RELIGION AND LIFE 

3 - MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 

Contraception - 

Christian attitudes - 

1 - Catholic 

• Responsible parenthood - deciding on how many children to have and when to have them 
• Should achieve this through natural family planning instead of artificial methods of contraception 
• Pope Pius XI -condemned all forms of artificial contraception 
• Pope Pius XII - all Catholics should use natural methods of contraception 
• Pope Paul VI - only allowable forms of contraception are natural - confirmed in the Catechism 
• All sex should be unitive and creative 
• Some contraceptives bring about a very early abortion (abortifacient) 
• Artificial contraception leads to promiscuity, broken families, divorce and STD's 

2 - Non-Catholic Christians 

• All forms of contraception are permissible 
• Christianity is about love and justice - contraception improves womens' health and raises standard of living 
• Nothing in Bible that forbids use of contraceptives 
• 1930, Lambeth Conference of the worldwide Anglican Communion (Church of England) - Christians could use contraception to limit family size 
• Condoms are the best way to combat HIV/AIDS 

Jewish attitudes - 

1 - Ultra Orthodox 

• Don't approve of any artificial contraception unless mother's health is at risk 
• God's command that Jewish people should be fruitful - should have large families 
• Torah - male sperm is sacred and not to be killed 
• Rabbis teach that God created sex for having children 

2 - Orthodox 

• Allow women to use contraception after a couple has had 2 children 
• Torah, Talmud and rabbis - health of the mother should come first 
• Contraceptives for women don't kill the sperm 
• Mitzvot to have a family 

3 - Liberal/Reform Jews 

• Couples should make own decisions about contraception 
• God expects people to use intelligence and technology to prevent unwanted things from happening 
• Torah needs updating - contraception should be available to men and women 
• Better to use contraception than bring unwanted children into the world 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

3 - MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 

Homosexuality - 

Christian attitudes - 

1 - Catholic 

• Homosexuality isn't a sin, but homosexual sexual activity is a sin 
• Asks homosexuals to live without any sexual activity - will be helped to do this by the sacraments of the Church 
• Sinful to criticise homosexuals or attack their behaviour 
• Bible condemns homosexual sexual activity 
• Church tradition that any sexual activity should have the possibility of creating children 
• Is the teaching of the Magisterium 
• Church - teaches that people can't help their sexual orientation but they can control their sexual activity 
• Discriminating against people because of their sexual orientation is racism - sinful 

2 - Evangelical Protestant 

• Homosexuality is a sin 
• Homosexuals can be changed by the power of the Holy Spirit 
• Bible - homosexuality is a sin, believe it is the direct word of God 
• Bible - salvation of Christ can remove all sins (including homosexuality) 
• All Churches have said homosexuality is wrong, even now they have now changed their minds/teaching 
• RECENTLY condemned homophobia, said churches should welcome homosexuals 

3 - Liberal Protestant 

• Welcome homosexuals to Church 
• Accept homosexual relationships 
• Some provide blessings for civil partnerships 
• Bible texts condemning homosexuality show beliefs at the time, not word of God 
• Major Christian belief in love and acceptance means homosexuals must be accepted 
• If homosexual Christians feel the Holy Spirit approves of their homosexuality, it must be true 
• Christians should be open and honest and so homosexual Christians shouldn't be made to tell lies/hide sexuality 

Jewish attitudes - 

1 - Orthodox 

• Being homosexual isn't a sin 
• Homosexual sexual activity and homophobia are sins 
• Torah - condemns homosexual sexual activity 
• Torah and Talmud - marriage between a man and a woman is the only lawful form of sex 
• Any sexual activity should have the possibility of creating children 
• Mitzvot - Jewish adults should marry and raise a family 

2 - Liberal/reform 

• Homosexuality is acceptable 
• Torah needs to be re-interpreted in the light of modern society 
• Scientists believe sexual orientation is natural - must be given by God 
• Should treat others how they would want to be treated - must accept homosexuals 
• Labelling homosexuality is wrong leads to homophobia - evils of racism 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

3 - MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 

Family life - 

Why it is important for Christians - 

• A main purpose of Christian marriage is to have children and bring them up to be good Christians 
• Family created by God as basis of society and the only place for bringing up children 
• Family too important to be broken up by divorce 
• Teaches children the difference between right and wrong 
• Important for Christianity to continue and grow (brings children into the faith) 

However - 

• Jesus taught there are more important things than family 
• Catholic priests, nuns and monks leave family to serve God 

Why it is important to Jews - 

• Mitzvot for Jewish people to marry and have children 
• Children of Jewish parents are automatically Jewish - continuation of faith 
• Teaches children the difference between right and wrong
• Where Shabbat is served and festivals celebrated 
• Importance stated in Ten Commandments 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

3 - MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 

Divorce - 

Christian attitudes - 

1 - Catholic Church 

• Doesn't allow religious divorce or re-marriage 
• Only way a marriage between baptised Catholics can be ended is by death of one of the partners 
• Allows civil divorce if it's better for the children - couple are still married in the eyes of God (cannot re-marry) 
• Jesus taught that divorce is wrong 
• Couple made covenant with God - 'cannot be broken by any earthly power' 
• Catechism - a marriage cannot be dissolved, religious divorce is impossible 
• No re-marriage as there is no religious divorce - bigamy (2 husbands/wives) and adultery
• If marriage is proved to be an untrue Christian marriage (not consummated) - can have an annulment so they can re-marry 

2 - Non-Catholic Churches 

• Divorce is wrong but allowed if the marriage as broken down 
• Permits divorced people to remarry 
• Sometimes asked to promise that this time the marriage it for life 
• Matthew 19:9 - allowed divorce for a partners adultery 
• Broken marriage - effects of staying together would be a greater evil than the divorce itself, 'the lesser of two evils' 
• Christians repent and confess their sins so they are forgiven - should have another chance at marriage if they are keen to make it work this time 
• Believe it is better to divorce than to live in hatred and quarrel 

Jewish attitudes - 

1 - Divorce is wrong 

• Talmud - divorce is an offence to God 
• Children need to be brought up as good followers of Judaism for faith to survive 
• (some) Rabbis - divorce is wrong because of the harm it can cause for the family (financial, emotional etc.) 

2 - Orthodox Jews 

• Allow divorce 
• Only if husband has a get from the Bet Din 
• Torah - various statements that permit divorce 
• Contract that can be broken in certain circumstances 
• Halakhah - only men can apply to Bet Din for a get 

3 - Reform Jews 

• Allow divorce 
• Men and women can apply for a get from the Bet Din 
• Torah and halakhah need to be interpreted for modern life and situations 
• Men and women should have equal rights in religion and therefore divorce 
• Lesser evil than forcing couple to live in hatred and bitterness 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

3 - MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 

Sex outside marriage - 

Christian attitudes - 

• Most believe sex outside marriage is wrong 
• God gave sex for procreation of children who should be brought up in Christian family - should only take place within marriage 
• Bible - sex outside marriage is sinful 
• Catechism - pre-marital sex is wrong 
• All Christians against adultery - breaks wedding vows, banned by Ten Commandments and condemned by Jesus 
• Some accept cohabitation before marriage, but only in a long-term relationship leading to marriage 

Jewish attitudes - 

• Believe sex outside marriage is wrong 
• Torah - forbids sex before marriage 
• Talmud - sex should only take place in marriage 
• Sex is for procreation of children - should be raised in a family where mother and father are married 
• Adultery banned in Ten Commandments, breaks marriage contract, would harm family (should not be harmed - where children learn about Judaism and how to live a Jewish life) 
• Progressive Jews (some) - accept cohabitation before marriage, but only in a long-term relationship leading to marriage

RELIGION AND LIFE 

3 - MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY 

Changing attitudes to marriage and family life - 

1960's - 

• Young people were expected to only have sex after marriage 
• Most people married young and in church 
• Divorces were very rare and frowned upon 
• Families were nuclear (husband, wife and children) 
• Male homosexuality was a criminal offence 

How attitudes have changed - 

• Most people have sex before marriage 
• Many couples cohabit instead of marry - more children brought up by cohabiting parents 
• Average marriage age has decreased 
• Most marriages don't take place in a church 
• Divorce is accepted and a lot more common 
• More single parent families and re-constituted families 
• More extended families 
• More mothers in employment 
• Society treats homosexual sex the same way as heterosexual sex 
• Homosexual couples can now have a civil partnership - same rights and treatment as an opposite-sex couple 

Why things have changed - 

1 - Cohabitation and marriage 

• Contraception - safer to have sex before marriage 
• Less people go to church - not encouraged to abstain from sex until marriage 
• Media and celebrities make cohabitation seem more respectable - more popular 
• Media shows sexual relationships outside marriage as the norm 

2 - Divorce 

• New laws - now easier and cheaper 
• More equality for women - no longer accept unequal treatment from men, will divorce if abused etc. 
• Women are more financially dependant, can support themselves after a divorce 
• Most divorces occur 10 years after marriage - big change in average 

3 - Family life 

• Cohabitation more popular 
• Increase in divorce - more re-marriage and therefore more re-constituted families (as well as single parent families) 
• More mothers in paid employment - grandparents look after children 

4 - Homosexuality 

• Law changes - easier to be openly homosexual 
• Society more aware and accepting 
• Medical research has shown that homosexuality is natural - people accept equal status and rights for homosexual couples 
• Media coverage of gay couples - increased acceptance 
• Gay rights organisations (eg: LGBT(Q) ) 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

2 - MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH 

The media - 

Shouldn't be free to criticise religious views on life and death - 

• Can stir up religious hatred - banned by Racial and Religious Hatred Act of 2007 (eg: Catholic Church told Catholics to withdraw support from Amnesty International for deciding abortion should be a human right for rape victims. Media reports chose examples that showed Catholic Church in bad light) 
• Religious believers - freedom of media should be restricted, can cause offence (eg: Danish newspaper published cartoons of prophet Muhammad in 2005/6) 
• Close to crime of blasphemy (eg: if media criticises Pope's etchings on abortion, they are condemning the Catholic Church) 
• Religious statements are based on what God says - beyond human criticism 

Should be free to criticise religious views on life and death - 

• Freedom of expression (basic human right), needed for democracy to work - need free media to be aware of options for voting, what is going on in the world and their own country - must be free to criticise religious attitudes 
• Religious leaders use media to make statements about matters of life and death (eg: on stem cell research) then they must be prepared for the media to criticise the statements 
• Multi-faith society (like UK), needs freedom of religious belief and expression - media must have right to question/criticise 
• Life and death and the issues surrounding it are important to everyone - can't be discussed/views chosen if religions were allowed to put forward views that no one else could criticise 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

2 - MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH 

Euthanasia - 

• Gentle and easy death for someone suffering from painful/deadly disease with little quality of life 
• Assisted suicide, voluntary euthanasia, non-voluntary euthanasia 
• British law - all of these methods are murder 
• Law - stopping artificial feeding/not giving treatment (passive euthanasia) are legal 

Why it is controversial - 

1 - Want it to remain illegal 

• Will always be the doubt of if it is what the person really wants 
• A cure may be found before the disease ends the life 
• Job of doctors to save lives, not end them - trustworthy? 
• People might change their mind when it is too late 
• Would be hard to check if someone really wanted/needed euthanasia 

2 - Want it to be made legal 

• Medicinal discoveries mean that people who would have dies are not kept alive (in agony) - should have the right to die 
• Doctors have right to switch off life support machines if the patient has no chance of recovering and allow people in comas for years to die - already forms of legal euthanasia 
• People have the right to commit suicide - should have right to ask for doctors to help if they are too weak to do it themselves 
• Euthanasia already given to suffering animals - no different 

Christian attitudes - 

1 - Catholics and many Liberal Protestants 

• Assisted suicide, voluntary euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia is all wrong 
• Switching off life support machines, not giving treatment that could cause distress and giving dying people painkillers is not euthanasia 
• Sanctity of life 
• Euthanasia is murder - forbidden in Ten Commandments 
• If doctors say someone is brain-dead, they have already died - switching off machine is accepting what God has already decided 
• Doctrine of double effect - if you give painkillers to a dying person in pain, and it kills them, it isn't murder because the intention was to relieve the pain (not kill them) 

2 - Some Christians 

• Any euthanasia is wrong (turning off life-support machines, refusal of extraordinary treatment, giving large doses of painkillers) etc. because life is being ended by humans, not God 
• Take Bible teaching literally - forbids suicide 
• All forms of euthanasia are murder - banned in Ten Commandments 
• Sanctity of life 

3 - A few christians 

• Accept euthanasia in some circumstances 
• Medical advances mean its hard to know what God's wishes for someone are 
• Love your neighbour - can justify assisted suicide, most loving thing to do 
• Basic human right to have control of your body and what people do to it - have right to refuse treatment, should have right to ask for euthanasia 

Jewish attitudes - 

1 - Many Jews (Orthodox) 

• Do not allow euthanasia 
• Torah bans suicide - assisted suicide is wrong 
• Voluntary euthanasia can be seen as the same as assisted suicide 
• Murder banned in Ten Commandments 
• Tenakh - death and life of someone is in the hands of God 

2 - Some Jews 

• Don't allow euthanasia but accept switching off life-support or not 'striving to stay alive' 
• Some rabbis have said switching off life-support for the brain-dead isn't euthanasia 
• Brain-dead - God has already taken their life 
• Striving to keep someone alive is prevent God from taking their soul - against God's wishes 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

2 - MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH 

Abortion - 

Law - only allowed if 2 doctors agree that: 

• the mothers life is at risk 
• the mothers physical/mental health is at risk 
• the child is likely to be born severely handicapped 
• would be a serious effect on other children in the family 
• must be before 24 weeks of pregnant (unless mothers life at risk/severe handicaps) 

Why it is controversial - 

• People believe life starts at the moment of conception - taking a human life 
• Life begins when foetus is able to live outside mother - abortion = not taking life 
• Non-religious - a mother should have the right to do what she wants with her body, unwanted foetus is no different from an unwanted tumour 
• Religious - unborn child's right to life is greater than the mothers rights 
• Time limit should be reduced to 18-20 weeks because of medical advances 
• Arguments about whether medical staff should be allowed to carry out abortions 

Christian attitudes - 

1 - Catholic Church and Evangelical Protestant Churches 

• All abortions (except medical treatments for the mother which unintentionally affect the life of the foetus) is wrong 
• Life belongs to God - only he has the right to end a pregnancy 
• Life begins at conception - taking life (banned in Ten Commandments) 
• Teachings of Catholic Catechism (and Evangelical Protestant Churches) = all abortion is murder 
• There are alternatives to abortion due to rape - counselling, adoption (good can come out of evil in a new life) 

2 - Other Christians (mainly Liberal Protestants) 

• Disagree with abortion but think it must be allowed in some circumstances 
• Life doesn't begin at conception 
• Love your neighbour - remove suffering 
• Sanctity of life can be broken in things like war - why not abortion? 
• Should be allowed abortion if medical tests for serious medical problems are positive 

Jewish attitudes - 

1 - Can never be allowed (mainly Orthodox) 

• Life begins at conception = murder 
• Sanctity of life - only God has the right to take it 

2 - Abortion is wrong but if mothers life is at risk then it is permissible 

• Sanctity of life - abortion is wrong 
• Torah - permits killing in self-defence, abortion is self-defence if mothers life is at risk 

3 - Believe in UK law on abortion 

• Believe Torah says that life doesn't begin until the foetus can survive on its own 
• Torah - must prevent avoidable suffering 
• Self-defence argument 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

2 - MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH

Christianity - 

Why they believe in life after death -

• Jesus rose from the dead - recorded in Gospels and New Testament 
• St Paul, 1 Corinthians - people will have a resurrection like that of Jesus
• Major creeds of the Church - Jesus rose from the dead and there will be life after death, Christians should believe the creeds 
• Christian Churches teach that there is life after death 
• Gives their life meaning and purpose - will be judged on how they have lived this life 

How this affects their life -

• Will get judged after death - should live good Christian life (follow teaching of Bible and Church) 
• Good Christian life - living God and loving your neighbour, will pray and worship on Sundays 
• Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Jesus) - Christians should feed the hungry, clothe the naked, befriend stangers, visit the sick and those in prison 
• Good Samaritan (Jesus) - loving your neighbour means helping anyone in need = working for charities such as Christian Aid, CAFOD etc 
• Sin can prevent people from going to heaven/those who die with unforgiven sins will go to hell - will avoid sinning in lives 

Judaism - 

Why they believe in life after death - 

• Teaching of the Tenakh (inspired by God) 
• Teaching of the Talmud (teaching of rabbis) 
• One of the Thirteen Principles of Faith (in Jewish creed) 
• Gives lives meaning and purpose - get judged on how they have lived this life (rewards/punishment) 

How this affects their life - 

• God will judge how they have lived their life after they've dies - must try to live good Jewish lives 
• Good Jewish life - observing Torah and halakhah, praying 3 times a day, fasting on Yom Kippur, keeping Shabbat, celebrating festivals etc. 
• Following mitzvot, keeping kosher, observing dress laws, not be involved in lending at interest/receiving interest etc. 
• Orthodox - confess sins before they die, help with funerals, keep shiva - (always aware of death) 
• Gives meaning and purpose - suffer less form depression than atheists and agnostics 

Non-religious (atheist) - 

1 - Near-death experiences 

• Someone is clinically dead for a period of time and then comes back to life and can remember what happened 
• Feelings of peace, floating above the body, seeing a bright light, entering a heavenly place (see dead relatives) 

2 - Evidence for spirit world 

• Ghosts, ouija boards 
• Mediums - someone who claims to be able to communicate between or material world and the spirit world (where the spirits of the dead live) 
• Mediums - claim religious leaders (Jesus, Muhammad) were in touch with spirit world 
• Mediums - spirit world gives people a second chance at life
• Mediums - contact dead relatives, give information that they wouldn't know without contact with the dead 

2 - Evidence of reincarnation 

• Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists believe in reincarnation and have evidence 

Not believing in life after death - 

• No God - no spirit world for life after death to occur 
• Different religions contradict each other (eg: Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism say reincarnation - Christianity, Islam and Judaism say resurrection/immortality of the soul)  - if it was true then they would all say the same 
• Evidence based on holy books - they contradict each other (no way of deciding which are true/false)
• Evidence of paranormal challenged by scientists 
• Most life after death beliefs revolve around mind/soul surviving without the body - science shows the mind can't live without the bran (body dies, mind dies) 
• No place where life after death could take place - space travels shows it is not above the sky 
• Brought up by atheists - won't believe 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

1 - BELIEVING IN GOD 

Evil and suffering - 

• Moral evil - caused by humans using their free will (eg: rape, murder, burglary) 
• Natural evil - not caused by humans (eg: earthquakes, floods, volcano eruptions)

How it can lead to agnosticism/atheism (questioning/rejecting belief in God) - 

• If God is omnipotent (all-powerful), he must be able to remove evil and suffering from the world 
• If God is omni-benevolent (all-good), he must want to remove all evil and suffering from the world 
• If God exists there should be no evil and suffering in the world 
• God is either not all-good and all-powerful or he doesn't exist 
• If God is omniscient (all-knowing) he would have known the evil and suffering that would come from creating the universe - should have created it in a way that avoids that 

Religious responses (Christian) - 

1 - God must have a reason for allowing evil and suffering 

• Humans can't understand it 
• Should follow example of Jesus and fight against evil and suffering (healing sick, feeding hungry, challenging evil) 
• Christians do this by praying for and helping those who are suffering (eg: doctors, nurses, social workers etc.) - reduce amounts of suffering in the world 

2 - Caused by free will 

• God gave humans free will 
• Created a world where evil and suffering will come out through humans misusing their free will 
• Caused by humans, not God 

3 - Evil and suffering (in this life) isn't a problem, this is preparation for paradise

• Must face evil and suffering in order to improve their sould 
• Gives people the chance to become good people 
• Will show omni-benevolence and omnipotence by rewarding good in heaven

4 - God has a reason for it 

• God has a reason for not using his power to remove evil and suffering but humans can't understand it
• God is divine - no way we can understand his thoughts

RELIGION AND LIFE 

1 - BELIEVING IN GOD

Unanswered prayers -

How it may lead to agnosticism/atheism -

• Don't feel presence of God when they pray - may feel there is no God listening to them 
• Praying for a child to be cured/for wars to end/end natural disasters 
• God couldn't exist if he let these things happen - evil? 
• More people have prayers unanswered than answered

Religious responses (Christian) -

• Selfish prayers are answered but not in the way wanted (eg: God not helping you pass an exam with no work so you work harder next time) 
• God has different plans - may want ill person to enter heaven 
• God loves people - God's love will answer prayers in best possible way (may not look like direct answer) 
• Have faith that God will answer all prayers in best way for person praying (even if different than they expected)

RELIGION AND LIFE 

1 - BELIEVING IN GOD 

Scientific explanations of world - 

• Matter is eternal 
• 15 billion years ago - matter of universe exploded (Big Bang Theory), red shift in light from other galaxies is evidence the universe is still expanding 
• Stars and our solar system formed by matter flying away from explosion 
• Gases on Earth's surface produced primitive life 
• Genetic structure of primitive life forms lead to evolution of new life forms (fossil evidence)

How it may lead to agnosticism/atheism -

• Science explains it without God - no longer need God to explain why we're here 
• If God created the world, he must be the only explanation for it (science says otherwise) 

Religious responses (Christian) -

1 - Scientific explanations are true and prove God created universe

• Only God could've made the Big Bang at exactly the right time 
• Laws (such as gravity) could only have been made by God - needed for Big Bang to form solar systems 
• Only God could have made gases on Earth react so they form life 

 2 - Evidence for Big Bang can be explained by the Bible (creationism)

• Noah's flood 
• Apparent Age theory - when Adam was created (Earth was 6 days old), would've looked billions of years old because of how God created it 

 3 - Science and Bible are correct

• Main points of Bible fit with science
• One of God's days could be millions of years

RELIGION AND LIFE 

1 - BELIEVING IN GOD

Causation argument - 

Causation - the process of one thing causing another 

For - 

• eg: a driver pressing the brake pedal causes the effect of the car slowing down 
• Cause and effect = basic feature of world 
• Universe and humans must have had a cause 
• God = only logical cause - must exist
• Explains how and why we're here 
• Fits with out common sense - can't believe something came from nothing 
• Fits with science - Universe (an effect) must have a cause (God) 

Against - 

• God would need a cause 
• Matter may be eternal (never created), process of causes could go back forever, not to God 
• Universe could have been there for forever, just because everything in it needs an explanation doesn't mean the universe does too 
• First Cause doesn't have to be a God of a specific religion - could be good, evil, mixture, several gods etc

RELIGION AND LIFE 

1 - BELIEVING IN GOD 

Design argument - 

For - 

• The way the universe works makes it look as if it has been designed 
• Anything that has been designed needs a designer - world would need a designer 
• Only possible designer would be God 
• Evidence the world has been designed (laws of science - gravity and magnetism, DNA as blueprint for life, evolution etc.) 

Against - 

• Designer would't have created volcanoes, earthquakes etc. 
• Science can explain appearance of design without a God involved 
• Doesn't explain dinosaurs being part of the world etc. 
• Would only prove designer, not necessarily God 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

1 - BELIEVING IN GOD 

Religious experience - 

Numinous - a feeling of the presence of God 

• Awareness of something greater than you - must be God 
• eg: religious building, beautiful place, looking at stars 

Conversion - an experience of God, which is so great that it makes them want to change their life/religion and commit themselves to God in a special way 

• Feel that God is calling them to do something for him 

Miracle - event that breaks the law of science (appears to), and can only be explained by God 

• If you experience something that breaks scientific laws, you will look for an explanation 
• if the only explanation is a miracle then you will start believing in God 

Prayer - an attempt to make contact with God 

• If they feel God is listening to their prayer, they are likely to believe in God 
• An answered prayer (eg: a sick family member getting better after a prayer) will lead to belief in God 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

4 - COMMUNITY COHESION 

Key words - 
Community cohesion - common vision and shared sense of belonging for all groups in society 
Multi-faith society - many different religions living together in one society 
Multi-ethnic society - many different races and cultures living together in one society 
Religious pluralism - accepting all religions as having an equal right to coexist
Religious freedom - the right to practise your religion and change your religion
Racial harmony - different races/colours living together happily
Interfaith marriages - marriage where the husband and wife are from different religions 
Ethnic minority - a member of an ethnic group (race) which is much smaller than the majority group
Discrimination - treating people less favourably because of their ethnicity/gender/colour/sexuality/age/glass
Prejudice - believing some people are inferior or superior without even knowing them
Racism - the belief that some races are superior to others
Sexism - discriminating against people because of their gender

RELIGION AND LIFE 

3 - MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY

Key words - 
Adultery - a sexual act between a married person and someone other than their marriage partner 
Promiscuity - sex with a number of partners without commitment 
Homosexuality - sexual attraction to the same sex 
Pre-marital sex - sex before marriage 
Contraception - intentionally preventing pregnancy from occurring 
Procreation - making a new life 
Faithfulness - staying with your marriage partner and having sex only with them 
Civil partnership - legal ceremony giving a homosexual couple the same legal rights and a heterosexual married couple 
Nuclear family - mother, father and children living as a unit 
Re-constituted family - where 2 sets of children (step-brothers/sisters) become one family when their divorced parents marry eachother 
Re-marriage - marrying again after being divorced from a previous marriage 
Cohabitation - living together without being married 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

2 - MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH 

Key words - 
Abortion - remove of a foetus from the womb before it can survive 
Assisted suicide - providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide (e.g: Dignitas in Switzerland) 
Euthanasia - painless killing of someone dying from a painful disease (e.g: active - doctor giving patient an overdose of muscle relaxants, passive - turning off life support machine/not carrying out life-saving operation) 
Non-voluntary euthanasia - ending someones life painlessly when they are unable to ask/agree to it but there is good reason for thinking they would want to do so 
Voluntary euthanasia - ending life painlessly when someone in great pain asks for death 
Immortality of the soul - idea that the soul lives on after the death of the body 
Near-death experience - when someone about to die has an out of body experience 
Paranormal - unexplained things that are thought to have spiritual causes
Quality of life - idea that life must have some benefits for it to be worth living 
Sanctity of life - belief that life is holy and belongs to God 
Reincarnation - belief that souls are reborn into a new body after death 
Resurrection - belief that (after death) the body stays in the grave until the end of the world when it is raised 

RELIGION AND LIFE 

1 - BELIEVING IN GOD 

Key words - 

Agnosticism - unsure whether God exists 
Atheism - believing God doesn't exist 
Conversion - when your life is changed by giving yourself to God 
Free will - idea that human beings are free to make their own choices 
Miracle - something that seems to break a law of science (believe only God could have done it) 
Moral evil - actions done by humans which cause suffering 
Natural evil - things that cause suffering but aren't related to humans 
Numinous - feeling of the presence of something greater than you 
Omni-benevolent - belief that God is all-good
Omnipotent - belief that God is all-powerful 
Omniscient - belief that God knows everything that has happened/going to happen (al-knowing) 
Prayer - an attempt to contact God (usually words)