Marriage and Sexual Relationships
Christians hold a range of views on marriage, sexual relationships and family life, and non-religious people add their own. Learn to understand and evaluate those divergent views fairly - the skill this topic rewards most.
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One topic, many views
Marriage, sexual relationships and family life are areas where people hold very different views - and where Christians themselves disagree with one another. The most important thing this topic asks of you is not to pick a side, but to understand and evaluate the range of views fairly: some Christians, other Christians, and non-religious people (including Humanists) each reason differently. Getting that range right, and treating every view with respect, is exactly what the exam rewards.
Words this topic uses
Learn these first - they come up throughout the topic and in the exam.
Marriage terms
- Sanctity of marriage
- Cohabitation
- Procreation
- The belief that marriage is holy and made before God
- Living together in a relationship without being married
- Having children, seen by many as a purpose of marriage
Why do many Christians marry?
Drawing on teaching such as Mark 10:6-9, which best sums up how many Christians understand the purpose of marriage?
- A lifelong, faithful union for love, companionship and often raising a family
- Mainly a way to combine two people's money and property
- A short-term arrangement to be ended when convenient
- Something every single person is forced by law to do
Marriage: a range of views
How important is marriage? People answer differently, and the exam wants you to know the range - religious and non-religious - and to attribute each view fairly.
Reasons many Christians give
Select the TWO reasons many Christians give for the importance of marriage.
- It expresses a lifelong, faithful commitment before God
- It provides a stable setting for raising a family
- It is only worth doing for a tax advantage
- It exists only to make one partner superior to the other
Sexual relationships: where Christians differ
This is an area of real disagreement, so attribute views carefully. Traditional teaching, held by many Christians (drawing on passages such as 1 Corinthians 6), is that sex belongs within marriage. Other Christians and some denominations take a more accepting view of sex before marriage, cohabitation and loving same-sex relationships, emphasising love and commitment. Non-religious people generally see relationships as a private matter of consent and care. In the exam, show that you know Christians disagree, and treat every view - and every person - with respect.
Match each family type
- Nuclear family
- Single-parent family
- Extended family
- Blended (step) family
- Two parents and their children in one household
- One parent raising their child or children
- Several generations, such as grandparents, living together or closely involved
- Two families joined together, with step-parents or step-siblings
What is the family for?
Christian teaching such as Ephesians 6:1-4 highlights the family's role. Which set of purposes does it most emphasise?
- Procreation, giving children security, and their education including in faith
- Building up as much family wealth as possible
- Keeping children away from the wider community
- The family has no particular purpose
Build a balanced evaluation
Put the steps of a strong evaluation answer (on a "marriage/family" statement) into a sensible order.
- State the statement and what it is claiming
- Give one view with reasons and a religious teaching to support it
- Give a divergent view (another Christian view or a non-religious one)
- Weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each side
- Reach a supported judgement that follows from the argument
Handle the discussion well
Three moments in a classroom discussion. Choose the response that is both accurate and respectful.
- Someone says: "All Christians are against same-sex relationships." What is the most accurate response?
- In your evaluation you reach a view you personally disagree with. How should you treat it?
- You want a top-band judgement on "marriage is still important today". What earns the most marks?
The sanctity of marriage
Many Christians value the _____ of marriage - the belief it is holy and lifelong - and see it as the ideal setting for a family. On sexual relationships, some Christians follow _____ teaching while others are more accepting, so views _____. Families come in many forms, including nuclear, single-parent and _____ families. The exam skill is to contrast divergent views and reach a _____ judgement.
Is marriage still important?
Evaluate the statement: "Marriage is still important today." Give divergent views - religious and non-religious - and reach a supported judgement.
- Give one view that marriage is still important, with a Christian reason or teaching (for example the sanctity of marriage)
- Give a divergent view - another Christian view, or a non-religious/Humanist view (for example that cohabitation is equally valid)
- Refer to relevant ideas such as sanctity of marriage, cohabitation, or the purposes of family
- Reach a supported judgement, showing you have weighed both sides fairly and respectfully
The grade-9 technique
The single biggest lift in this topic is to stop writing "the Christian view" and start writing "some Christians" and "other Christians". Showing that a religion contains divergent views is exactly what the top band rewards. So always: attribute each view (some Christians, other Christians, many non-religious people), support it with a reason or teaching, set it against a divergent view, and reach a judgement that follows from the argument. Treat every view - and every person it concerns - with respect, and your answer reads as fair, informed and evaluative.