Marriage, divorce,re-marriage,

When Harry met Meghan…

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44186890

Wedding ceremonies don’t always go to plan…

Wedding ceremonies don’t always go to plan

What’s happening here?

Objectives

• Examine issues about marriage, divorce, and remarriage

• Apply our knowledge to exam questions, using key concept vocabulary (KCV)

• How many here people plan to be married at some point in their lives?

Why do some people get married in the first place?

• Write down a spidergram of possible reasons…

Why do people get married?

There are many reasons for marriage…

• Religious people will regard marriage as something God-given, as a lifelong commitment, and as the best basis for creating a family.

• Many people feel that traditional symbols of marriage are symbols of inequality, and that they reinforce real inequalities today.

A feminist critique…

• An ex-colleague of mine (Nyomi) recently married her partner of 11 years. Read her blog about their reasons for marrying.

• Nyomi cites a lot of evidence that unmarried couples are discriminated against in law. Why might this be the case?

(Nyomi has given permission for this material to be used).

What happens in a religious wedding?

• For many people, the symbols of marriage do not have to represent inequality. Religious people see marriage as an important part of society.

• Go to the website below and have a go at planning a church of England wedding..!

• https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/section/planning-your-ceremony/

Music

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TGKJ9MgCOQ(Queen of Sheba)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6rX3wlDsVI(Wagner’s bridal chorus)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhdw2EZWtbA(trumpet voluntary)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFH_6DNRCY(clair de lune)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4mf5yqn1aw (an alternative!)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tDYMayp6Dk(wedding march)

Religious attitudes to marriage

1. Read the two information sheets on Christian and Jewish weddings.

2. Pick three symbols from Christian and Jewish wedding ceremonies and explain what they represent.

3. Explain, from Christianity and Judaism, attitudes to marriage. Use information about the ceremonies to explain their beliefs.

4. “Marriage is outdated.” What reasons might there be to agree and disagree with this statement? Use evidence from religious and non-religious sources.

Next task…

• Using the Venn diagram, compare the features of Christian and Jewish weddings. What do they have in common? What’s distinctive about them?

• Use the information sheets.

Jewish weddingsChristian weddings

Marriage, divorce,re-marriage 2

When marriages fail…

• Why might marriages break down? Write a list of possible reasons…

Many people try to stay friends afterwards…

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R59l0-X4Ohs

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxMbkLci7qM

Should marriage be for life?

• Some reasons for yes?

Eg commitment, promises made before God…

• Some reasons for no?

Eg people fall out of love, partner might commit adultery, partner might become nasty/violent…

Consolidating your learning: use the information sheets on marriage and

divorce

1. Summarise Christian views on divorce and

re-marriage

2. Summarise Jewish views on divorce and

re-marriage

Tell me what Catholic Christians believe, and why.

Tell me what some other groups of Christians think.

Tell me what Jewish people believe about divorce.

What is a “get?”

15 mark question

• The question on the next slide appeared on a recent exam. Have a go at writing an answer, using the material you have been studying so far.

• Remember it is a 15 mark question so needs to have plenty of reasons for and against the quotation, with references to religious teachings or other evidence.

• Remember this is about giving reasons for allowing or not allowing divorce. Do not simply explain religious teachings about divorce.

“Marriage should be for life.” Do you agree? Give reasons or evidence for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view.

You must include reference to religious beliefs in your answer. (15)

• For: Some people think…

• You can include a few points here. Use RT and explain how they influence the behaviour of believers.

• Against: Others think…

• In conclusion…

Love

• Remember to try to use the KCV:

Adultery having a sexual relationship with someone other than the person you are married to

Divorce when a married couple legally breakup

Cohabitation living together with someone when you are not married

Commitment a sense of dedication and obligation to someone or something

Contraception different methods used during sex to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections

Gender Equality when men and women are treated equally in the roles they fulfil

Responsibilities actions you are expected to carry out

Roles different jobs or activities that men and women might complete in a relationship

Band Band Descriptor Mark Total

5 A comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the issue based on detailed knowledge of religion and religious teaching or moral reasoning.

Communicates clearly and appropriately using and interpreting specialist language extensively.

13 – 15

4 A detailed analysis and evaluation of the issue based on accurate knowledge of religion and religious teaching or moral reasoning to

formulate judgements.

Communicates clearly and appropriately using and interpreting specialist language.

10 – 12

3 A generally detailed analysis and evaluation based on a generally accurate recognition of an alternative or different point of view linked to

religion and belief.

Communicates clearly and appropriately, using and interpreting some specialist language.

7 – 9

2 Either: Statement(s) of a point of view based on generally accurate knowledge linked to religion and belief

Or: Two statements of a point of view linked to religion and belief.

Communicates clearly and appropriately using limited specialist language.

4 – 6

1 Either: A simple statement of a point of view, linked to religion and belief

Or: A simple statement of two different points of view.

Communicates clearly and appropriately.

1 – 3

0 No relevant point of view stated. 0

Marriage v remarriage v cohabitation

• In this lesson, we will examine and evaluate attitudes to cohabitation and remarriage within religions.

Odd one out

• For the three pictures on the next slide, try to think about how they are similar and different to each other, from what you can deduce from the pictures themselves.

• Is it possible to tell, from the pictures, which families are cohabiting? Which might be a reconstituted or blended family? Which family has had a divorce and remarriage?

• It’s important to emphasise the point from the first lesson in the unit that families come in all shapes and sizes.

• However, cohabitation is very much on the increase.

Cohabitation figures (source: ONS, 2012)

As you watch the discussion, think about why cohabitation appears to be

on the rise.• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqeu5Kt

1Jqc

• Remember my old colleague from 2 lessons ago; she and her partner and two children were perfectly happy without being married.

• Does cohabiting mean something better than marriage, or is it a good idea to cohabit before being married?

Non religious views

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PItNy3xooPI

• What are the benefits and problems with living together according to this speaker?

Religious views: Roman Catholic

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8IEHMDAFqw

• Although the speaker is Catholic, this view is shared by many traditional religious people.

• What are the difficulties with this view?

Natural Law

• St Thomas Aquinas, an Italian monk and scholar 1225 – 1274.

• He said that God had created humans with “reason,” and that we can find the right thing to do by following the purposes we were created for.

• He believed that there were 5 Primary Precepts, or principles, to guide human conduct, which were the same for all humans:

The primary precepts, or main principles:

• Worship God

• Live in an ordered society

• Reproduce

• Learn and become educated

• Preserve or defend life

These precepts are part of our inbuilt human nature – when we follow them, we flourish because it’s how God made us. Modern Roman Catholicism is very much based on Aquinas’ ideas.

The secondary precepts

• The Primary Precepts are too general to follow by themselves, so Aquinas said we have to work out “secondary precepts.”

• You get “rules” and secondary precepts by basically using your common sense and reference to the Bible so:

• Marriage and having children follows the two primary precepts of “living in an ordered society” and “reproduce.”

• Many Christians (mainly Catholics) say that marriage and having children follows logically from the primary precepts – anything else might be against natural law. This also follows what the Bible appears to say.

• Job done?

Natural Law has Biblical foundations to support it.

Aquinas believed that God had left

enough clues in the natural world for

people to be able to be aware of God.

People are able to flourish when they

are in a stable relationship and

produce offspring because that’s how

God made us. For Aquinas, this means

marriage and kids!

Jesus states that there was an original God -

ordained morality on divorce which has

been adapted due to the sins of humanity

But…

• Natural Moral Law causes problems for a lot of people.

• Just because we have the biology to produce children, doesn’t mean we should.

• You can have an orderly society without having marriage.

• And Aquinas was a celibate monk! Does this mean he was breaking natural law?!

Tasks

• So natural law has a lot of problems, and we’ll look at some others next lesson. Answer the questions below.

1. Why are religious people mainly against the idea of cohabitation?

2. Explain some reasons why the number of couples cohabiting appears to be increasing.(5 marks).

3. Explain religious attitudes to remarriage and cohabitation (5 marks).

Question

“Cohabitation is just as important as marriage.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing you have though about more than one point of view. In your answer refer to religion. (15 marks)