Contraception
- Contraception is something which prevents conception from taking place during the act of sexual intercourse - i.e. the male sperm from fertilising the female ovum (egg).
- Roman Catholics reject the idea of artificial birth control. This is based on Natural Law.
- The Church teaches that marriage should be open to the possibility of children.
- As an alternative to the many forms of artificial contraception it teaches that couples should only use natural methods which depend upon the woman’s monthly cycle and the fact that at times during that cycle the woman is not capable of conceiving. This is called the rhythm method or the Billings Method.
- Other Christian churches agree that the purpose of marriage is to have children but do not see anything wrong with couple using contraception if they want to limit the size of their family.
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Own point of view and different points of views
- In order to get full marks on the last 12 mark question it is necessary to give another point of view, your own point of view as well as references to Christianity in your answer.
- Students should be aware of the wide spectrum of beliefs and practices within the Christian church especially on the role of women, homosexuality, divorce, pre-marital sex and contraception e.g. think of the differences found in the Catholic Church and the Quakers.
- References can be made to beliefs and practices found in other religious traditions e.g. the role of women in Islam. "The sins of the people of Lut (Sodom and Gomorrah)" is synonymous with homosexuality in the Qur'an. Some Muslim lawyers have argued that it is a crime which should be punished by death.
- Hinduism teaches that marriage is an important duty; choosing to stay single (celibate) is not encouraged. A marriage does not just join together a man and a woman, but two extended families. Because of this, arranged marriages have been common in Hinduism with parents introducing people to each other.
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Exam Questions
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