Explain what Roman Catholics and other Christians believe about sexual relationships outside of marriage as well as within marriage. Use bible passages and Christian teaching and practice to support your answer.

AO1: BELIEF Explain what Roman Catholics and other Christians believe about sexual relationships outside of marriage as well as within marriage. Use bible passages and Christian teaching and practice to support your answer. All Christian churches teach that sex belongs in marriage. The proper context of a sexual relationship is marriage and it was what God intended us to do, thus making it very important. God intended everyone to get married, have sex and have children. 'So God created human beings...he created them male and female, blessed them and said, "have many children, so that your descendents will live over all the earth. (Genesis 1:27-28) Sex outside of marriage is not permitted in the Catholic Church for many reasons. One of these is that it will not fulfil everything that God intended it to be, which is the expression of deep love. Also sex makes the marriage official, this is the last stage of becoming a married couple. This is also known as the marriage being consummated. The basis of this is the belief that marriage is a sacrament. It is permanent, exclusive, a sign of God's love and it should be life giving. The two most important points are life giving - every marriage should be open to the possibility of having children and a person's life is enriched through being married. The other point is exclusive - promise to be faithful and to not have an affair.

  • Word count: 1026
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Can Orthodox Jews practice their religion successfully in Britain today?

Can Orthodox Jews practice their religion successfully in Britain today? Britain is a democratic country and very excepting of peoples religions and faiths. Jews build synagogues and kosher their foods as well as open kosher food stores Orthodox Jews should therefore also not have any problems with wearing the Tallit or going to synagogue. Judaism has been practiced for many centuries, so why should moving to Britain be any different. Some of the countries that the Jews have been practicing in have become violent and yet Jews have continued to practice their faith, some even dying as a consequence (World war two, war in Palestine). Britain is not violent at all comparatively, making it much easier to be a Jew in Britain. There may be still anti Semitic people in Britain even though much of it is concealed. This means that Orthodox Jews would not have to worry about much violence or prejudice towards them. Yet anti Semitic people may still direct violence towards Jewish people. This could cause problems if Orthodox Jews want to practice Also some of the practices that Orthodox Jews have to follow may be hard to fulfil in many modern jobs. Shabbat is one such of those festivals. Some bosses would not be understanding enough to allow their Orthodox Jewish workers home early every Friday. For some jobs, such a doctor celebrating Shabbat may not be a possibility, as you may be

  • Word count: 413
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Explain What Christians Believe About The Death Of Jesus

Explain What Christians Believe About The Death Of Jesus Christians believe all mankind were destined for eternal life and through our own wrong doing and sin we have given this freedom back to God. This is told in the Bible through the story of Adam and Eve which is second only to the creation of the world in the order of the Bible It is important for us also to understand that at one point it was widely believed that Adam and Eve were historical people and that a majority of people in the world never questioned there existence. However opinion on this matter has widely changed over time. Now beliefs of different branches of Christians fluctuate on this particular meaningful story in the Bible, liberalists would now tell you Adam and Eve were just a way of getting across a message and they never truly existed as factual people in history. They would however tell you that there is a strong and important message behind this for us all to reflect on. On the other hand fundamentalists would tell you Adam and Eve once walked this earth like you and me and they would also agree that there is a meaningful knowledge behind this for us all to look and take heed from. All Christians believe that Jesus was the Son of God, in Mark chapter one verse eleven a voice from heaven came and said, ' You are my own dear son, I am pleased with you' As Jesus was the son of God and in fact

  • Word count: 872
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Describe what Baptism is

Baptism I am a fifth year GCSE student and as part of my coursework, I have to describe the sacrament of Baptism. I recently attended a Baptism ceremony and I intend to describe in detail the procedures during the ceremony and the significance of each part. Baptism is the first sacrament received by people in the Catholic church. It usually takes the form of infant baptism - sometimes, if a baby is ill, the ceremony will take place within the first few hours of life, but normally, babies are 2 - 6 weeks old when they are baptised. It is believed that during the Baptismal sacrament, the Holy Spirit enters a person, gives new life, and claims that person is now 'in Christ'. A person 'in Christ' is supposed to grow more like Christ as they grow up. This is made possible by the Holy Spirit. The Ceremony. The Baptismal Ceremony consists of three parts. . The Welcome. 2. The Celebration of God's word. 3. The Celebration of the Sacrament. The Welcome. The family and the child assemble at the back of the church - this represents being 'outside' the church. The priest welcomes them in and asks them what they want of the church, to which they reply 'Baptism'. Godparents are asked if they agree to help and the priest, parents and godparents make a sign of the cross on the child's forehead. The Celebration of God's word. During this part of the ceremony, a reading from the

  • Word count: 1084
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Shopping on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve The train is full of hundreds of people waiting for the same destination as mine. I look around to see if there are any seats available but all I see is people pushing and shoving as if they were a herd of sheep's. I could hear people muttering rude comments at each other like a crowd of bees buzzing towards me. I see a man that lives on my street, I push towards him. As I get closer I can smell a cheesy odour, remembering how awful his scent is, I slowly try to make my way away from him hoping that he doesn't see me. I hear a voice say, 'Next stop Bond Street' I can feel all the excitement in the air, there's silence in the train, but I can hear heart beats pumping faster and faster. The train stops. Everyone runs towards the stores as if the worlds about to end. While people push and shove their way threw I get effortlessly tossed off the train. I reach a street full of department stores and food places. The Christmas decorations beautifully hang from lamp posts and trees. I feel the Christmas atmosphere around me, filling me with joy and excitement; lights falling from the trees make the street even brighter than before. I intend to go Subway and get a quick and easy sandwich, so I can get started with all the shopping. I look around but don't see a Subway at sight, I hear stall men shout, 'Get your ice cream here' 'Get your hot dogs hear' But none

  • Word count: 596
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Explain why some people go on pilgrimage and the effect this might have on them.

Coursework Part B: Explain Why Some People Go On Pilgrimage And The Effect This Might Have On Them. Most pilgrims go on pilgrimage to experience show their faith in God, to pray and get close to him. Visitors to the Holy Land want to visit the places described in the Bible which they believe are sacred, where Jesus lived and carried out his ministry. Visiting these places helps them to stay close to God, partly because they are devoting some of their time to God. Many Christians go on pilgrimage because they feel a sense of joy and presence. Although Christians can pray to God in any place and at any time, some feel that being in a place of pilgrimage can help them in their prayer. They go on pilgrimages to pay homage to God and to pray. Some sites of pilgrimage, such as Lourdes in France, have a history for healing. Some people visit these places in the hope that they will be healed, or that the experience will help them come to terms with their illness and accept it. In a similar way, Christians who feel far from God might go on pilgrimages for spiritual healing. Finally, although pilgrimage is strictly different from a holiday, some Christians who are thinking of going on holiday instead visit a place of pilgrimage, for example the Holy Land. There they enjoy themselves but also meet with other Christians and worship God. Pilgrimages can have a dramatic effect on

  • Word count: 575
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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R.E Medical Ethics Coursework

Medical Ethics Coursework Approximately one in six couples have difficulty achieving a pregnancy. It has been found that female factors are responsible in 30% of cases, factors account for a further 30%, combined male and female factors account for 20% and the remaining 20% of cases are unexplained. Under normal circumstances, the chances of pregnancy occurring as a result of unprotected intercourse during the fertile time of the cycle are about 25% per month. After 12 months of trying, approximately 80% of couples will have conceived. For most men the infertility causes is the result of having a low sperm count. This is caused by a lot of different reasons some of which are medical. These would include a condition called variocele and having sperm that is shaped abnormally. The lifestyle that a man chooses can affect his sperm count as well. For instance, if a man smokes cigarettes, uses illegal drugs, or drinks excessively they will have a lower sperm count than a man that doesn't. Even wearing tight pants and soaking in a hot tub can lower the sperm count. Of course, these are things that can be changed to help correct this problem. Medications and certain sickness can lead to having low sperm count temporarily as well and can also be corrected. Ovulation is one of the main factors that infertility causes in women. Several factors cause a decrease in ovulation such as

  • Word count: 578
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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What is involved in pilgrimage?

What is involved in pilgrimage? Describe the differing, approaches to pilgrimage by referring to two or more places of pilgrimage. There are many reasons why Christians go on pilgrimages. For many people pilgrimages play a very important role on their life and they find it very helpful to their development. Many people go to places like Lourdes and Lough Derg every year, and claim it changes their life and makes them closer to God through the activities they undertake there. Many organizations are set up to take disable children to Lourdes and help them, one organization is HCPT, it is the largest children's pilgrimage in the U.K and it was set up almost fifty years ago and is still running today. HCPT is a group which goes to Lourdes once a year with hundreds of children with volunteering adults to help them. The children love it and benefit hugely from it. There are over 5 million people that come to Lourdes a year, and it is a good way to get closer to God and change peoples lives. There is many ways that it can change a Christian's life and their beliefs. The pilgrimage's is not just all about praying, as it helps people relax and meet new people who might be sharing the same experiences as them. At Lourdes there are many English and international masses, there is also the Blessed Sacrament procession and blessing of the sick which relieves dieing people of their sins.

  • Word count: 720
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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My understanding of the meaning of 'Here' by R.S. Thomas.

Romi Verstappen My understanding of the meaning of 'Here' by R.S. Thomas. After reading this poem through a few times, I can clearly see that there are many different interpretations that people can make. Some may come to a conclusion that the poem is about Jesus and his crucifixion, and others may believe it is about war or even from the viewpoint of an unborn child. However, I believe that all of these meanings are true in some parts of the poem, as for me, no one meaning fits perfectly as there are always some lines which do not fit under that specific meaning. The very first line, 'I am a man now' stands out as ever word is a stressed syllable and is monosyllabic. This technique signals to the reader that there is a deeper meaning. This line could be referred to 'Jesus' as well as 'war'. It could be referred to Jesus in the sense that Jesus was brought to Earth as God but in the form of man. It could be referred to the subject of 'war' as the statement could be showing that this man has come of age as a true adult, possibly due to seeing things that no man should see during battle which has destroyed his innocence. In lines 2 and 3, 'Pass your hand over my brow you can feel the place where the brains grow', passing a hand over a brow (or forehead) is something that a person does when he/she has a fever. In this case it could be referring to a fever of the mind; there

  • Word count: 1021
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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Outline the presentation of the person of Jesus in John's Gospel. (20 marks)

Jody Evans 13A Outline the presentation of the person of Jesus in John's Gospel. (20 marks) Throughout John's Gospel Jesus is portrayed in different ways. He is described as "flesh" yet he also has divine qualities and characteristics. John regards Jesus as Logos meaning "word". According to Lightfoot the logos had "diverse origins and might convey different shades of meaning to different readers". Such readers would be Jews and Greeks. This quote proves one of John's main purposes to be universal. First the Jewish background relating back to the logos or 'Word' of God. This was seen as a creative force as mentioned in chapter 1 Genesis. This also connected to the prophets where they delivered God's word to the audience. Wisdom was spoken of with a connection with Sophia. Greek background the reason and the outward expression of inward thought. For the stoics, logos was the all - pervading presence of God, the mind of God guiding and controlling life. They searched for the 'divine spark' to become a child of God. Philo of Alexandria was a Hebrew and a historical figure that came to earth and lived with mankind. This exemplifies this of Jesus. Logos is vital for the evangelist's appreciation of the person of Jesus but only used in the Prologue. This was to show pre-existence, creator, life and light of men, flesh which is 'sarx' superior to John he Baptist,

  • Word count: 1034
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)
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