Human relationships revision

Human
Relationships
Topics to revise
•Roles of men and women in the family
•Marriage and marriage ceremonies
•Divorce
•Sexual Relationships and Contraception

Learning Objectives
Know the Key words for this topic
Understand how to use relevant Bible quotes
Be able to practise exam questions on this topic

Describe:
The roles of man / woman / child in a Christian family
What you should be able to do….
A Christian wedding ceremony.

List:
The vows taken in a Christian wedding ceremony.
The main Christian teachings about marriage.

Explain:
Different Christian views about sexual relationships
Different Christian views about contraception
Different Christian views about divorce

Learn the following Bible quotes:
- Family: 1 Timothy 2:11-13, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 5:21-23; 1 Corinthians 11b-12a,
Genesis 1:27b)
- Marriage and divorce: Matthew 5:31-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9, Mark: 10:10-11 Mark 10:7-9
-The 10 Commandments, Exodus 20.
Learning Objectives

Roles of men and women in the family
Topics to revise
Traditional Roles – Men are superior
• Adam and Eve – Man was created first, Eve created from the rib of Adam as a
helper/companion, Eve was the one who disobeyed God first and so is the weaker sex
• Marriage vows – wife vows to obey her husband, Mary (mother of Jesus) is a role
model –often portrayed as a quiet, loving mother.
• Traditional duties - The wife is to provide secure and loving family home, the husband
is the head of the family who sets the rules, Christian behaviours and provides for wife
and children by earning the money.
• St Paul’s Letters
• Ephesians 5:22-23a “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the
husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the Church”
• 1 Timothy 2:11-13 “A woman should learn in quietness and full
submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man; she
must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.”
Learning Objectives

Roles of men and women in the family
Topics to revise
Alternative / Modern View – Men and women are equal
• Genesis 1:27b “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he
created them; male and female he created them” - Men and women are different,
but equal in the eyes of God.

• St Paul’s Letters
• Galatians 3:28 “There is neither…. Male or female….for you are all one in
Christ Jesus.”
• 1 Corinthians 11b-12a “...woman is not independent of man, nor is man
independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is
born of woman.”
• Modern Society – Roles are interchangeable, some women work while the
husband looks after the children.

Learning Objectives

men and women in the Chruch
Topics to revise
Traditional views – Only men should teach
• Church Family – one big family, everybody has a distinct role to play

• 1 Timothy 2:11-13 “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.
I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man; she must be
silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve.”

• Jesus’ Disciples – Jesus chose 12 male disciples which suggests his
intention was for men to take the leading role in the Church.

• Pope – the Pope has always been male, and Roman Catholics do not permit
women to be priests.

Learning Objectives

men and women in the Chruch
• Modern /Liberal Views – women can lead the Church
• Jesus’ Example
– Story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) – Jesus encouraged women to
learn form him, something women were not usually allowed to do.

• Jesus’ resurrection appearance – Jesus first revealed himself to a woman,
showing he held women in high regard.

• The Anglican Church and most non-conformist churches will allow women to be
ministers and priests.

Learning Objectives

Marriage and marriage ceremonies
The couple’s
relationship is Marriage is a civil and religious A sacrament is a religious
publicly witnessed ritual by which Christians can
by the congregation commitment for Christians. It is know God better.
and marriage
register is signed. considered a sacrament in which a
Marriage unites two
Marriage is for life. baptised man and woman vow to Christian people
before God.
belong to each other in a permanent,
People should have
only one wife or exclusive, sexual partnership of loving, Wife and husband help
husband and support one
(monogamy) Sex another.
mutual care, concern and shared
outside marriage
(adultery) is against
the 7th of the Ten responsibility in the hope of having The couple are expected to
Commandments. have children.
children and bringing up a family.
Love and Sex are important
parts of the partnership. Family life is a basis for society.

Learning Objectives


I take thee to be my wedded husband (or wife)
To have and to hold
From this day forward Why are the vows important?
For better for worse
For richer for poorer In Summary, the couple are asked to promise to:
In sickness and in health •Love each other and be faithful (they must not
To love and to cherish commit adultery)
Till death do us part •Respect and look after each other
According to God’s holy law •Stay together until death

Learning Objectives

What do the following pictures have to do with a marriage ceremony
(wedding)?
1
3 4
2

5
6

7

Learning Objectives

• Marriage Ceremony and Symbolism

The ceremony takes place in a church because promises (vows) are made in front of God.

The priest asks the couple and the congregation if there are any reasons why this marriage
cannot go ahead. This is to show that the Christian marriage is legally binding.
The priest asks both the bride and the groom if they want to marry the other person. This is
to show that Christian marriage is a relationship, that is entered into freely and no one has
forced them to marry.
Having children and bringing them up in the Christian faith is an important part of marriage
and the priest explains this to couples in the opening address.

Couples say their vows in the presence of God and the congregation of Christians as
witnesses, showing the sacred importance of the ceremony.

Prayers, Bible readings and the priest’s talk teach the couple about the importance of love in
a marriage.

A ring is given to symbolize the unending nature of love and of Christian marriage. This
shows a marriage is for life.

Learning Objectives


Learning Objectives

Civil Partnerships
• Wrong
– Sexual Relationships – for marriage only, therefore civil partnerships are
wrong
– Bible passages condemning homosexuality – 1 Corinthians 6:9 “Do you
not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Neither the
sexually immoral…nor homosexual offenders”
– Vatican 2008 – “Homosexual behaviour is a disordered behaviour. The activity
must be condemned”
– Pope – Homosexuality is a greater problem for the future of the world than
climate change.
• Acceptable
– Love – another form of loving relationship, allow a blessing ceremony after a
civil partnership registration.
– CoE – varied, some allow blessing, some don’t.
Learning Objectives

Most Christians believe: Divorce
– Christian teachings, the marriage ceremony and vows, all show Christians
that marriage is intended to be a relationship for life.

– Marriage is a holy relationship and the vows a couple make are made in
front of God and should never be broken: Mark: 10:10-11 “Therefore what God
has joined together, let no man separate. Anyone who divorces his wife and
marries another woman commits adultery against her”

– The ring is given in the marriage ceremony to symbolise that love is unending
and that Jesus taught that marriage is for life.

– Matthew 5:32 “But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for
marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who
marries the divorced woman commits adultery.”
Learning Objectives

Divorce
Roman Catholic – Divorce is WRONG
• Resolution - Understand not all marriages will work out but that the
Church will give the couple support to resolve their differences.
• Separation - Catholic Church allows couples to separate and live
apart.
• Adultery - It does not allow them to re-marry or have a sexual
relationship with anyone else as it would be adultery
• Annulment - In some cases the Catholic Church can officially
annul a marriage, if one of the couple was under-age, forced to
marry against their will or unaware of what they were doing due to
diminished responsibility. Also if the marriage is not consummated.

Learning Objectives

Divorce
Church of England – Divorce is better AVOIDED, but SOMETIMES
acceptable
• Marriage is for life, but they accept that things may not always work out.
• The priest will help a couple try to resolve their difficulties.
• If you are unable to, the Church of England accepts that divorce may be the kindest
thing for all concerned as it ends pain.
• Some believe that marriage ends when the love dies between two people.
– Jesus taught that the right course of action is the most loving thing to do.
Forcing a couple to remain trapped in a loveless marriage would hurt them and
everyone in their family, which cannot be right.
– Jesus lived in a Jewish society almost 2000 years ago, so some believe that it is
right to interpret his message in the light of today’s society and permit divorce.

Learning Objectives

Remarriage
Roman Catholics – NOT ACCEPTED
• Marriage is for life – civil divorce is not recognised by God, will always be married in the eyes
of God.
• Sexual relationships to any partner other than wife will be considered adultery.

Church of England – ACCEPTED BY SOME
• Remarriage in a church, or church blessing following a register office ceremony may be
permitted, depending on the vicar.
• Some vicars do not believe it is right to make promises which have been broken once and so
can refuse to remarry a divorced couple. In which case the couple must marry in another
church or without a priest.

Other Christians - ACCEPTED
• Jesus taught the importance of forgiveness if someone has made a mistake.

Learning Objectives

Sexual Relationships
Sex in a marriage relationship - ENCOURAGED
• Sex is a gift from God – it should be enjoyed by a couple as an act of love within their
marriage and in order to have children.
• Sex is a relationship that has been blessed by God, Christians believe that casual sex
encounters are wrong.

Sex outside of marriage - FORBIDDEN
• The seventh of the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not commit adultery” - some
Christians interpret this as meaning that all sexual activity outside marriage is wrong.
• Jesus also condemned adultery in the gospels (Mark 10:7-9) – Some Christians (i.e.
Roman Catholics and Evangelical Protestants) therefore reject all sexual relationships
outside marriage. And believe a person should remain a virgin until they are married and
have no other sexual partner during their marriage.
• The Catholic Church is very clear about sexual relations: “The sexual act must take
place exclusively within marriage. Outside of marriage it always constitutes a grave sin”.

Learning Objectives

Sexual Relationships
Sex outside of marriage – ACCEPTABLE IN LOVING/PERMANENT
RELATIONSHIP

• All Christians prefer sexual relationships to take place
within a marriage because it provides a stable
environment for bringing up children.
• Jesus taught that love was what mattered most - Some
Christians are prepared to accept pre-marital sex as part of
a loving relationship is a couple are committed to each other
and plan to marry.

Learning Objectives

Roman Catholics – WRONG
Contraception
• Marriage ceremony states that sex is given to a couple by God so they can have children
• The act of sex should always be open to God’s gift of a baby.
• Artificial forms on contraception such as the pill and condoms are forbidden, but natural methods of
birth control such as the rhythm method are acceptable

Other Christians - ACCEPTABLE
• Whilst all Christians believe that having children is an important part of marriage, some accept that
couples may want to limit the size of their family.
• Provided both husband and wife agree, most forms of contraception are acceptable. This frees a
couple to enjoy a sexual relationship and strengthen their bond without the worry of an unwanted
pregnancy.
• Using contraception to plan the timing of a pregnancy can help ensure that all children in the family are
wanted, loved and provided for.

Most Christians – PERMANENT CONTRACEPTION IS WRONG
• Because the marriage ceremony states that the purpose of marriage is to have children, most
Christians do not approve permanent forms contraception, for example sterilisation.

Learning Objectives

Human relationships revision

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