R.E Marriage and the Family - Christianity

Attitudes to marriage, divorce, family and homosexuality have changed. Examples of change include:

• abolition of slavery
• women's voting rights
• global views of the world (media)
• multi-ethnic and multi-faith society
• TV

People have come across different attitudes and ways, and this has made them more tolerant and open to other cultures.

Christian attitudes to sex outside marriage

Bible quotes:

"You shall not commit adultery" - Exodus 20:14

"God wants you to be holy and completely free from sexual immorality." - 1 Thessalonians 4:3

Christian attitudes

• the Bible only allows for sex between marriage partners
• children born outside marriage may have a less stable family life
• promiscuity makes a person vulnerable to STI's
• loving sexual relations unite a married couple

However some Christians believe today that sex before marriage is acceptable if the couple love each other and they are in a long-term relationship. Many Christians believe that the teachings of the Bible need to be interpreted to suit the 21st-century.

Christians believe that marriage is a gift from God - they believe that the bride and groom should be Christian.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." Genesis 2:24

This suggests that marriage is:

• the mark of the shift in adult responsibility from the parents to the child
• a public occasion
• a sexual relationship where two people become one
• between a man and a woman (heterosexual)
• between two people only (monogamous)

The purpose of marriage (Christianity) is to:

• have lawful, fulfilling sex
• be faithful to one partner
• procreation
• form a secure environment in which to bring up children
• provide love and companionship
• symbolise God's love for the Church
• the emphasis on God's role makes it a spiritual agreement
• the vows promise a life-long exclusive commitment
• the verses from the Bible emphasise the nature and purpose
• the congregation pray for the couple
• the rings symbolises the unending agreement of marriage

In the UK about 1/3 of marriages end in divorce