Christianity - Relationships + Lifestyle Flashcards
What is Heterosexual?
The word to describe people who are sexually attracted to people of the opposite gender.
What is Homosexual?
the word used to refer to people who are sexually attracted to people of the same gender. Men who are attracted to each other are often referred to as gay men and females who are attracted to each other as lesbians.
What is Statutory rape?
when one or both of the parties engaging in sexual activity are below the age of consent. Statutes are laws. This law means that a 14-year-old girl cannot legally consent to have sex with her 16-year-old boyfriend. This act would be considered unlawful.
What is a virgin?
somebody who has not had sex. Once a person has had sex, he or she is no longer a virgin.
What is Chastity?
Chastity is generally understood as the act of saving yourself sexually for a particular time or person. Some people take a vow of chastity because they believe that it keeps them sexually pure. The vow may be taken for religious reasons.
What is Celibacy?
Celibacy is generally understood as abstaining from sexual activity. Most people practise celibacy for religious reasons.
What is The starting point for a Christian understanding of human sexuality is the belief that all humans are made ‘in the image of God’. - Quote?
God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.’
[Genesis 1:27]
The creation story in Genesis shows how male and females are intimately connected to each other:
Genesis [2:21-24]
So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man He made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.
[Genesis 2:21-24]
St Paul reminds Christians that:
[1 Corinthians 6:19-20]
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
[1 Corinthians 6:19-20]
Most Christians accept the teaching that sexual relationships should only happen in marriage. This is supported by one of the Ten Commandments in Exodus:
[Exodus 20:14]
You shall not commit adultery.
[Exodus 20:14]
What is contraception?
Contraception is an umbrella term that includes any way to prevent a pregnancy as a result of sexual intercourse. There are different beliefs about how contraception should be used, depending on what denomination or church a Christian belongs to.
What is the Roman Catholic view on contraception?
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the act of sex is a way of showing true love and it is through this expression of love that God works to create new life. Since one of the purposes of sex is to procreate, the use of artificial methods of contraception interferes with God’s creative act and is not acceptable.
What is the protestant view on contraception?
Most Protestant Christian groups believe that sex is an important way to show love and affection in a marriage but it is not exclusively for procreation. Therefore many allow the use of artificial contraception as it allows a couple to show their love for each other and to regulate the size of their family.
What are the arguments against homosexuality?
God made male and female according to the Book of Genesis to complete each other and to procreate. Even if the couple are unable to have children, the sexual union is theoretically open to the production of children.
The natural order represented in nature is for male and female to unite. This is often linked to the natural law argument.
Homosexual practice is forbidden in the book of Leviticus: If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 20:13).
In some of St Paul’s letters included in the Bible, he condemns homosexuality as ‘unrighteous’ and claims that men who practise homosexuality will not inherit the kingdom of God.
What are the arguments in favour of homosexuality?
Simply because a sexual union cannot result in children, it is not right to forbid any action that is a physical expression of genuine love.
Homosexuals are simply following their natural instincts. This is how God created them, so they should not be condemned.
There is evidence of homosexual activity throughout the animal kingdom.
There are many laws in the Bible that would not be accepted now because the nature of society has changed, eg capital punishment and slavery. We should not be restricted by ancient standards.
Some people believe that St Paul’s comments were about male prostitutes, not homosexuality in general.
