"Explain how the rituals and vows connected with Christian marriage ceremonies might influence the differing ways that couples approach marriage and divorce."
Gavin Martin 11.1 11A Y11 Religious Studies Coursework 2: Marriage and Divorce Question One: "Explain how the rituals and vows connected with Christian marriage ceremonies might influence the differing ways that couples approach marriage and divorce." There are many reasons why people decide to marry. More than half of people who get married live together beforehand. The main reason why people get married is because they love each other deeply and wish to 'concrete' their relationship. Other reasons for marriage could be that the woman is pregnant and the parents don't want the baby to have unmarried parents. The couple want to publicly celebrate their marriage in a ceremony. In Christianity there were sometimes (and sometimes still are) arranged marriages, this then would not normally be proclaiming love in front of God because in many cases the couple are not in love. Christians normally have a set wedding procedure. This normally consists of: a vow made before God, rings are given and a cake is cut. The couple's love is left in no doubt when they are reminded by the minister, priest etc. and it is not to be undertaken lightly. The bride's father is given the honour of escorting the bride down the aisle to the vicar/minister/registrar and the groom; this is called "giving away" the bride. The Bride will most commonly where a white dress to signify purity. Although
Explain the Muslim attitudes to marriage and family life, outlining the roles of both husband and wife in the marriage.
ISLAM COURSEWORK Explain the Muslim attitudes to marriage and family life, outlining the roles of both husband and wife in the marriage In Islam, marriage is a partnership. Muslim women accept only Allah as their master, and do not therefore consider themselves to be secondary to a husband. It is basic in muslim society that the man is responsible for the family's welfare and business outside the home, but the women has nearly absolute rights within it so long as her behaviour does not shame her provider. No marriage works well without a clear leader, and therefore there should be one in every family. Most Muslim women are quite happy for this leader to be the man they love. If the man is not worth respecting, divorce is a straightforward matter, which will mean that the women may look for a better man. Sometimes the woman in a household is more intelligent or organised or practical than the man, so he will quite sensibly leave most matters to her but in Islam he is still responsible for her. A Muslim mother is expected to take responsibilities for: * Food for the hungry * Refuge for the weary * Hospitality for the guests * Comfort for the distressed * Peace for the troubled * Hope for the insecure * Encouragement for the weak The Muslim father is expected to provide the mains whereby all this can actually be achieved to protect the home and the make to the
Describe and Explain the Range of Christian Attitudes In Relation To Marriage, Divorce and Abortion
Describe and Explain the range of Christian Attitudes in relation to Marriage, Divorce and Abortion In Christianity, marriage is regarded as being a sacrament; a way in which man can become closer to and specially blessed by God. Marriage is important as it is seen as a reflection of the union between Jesus and Christianity. It is because of this resemblance that divorce is not encouraged, or even accepted in most Christian denominations. Marriage is seen as important for three reasons; it is a loving and caring relationship for people to be part of and means that people can have companionship. The quote, from the Bible, "It is not good that man should be alone" shows the importance of friendship and company in the Christian philosophy. Wedlock is seen as the most suitable environment in which sexual intercourse can take place. Another quality of marriage is for the procreation of children. Christians are told to "Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it". Christians believe that marriage is the only appropriate atmosphere for children to grow up and develop in. Marriage is regarded as the essential requirement to provide the stable and secure surroundings needed for the child. The importance of the marriage service itself is also clear; it is a ceremony held in a religious building, witnessed by God. The line from the marriage service, "man must not
What impact does divorce and separation have on children and what effect has this rising rate had on youngsters viewpoint?
What impact does divorce and separation have on children and what effect has this rising rate had on youngsters viewpoint? Chapter one Introduction In this chapter, I will be presenting my aims, research questions and why I chose this topic area. This will keep me on track whilst conducting my investigation and when I am analysing results and drawing up my conclusion. I will also be referring back to this chapter during the course of my investigation to ensure that I am responding to all of the aims I have displayed and hope to achieve. The aim of my sociological investigation is to find out what impact divorce or separation has on children, with a particular emphasis on my age group, (teenagers). Notwithstanding, during interviews I will also be talking to the respondents about how separation or divorce affected them when they were younger too. Divorce is the legal termination of marriage and has become increasingly popular in Britain in the past few decades; there have also been many more separations in our society. I hope to find out how this will affect the people of my generation and their opinions on the subject. I chose this topic because I am generally interested in it, and have witnessed many incidences were children of my age have been a victim of this process. Within this group of people, I noticed numerous changes in their personalities, interaction with
Divorce and Re-marriage
Explain religious teachings about divorce and re-marriage from two religions Religions have different views about divorce and re-marriage, depending on the different religious teachings which that religion follows. In Christianity, Catholics and Protestants have different views. For example, in Catholicism divorce is not possible as Catholics believe that marriage is in front of God, meaning that God is the third person in the marriage. Therefore, if you get a divorce, not only are you divorcing your partner, but you are also divorcing God. With this said, Catholics do give exceptions under certain circumstances such as mental illness - this is because it makes carrying out marital duties impossible. In these conditions, an annulment is possible; as this is a document which declares the marriage never existed. This way you are not breaking your connection with God, as another teaching Catholics abide by is: 'Marriage is the uniting into one flesh which cannot be broken'. In Protestantism however, Protestants recognise that marriages can break down, and civil divorces are acceptable. This is because one of Jesus' teachings is: 'Don't judge others, but forgive them.' This teaches Protestants to forgive their partner no matter what they have done and move on, even if divorce is the right way forward. On the
How are the religious beliefs on divorce reflected in the ceremonies?
How are the religious beliefs on divorce reflected in the ceremonies? In Islam, divorce is highly discouraged. However they also do not believe in making people live unhappily for their whole lives. This is because is Islam it is understood that it is only human for not every marriage to be a success, 'Either keep your wife honestly or put her away from you with kindness. Do not force a woman to stay with you who wishes to leave. The man who does that only injures himself.' (Surah 2:23). This belief that divorce is a possibility as a last resort, after attempts of re-building the marriage have failed is usually reflected in the Nikah ceremony. This is because often in the Nikah contract, which is written and signed by the couple marrying, the bride includes certain conditions that could later help her if she decides she wants a divorce. Similarly, in the ceremony there is not the belief that God is joining to people, as he only witnesses the ceremony. In Islam, 'khul' is when a woman wants a divorce against her husband's will. A way of obtaining a divorce in this situation is to return his marriage gift- mahr, which is usually dowry. This situation is usually reflected in the Nikah ceremony as the husband normally gives her the dowry during the ceremony. This dowry given to the bride during the ceremony also reflects that the husband is a financial support to his
With divorce rates rising, what effect can this have on peoples opinion of marriage?
With divorce rates rising, what effect can this have on people's opinion of marriage? Nowadays, divorce is relatively common; in Britain it is estimated that one in three marriages end in divorce. This is a somewhat depressing statistic. Since the mid-twentieth century, divorce rates have continued to rise and these days, most people know of at least one couple whose marriage has ended in a divorce. With divorce rates so high, it must surely have an effect on people's opinion of marriage - but how? Divorce rates have risen for a number of reasons such as secularisation (the increase in people who aren't religious) and there being a more permissive society. In the Christian religion, it is taught that people should aim to have one monogamous relationship in their lives: ideally marriages should last forever. Also, the marriage vows the couple made to each other before God, the vicar/priest and any invited guests are essentially promises and the breaking of promises is a terrible thing to do. Therefore, divorce is not encouraged in communities where the people are religious. Secularisation means that the beliefs that come with religion aren't as prominent or in some cases are completely lost, giving rise to a more permissive society. With such high rates of divorce, individuals may start to lose faith in marriage. After all, if a third of all marriages end in divorce, why
Why Has Divorce Increased In The Last Century?
Why Has Divorce Increased In The Last Century? When two people love one another, and decide to declare their love for each other by getting married and spending the rest of their lives together, it has to be done in the eyes of the law. If an event of separation occurs, and the couple decide to split up, that also has to be done in the eyes of the law so as to make it official and permanent. This is called a divorce. Over the last century, the rate of divorce has increased to a great extent. This is due to several reasons: - The Changing role of Women. This is a very significant justification for the rising request of divorce. During the course of the twentieth century, women's expectation of life and marriage have risen. They are more adamant about sacrificing their own lives, independence and most of all their careers. The employment of married women has increased this century. This has increased their financial independence and also reduced the amount of reliance on their husbands. They are capable of making their own money and providing for themselves now that they can be employed. This makes it very easier for women to escape from miserable marriages and if ever they need help, there is a range of welfare state benefits to help divorced women, in particular those with children. Higher Expectation of Marriage People's expectation of what marriage should be like
Marriage and Divorce Rates,
Marriage and Divorce Rates, Outline and assess the reasons for the increase in the divorce rate. There are many reasons why the divorce rate has increased due to society changing, over the last fifty years. Firstly one of the most important one of these is the changes in laws, new laws have been introduced which have resulted in it becoming a lot easier for couples to get divorced. The most powerful law which coincidentally is a recent law is; The Divorce Reform Act of 1969; this involved a major change in the grounds for divorce. People could now get divorced without having to prove adultery or domestic violence, they could just divorce if things weren't working or they were unhappy. This law didn't actually start working until 1971 as it took a period of time to be enforced. This had a huge affect on the divorce rates, as now many unhappy married couples were now able to divorce much easier than before, without having to prove adultery or violence. The Matrimonial Family Proceedings Act of 1985 is also another new law which affected the rate of divorce, this allowed people to get divorced after being married for only one year, whereas before in 1985 married couples had to wait at least three years before they could get divorce. This act increased divorces as people split up on a faster rate if they had problems in their relationship and didn't give their marriage a
An Islamic Perspective on Divorce
An Islamic Perspective on Divorce Marriage as prescribed by God is the lawful union of a man and women based on mutual consent. Ideally, the purpose of marriage is to promote a state of harmony, love and kindness in Islam, but this is not always the case. Islam discourages divorce but, unlike some religions, does make requirements for divorce by either party. God provides general guidelines for the process of divorce with emphasis throughout on both parties upholding the values of justice and kindness in formalizing the end to their marriage (see Surah 2: 224-237 for general guidelines regarding divorce). God encourages the husband and wife to appoint arbitrators as the first step to aid in reconciliation in the process of divorce. If the reconciliation step fails, both men and women are guaranteed their right to divorce as established in the Qur'an. When a divorce is initiated by the man, it is known as talaq. The statement by the husband may be verbal or written, but once done, a waiting period of three months ('iddat) must take place in which there are no sexual relations even though the two are living under the same roof. The waiting period helps prevent hasty decisions made in anger and enables both parties to reconsider as well as determine if the wife is pregnant. If the wife is pregnant, the waiting period is lengthened until she delivers. At any point during