to society, so against the unity and peace of the ummah (community)

- Adultery is seen as a form of theft of the worst possible sort

- The Qur'an teaches that adultery is wrong, 'And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way

Anglican Christian attitudes to divorce and separation

- Accept divorce, as UK law allows it, therefore are okay with separation too

- Discourages remarriage (but if chosen a non - church wedding is preferred)

- Some vicars will agree to a service of prayer and dedication.

Catholic Christian attitudes to divorce and separation

- Do not recognise divorce

- Marriage is a sacrament that cannot be dissolved except for special reasons (e.g. one partner not freely choosing to marry)

- Some marriages can be annulled, where there are good reasons (e.g. the marriage was not consummated)

- If a Catholic remarries without an annulment, they can attend Mass but cannot receive Holy Communion

- Catholics who are separated are expected not to cohabit with anyone else and, if they do this, they are not allowed to receive Holy Communion

- Additionally, although they might be divorced in the eyes of the law, they are still married in the eyes of the Church

Non - conformist Christian attitudes to divorce and separation

- Divorce best avoided. Separation is accepted

- Remarriage permitted if it seems suitable or acceptable to all concerned

- No minister can be forced to conduct a remarriage against their will.

Muslim attitudes to divorce and separation

- Married couples experiencing conflict should try to reconcile

- Before a divorce takes place, an imam and the Muslim community would seek to try and help the couple

- Muslims reluctantly accept that reconciliation is not always possible, so do accept divorce

- When divorce does occur, Muslims believe each partner should be free to remarry in the future

- As well as a civil divorce (which legally ends the marriage), Muslims believe that the marriage must also be ended in the eyes of God. The couple can apply to a Shari'ah council to obtain an Islamic divorce

- There is a period of three months after they apply to the council, to give them time to reconcile and ensure the woman is not pregnant. At the end of this period, a divorce is granted

- Islam allows a man to have more than one wife (polygamy) in a country where this is permitted by law. In some situations, one wife might feel unfairly treated in comparison to the other wives. The Qur'an says that the best course of action is to try to resolve the problem. However, if there is divorce, God will make sure that both parties are compensated

Christian attitudes to remarriage

Catholics

- Cannot remarry in a Catholic Church because it goes against Church teachings

- Divorced Catholics may choose to remarry in a different place of worship or in a civil ceremony

Anglicans

- A minister may exercise personal judgement in deciding to remarry a divorcee, depending on the circumstances of a divorce

- Some Anglican ministers will not marry a divorced person, but may perform a church blessing ceremony after a register office wedding.

Muslim attitudes to remarriage

- Remarriage is not an issue because divorce is accepted in Islam

- Remarriage is encouraged because there is no idea of celibacy in Islam.

Christian attitudes to sex

- Sex should take place within a marriage. It is viewed as a gift from God and is holy and sacred

- Casual sex is seen as devaluing both people and sex itself and is unacceptable

- St Paul said 'Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body'. (Corinthians 6.18)

- He also said, 'The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery...and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God' (Galatians 5. 19-21)

- Sex should only occur only between two people who are married to each other.

Muslim attitudes to sex

- Sex should happen within marriage - married partners are expected to meet each other's needs. It is considered an act of worship

- Sex outside of marriage is wrong and is stated in the Qur'an

- Muslims believe sex is an act worship therefore it can only take place within marriage

- To have sex outside of marriage is simply wrong and it may lead to promiscuity

Chastity and Celibacy

Chastity

- In other Christianity and Islam a person should remain chaste until marriage (the state in which a person does not have sexual relationships until they are married) . In America, the 'Silver Ring Thing' was promoted as a physical expression of this viewpoint. Unmarried Christian teenagers and young adults wear a silver ring on their wedding finger to show they will remain chaste until they are married. When they are married, they will replace the silver ring with a wedding ring.

Celibacy

- In Christianity monks, nuns and priests take a vow of celibacy (decision to not have a sexual relationship). They vow not to marry or to have any sexual relationships. It is a positive choice of commitment in order to dedicate one's life to the service of God

- Islam teaches that an adult should marry in order to have a companion in life and that no one needs to live a celibate life.

Protestant Christian attitudes to contraception

Believe in the use of different forms of contraception for family planning purposes

Roman Catholic Christian attitudes to contraception

- Oppose to artificial methods of contraception (e.g. condom or pill)

- However, some Catholics will follow their conscience rather than religious teachings

- Follow Aquinas' Natural Law approach to contraception (against it)

- However, some other Christians and Catholics believe that contraception is essential for controlling the population of the planet, and preventing sexually transmitted diseases (Greater good)

Christians who believe in Natural Law and Thomas Aquinas attitudes to contraception

- Aquinas developed a theory called Natural Law which tried to help guide humans on how to live and how to make moral decisions

- Aquinas had five laws that he claimed were laid down by God and are the basis of how humans should live their lives. The five are 1. Preservation of the innocent 2. Continuation of the human species 3. Educating of children 4. To live in society 5. To worship God

- Additionally, he also set out secondary precepts (rules) to help us fulfil the primary precepts (rules). For example, the primary precept 'to reproduce' would suggest that the secondary precept might be that contraception is wrong

Muslim attitudes to contraception

- The Qur'an does not make any explicit references to contraception, although it is generally accepted that a form of contraception was used during the time of the Prophet Muhammad

- Muslims believe in the use of contraception, but certain criteria must be met. These are: that it must not harm your body and that it only should be used if both the husband and wife consent to its use

- Most Muslims accept the use of contraception to limit the size of families, but would not generally accept permanent forms of contraception, such as sterilisation

Christian attitudes to same - sex relationships

- Many Christians oppose same-sex marriages on biblical grounds,

'If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done which is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads' (Leviticus).

- Other Christians believe the biblical passages reflect the cultural and social values of the times in which they were written and that they don't apply in today's society

Roman Catholic Christian attitudes to same - sex relationships

- The doctrine and teachings of the Catholic Church prohibit same sex marriage as it believes that sexual relationships should only exist between a man and a woman in a marriage.

- The Church would point to the story of creation in which God commands human beings to

'be fruitful and increase in number' (Genesis). Only heterosexual couples can fulfil this command

Other Christian Churches attitudes to same - sex relationships

- The Anglican Church does not believe same sex marriages should take place in church

- However, there are some individual clergy who do not agree with this decision and might decide to perform a church blessing for a same-sex couple

- Quakers will conduct a same sex service, but a same sex couple will still need a civil ceremony as well in order to be legally married

- The United Reform Church has recently decided to allow same-sex marriages to take place in their churches

Muslim attitudes to same - sex relationships

- Islam forbids same-sex marriages and homosexual and lesbian relationships, believing that sex should only take place between a husband and wife

- Muslims regard marriage as the only place where sexual relationships should take place and regard marriage as a sacred contract between a man and a woman only

- 'Indeed, you approach men with desire, instead of women. Rather, you are a transgressing people.' (Qur'an 7.80-81). Muslims interpret this to mean that same-sex relationships are wrong

Christian attitudes to the roles of women and men in worship and authority

- In Jesus' time it was normal for men to take positions of authority. Society is different now and men and women are equal. - Christians believe that all humans are created in the image of God, so each human life is equal and sacred

- '...nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.' (Galatians)

Roman Catholic Church Christian attitudes to the roles of women and men in worship and authority

- Women can take up active roles in worship and authority. They can become a nun or sister. They are equal members of the Church congregations with men and can support the Church in a number of ways, e.g. helping ministers lead worship

- However, women cannot be ordained to become a priest. Although they are believed to be equal to men, they should utilise this role in their families and communities

Anglican Church Christian attitudes to the roles of women and men in worship and authority

- The Church in Wales first ordained women in 1997. This means that women can become priests and lead Christian congregations in worship in Welsh Anglican churches

- In 2013, the Church voted to allow women to become bishops

Protestant Church Christian attitudes to the roles of women and men in worship and authority

Women play an important role in worship, working as ministers, leading acts of worship and reading in services

Muslim attitudes to the roles of women and men in worship and authority

- The Qur'an does not mention whether females can act as an imam and lead prayers, although traditionally it has been a male role. However, in the Hadith, there are mentions of two of Muhammad's wives, Aisha and Umm Salamah, leading prayers

- Some Muslim scholars claim that having a female imam would invalidate men's prayers

- Some Sunni groups, however, allow women to act as imams and lead prayers if the congregation is made up of other women or close family. However, she will not lead the prayers by standing in front of the congregation as a man would, instead she would stand in the congregation

- Some high profile female imams had led mixed congregations in countries like Canada and the UK, e.g. Raheel Raza