RS Christian Perspectives

Family - A group of relatives that live and support each other.

Nuclear family - 1 or 2 adults with their own or adopted children.

Extended family - Aunts, Grandfathers etc. sharing resposibilities in a family, eg. babysitting.

Bible Verse: "Whoever does not care for his own relatives, especially his own family members, has turned against the faith and is worse than someone who does not believe in God" 1 Timothy 5.

• Parents bring up children as good Christians.
• They should teach them right from wrong.
• They should care for other family members.
• Family should go to Church together.
• Respect is 2 way.
• Family members provide emotional support for each other.

• Only environment where children can be brought up properly.
• God wants everyone to get married.
• Sacred bond between the couple from God.
• Shouldn't be rushed into and it is permanent.
• A way to develop each other spiritually, like Adam and Eve did.
• You can share good times and provide support during rougher times.

UK Law: - Married to one person. - Both people can't have taken drugs or be drunk.

All Chrisitian denominations teach you should marry. Marriage should happen in a Church and it ends at death.

"Till death do us part" A wedding vow. - Roman Catholics say this is the physical death. But Anglicans and Free Churches say this is the death of the love.

"So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh" Genesis 2.

Roman Catholics: -Rejects divorce. -Marriage is for life. -Accepts an annulment if the couple has never had sex or one is insane.

Anglicans: -Rejects divorce in principle. -Marriage is for life, from the wedding vow "Till death do us part".

Free Churches: -More lenient. -Accept divorce, and allow remarriage in a Church. -"Till death do us part" is the love in the marriage.

The Divorce Law: -One partner commits adultery. -Abuse physical or mental. -One partner has left for 2 years. -Lived apart for 2 years and both consent. -Lived apart for 5 years and one consents.

"What God has joined together, let no man seperate" Mark 10.

Roman Catholics: -Marriage is for life, divorce doesnt break this so to remarry is adultery. -Catholics who remarry can't take part in Holy Communion. -If a man divorces once is he is likely to do it again.

Anglicans: -Marriage for life, however some marriages do fail. -Some vicars allow remarriage in the Church and others bless the newly weds.

Free Churches: -Allow remarriage, "Till death do us part" is the love. -Better for the couple to begin their new relationship in the Church.

Christians: - Forgive a divorced person because Jesus dies on the cross to forgive the sins of men.

"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery against her" Mark 10.

Sanctity - Being Holy.

• Human life is a gift from God, he chooses when it begins and ends.
• God created us individually, we are unique and how God wanted us.

Roman Catholic: -Against abortion, euthanasia and contraception.

Anglican: -Supports experimentations on embryos during first 14 days, because of possible medical advances that could save millions.

"So God created human beings in his image" Genesis 1.

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?" 1 Corinthians 3.

Artificial - Using unnatural methods to prevent pregnancy, eg. condoms.

Natural - Preventing pregnancy without using artificial methods, eg. withdrawal.

Roman Catholic: -Reject artificial, God decides when live begins and ends, it is like "Playing God". -Accept natural. -Sex isn't for pleasure and is to continue the human species. -Artificial encourages sex before marriage.

Anglican: -Mixed, some agree with Roman Catholics others with Free Churches.

Free Churches: -In modern times people have sex before marriage. -Accept artificial, people can have a child at a more sensible time. -God gave us the intelligence to decide.

"Be fruitful and increase in number, and fill the earth" Genesis 1.

IVF - In Vitro Fertilisation. Egg and sperm brought together outside body. Then embryo put inside the woman.

AIH/ AID - Artificial Insemination by Husband/ Donor. Sperm put in the uterus artificially.

Fertility Treatment used when: -There is a medical problem. -They are homosexual. -They are not in a relationship.

Roman Catholic: -Life begins at conception, embryos are life so aren't disposable. -AIH is acceptable but AID is a sin, adultery.

Free Churches: -Allow scientists to learn more about causes and cures for infertility. -Accepts using "spare" embryos for medical research, but only in first 14 days.

• Christians don't accept in homosexual relationships.
• Interfering with God's plan.
• Adoption is another solution.

Law: -Allowed within first 24 weeks. -Risk to life of mother. -Risk of physical or mental health to the mother. -Child will be physically or mentally abnormal. -Risk to well being of existing children.

Roman Catholics: -Life begins at conception, murder "Do not Kill". -"Playing God". -Life is a gift from God.

Anglicans: -Life begins when the foetus can survive outside the mother. -Abortion is wrong but not forbidden.

Free Churches: -Agree with Anglicans. -We were created in God's image, "Imago Dei", so we have the intelligence to decide. -Life begins when the woman decides, conscious is a guide from God.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" Jeremiah 1.

Voluntary - Someone terminally ill is given an overdose.

Involuntary - When a doctor administers drugs to a patient in a coma.

Active - Action is taken to end a life.

Passive - Treatment keeping someone alive is stopped and results in death.

Law: -Active is a murder. -Passive is legal.

Roman Catholic: -Reject euthanasia. -Accept passive. -The sick deserve speical care.

Anglican: -Sanctity of Life is important. -Doctors don't have to do everything to keep someone alive.

Free Churches: -Similar argument to abortion. -Whether people have the right to take life. Accept passive but reject active.

Began in the 19th century. Help those who are terminally ill.

Palliative - Reduce the bad affects of something.

Aims:

• Relieve pain for the terminally ill, improving quality of life.
• Support family members before and after the death of a relative.
• To use palliative care in hospitals and the community.

Roman Catholics: -Suicide is a sin, you go to hell. -Life is a gift and it is God's choice when it ends.

Anglicans: -Jesus died for our sins so this covers suicide. -Suicide is bad but it doesn't say in the bible that you will go to hell.

Free Churches: -More forgiving. -Should help those who want to or have tried to commit suicide, helping is better than turning your back.

1953 - Reverend Chad Varah founded "The Samaritans".

Equality - Everyone is equal and should be treated the same.

Prejudice- Having an opinion of someone before you know the facts based on stereotypes.

Discrimination - Acting on a prejudice.

Christians:

• We are all equal.
• Reject discrimination.
• We are all created by God so are in the same family.
• Shouldn't judge on race or belief.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus".

"Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman".

• Born 1929, Atlanta.
• Became a minister in 1947.
• 1955 organised the bus boycott.
• Rosa Parkes refused to move from her seat for a white person on a bus.
• Brought bus company to its knees.
• Segregation abolished.
• 1960, leader of the American Civil Rights Movement.
• He lead the march on Birmingham - America's worst city for racism.
• He used key Christian principles, eg. equality.
• Used Non-violent protest.
• 1968, he was assassinated in Tennessee.

There are no women bishops in the Catholic Church.

The bible says "There is neither... slave nor free... for you are all one in Christ Jesus". But it also says "Slaves must always obey their masters".

The bible also says "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman" so it is prejudice.