Christians see marriage as vows taken before God, and divorce is not encouraged.

Marriage

In the marriage service of the Church of England, the couple getting married make vows to each other. The traditional marriage vows are:

I, take you,to be my wife [or husband].to have and to holdfrom this day forward;for better, for worse,for richer, for poorer,in sickness and in health,to love and to cherish,till death us do part,according to God’s holy law;and this is my solemn vow.

Marriage is important for Christians because: 

• it's a gift from God; it's part of God’s plan for creation that men and women should live together
• it provides a relationship through which husband and wife support each other; this relationship is built on love and faithfulness
• it provides a secure environment for the bringing up of children

The importance of marriage is emphasised by Jesus

But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.

Mark 10:6-9

Divorce, remarriage and cohabitation

The teaching of Jesus in the New Testament is against divorce (the legal ending of a marriage before the death of a spouse).

It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:31-32

Adultery (sex with someone who you are not married to) is also wrong according to the teachings of the Ten Commandments:

You shall not commit adultery.

Exodus 20:14

Many churches now allow divorce but a marriage can only be ended by an annulment in the Roman Catholic Church. This means that the marriage is regarded as never having taken place for special reasons.

Christian couple on their wedding day

In 1981 the Church of England allowed people to marry again after a divorce. Many other churches now hold this position.

The Roman Catholic Church is totally opposed to people cohabiting (living together without being married). Sexual intercourse outside of a marriage is a serious sin and couples who sin in this way cannot receive communion in church. Some Protestant churches accept cohabitation although they hope that the couple will choose eventually to be married in church.

Total number of divorces in the UK:

YearNumber of divorcesYearNumber of divorces 1961 27,000 1993 180,000 1969 55,556 2004 167,138 1972 124,991 2005 155,052

Total number of marriages in the UK:

YearNumber of marriagesYearNumber of marriages 1961 350,000 2005 284,000 1991 340,000 2006 275,140

Total number of civil marriage ceremonies in the UK:

YearNumber of marriagesPercentage of marriages 1990 - 47% of all marriages 2004 184,910 68% of all marriages 2005 160,270 65% of all marriages

There are many theories to explain why people commit crime, but there is general agreement on how people become criminals. Criminal behaviour fits into one, or more than one, of these categories:

• criminal behaviour can be caused by a person's free choice
• criminal behaviour can be caused by a person's environment, eg a broken home or failure at school could be a catalyst for the change to becoming a criminal
• criminal behaviour can seem like the only option for a person if they are unable to conform to society
• criminal behaviour can develop through being associated with other criminals

What are the aims of punishment?

People are punished for a purpose. Often the aims of a punishment overlap, eg the death penalty acts to deter people from committing similar crimes and it aims to protect the public from the individual who is guilty of the crime. There are six recognised aims of punishment:

• deterrence - punishment should put people off committing crime
• protection - punishment should protect society from the criminal and the criminal from themselves
• reformation - punishment should reform the criminal
• retribution - punishment should make the criminal pay for what they have done wrong
• reparation - punishment should compensate the victim(s) of a crime
• vindication - the punishment makes sure that the law is respected

• How are types and aims of punishment associated with each other?

  Different methods are used to punish criminals for their offences. Each punishment is associated with different aims.

  PunishmentHow this meets an aim of punishment Prison deterrence/protection/reformation Electronic tagging deterrence/protection Fines retribution/reparation Community service reformation/retribution Capital punishment protection/deterrence Probation reform/vindication

  What is the current UK law about capital punishment?

  Capital punishment is illegal in the UK. It was abolished for murder in 1965 and abolished for all crimes in 1998. In 2004 the UK agreed not to restore the death penalty for as long as it is part of the European Convention.

  Which of the aims of punishment are met by capital punishment?

  Capital punishment aims to protect society, deter others from committing crime, and compensate the victims of the crime (reparation).

  What does Christianity say about crime?

  Christianity teaches that sin is a part of human nature and that all people have the potential to commit a crime. This is shown in the story of the fall of Adam and Eve in Genesis, when they disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit.

  Many Christians believe that the Bible teaches the difference between right and wrong. Following God's will leads people to the right path; ignoring God's will leads to disaster.

  A typical set of guidelines from the Bible is the Ten Commandments. Christians should follow these guidelines to be good people. This belief is emphasised in the gospel books such as John:

  Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God.1 John 3:10

What is war?

War is an organised conflict usually consisting of intense violence carried out by one state or states against another state or states.

What are the causes of conflict?

The causes of any war are complex. Wars are rarely about just one thing. They can be declared when a state or states act to:

• attack or invade another state, to gain territory or resources
• resist such an attack or invasion by an aggressor
• protect another state from attack by an aggressor
• impose domination or political change on another state, or to resist such domination
• challenge a threat to 'essential national interests' by another state
• counter perceived threats from a different ideology, religion or ethnic group
• defend the national honour when under threat

War can also occur internally within a state between organised groups. This is known as civil war. 

In 1945 the first nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. This one small bomb killed about 150,000 people within the first four months. The immediate impact was 60,000 deaths but the rest were a result of radiation sickness.

A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki nine days later and Japan surrendered, ending World War Two.

Since then, no power has used an atomic bomb in war, though many tests have been carried out on them. The smallest nuclear bomb now produced is about 20 times more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima.

Arguments for nuclear weapons

• The possession of nuclear weapons has kept the major world powers from coming to war since 1955, out of fear of what might happen (mutually assured destruction).
• The knowledge of nuclear weapons cannot be removed. It is preferable for the major powers to have these bombs for deterrence than for an unstable dictator to use them in war.

Arguments against nuclear weapons

• Their destructive power is immense and long lasting. Even countries that have nothing to do with the war will be badly affected. Some people estimate that a small nuclear war could wipe out human life on Earth.
• They are very costly to develop and maintain. The money could be spent on raising everybody's quality of life.
• There is no effective protection against them, nor can people control who has access to them.

• The Bible does not give Christians a clear answer about whether war is permitted or not, but it has a lot to say about justice, the sanctity of life, the importance of resolving conflict and working for peace.

  Most Christians believe that war should be avoided if possible, and should only be undertaken if all efforts to resolve an issue by peaceful means have failed. Many Christians see war as the result of a failure to live by God's standards.

  There are many promises in the Old Testament that war will come to an end in the perfect Kingdom of God.

• If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.Matthew 5:39
• Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.Matthew 5:44