Religion, philosophy and ethics · GCSE Religious Studies
Relationships and families
Sex, contraception, marriage, divorce, families and gender — Christian and Muslim teachings applied to the lives examiners actually ask about.
The exam wants teachings applied to real family decisions, not slogans.
The important bits
What you need to know
- 1
Sexuality: many Christians teach sex as a gift for marriage (Genesis 2:24, “one flesh”). Catholic teaching rejects sex outside marriage and homosexual genital acts while insisting on dignity of persons; some Protestant churches now bless same-sex marriages. Islam traditionally locates sex within nikah (marriage) and forbids zina.
- 2
Contraception: Catholic Magisterium (Humanae Vitae) rejects artificial contraception, allowing natural family planning. Most Protestants and the Church of England accept responsible contraception. Islam generally permits reversible contraception with spousal agreement; methods seen as destroying an existing pregnancy are treated differently.
- 3
Marriage: Christians call it a covenant, often a sacrament in Catholic and Orthodox churches. Purposes taught: companionship, ordered sexuality, procreation. Muslims treat nikah as a contract with rights, mahr (gift to the bride), and — in classical fiqh — permitted polygyny under strict conditions that UK civil law does not allow as legal marriage.
- 4
Divorce: Jesus’ hard sayings (Mark 10:9, Matthew’s porneia exception) make many churches reluctant. The C of E permits remarriage in some cases; Catholics hold a consummated sacramental marriage indissoluble but may annul. Islam permits divorce (talaq/khul’) as disliked but lawful when the marriage is dead, with iddah waiting periods.
- 5
Families: nuclear, extended, single-parent, blended, same-sex parents. Religions often idealise a married mother–father household while still commanding care for widows and orphans. Use a teaching about duty, not a sitcom.
- 6
Gender: Genesis 1:27 (both image-bearers) versus texts used for male headship (Ephesians 5). Christian feminists and complementarians both claim scripture. Islam teaches equal spiritual worth with some differentiated legal roles in classical shari’ah; lived Muslim practice in Britain is diverse.
- 7
Prejudice and discrimination on grounds of sex or sexuality are ethical issues in their own right. The Equality Act 2010 is the UK legal backdrop; religions disagree how far law should track tradition.
- 8
In 12-markers, show two religious views or a religious view versus a humanist one, then judge against a criterion: wellbeing of children, consent, scripture’s trajectory, or harm.
Quotations worth analysing
Short evidence. Real method.
“Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Jesus’ line is the Christian high view of permanence. Churches that allow divorce usually argue pastoral necessity, not that the ideal was casual.
“And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.”
Zina is not only adultery in a narrow modern sense; it names sex outside the contracted relationship. Use it in sex-before-marriage and adultery questions, then add mercy and repentance as the lived follow-up.
Go deeper
Same-sex relationships: how to write without shouting
AQA-style answers need the traditional teaching and the dissenting one. Traditional: sex belongs in heterosexual marriage ordered to procreation; Leviticus and Romans 1 are cited; the person is not to be abused. Revising churches: those texts address exploitation or idolatry, not committed equals; fruit of the Spirit and justice override. Islam’s mainstream juristic tradition forbids same-sex sexual acts; some Muslim reformers argue otherwise, but they are not the syllabus majority. Humanists typically ground ethics in consent and harm, not in scripture. A judged conclusion might say that religious communities have a right to teach an ideal, while a liberal state protects persons from hate and unequal civil rights. Keep the tone of a courtroom, not a protest.
Go deeper
Divorce: covenant versus contract
If marriage is a sacrament (Catholic), you cannot undo a valid consummated bond; you can only discover it was never valid (annulment) or live apart. If marriage is a solemn contract (Islam), it can be ended, though the Prophet called divorce the most hateful of permitted things, and financial/waiting-period rules aim to slow it. Anglican pastoral practice sits in between. For evaluation, pick a criterion: is the highest good the indissoluble sign of God’s faithfulness, or the safety of a spouse in a dead or violent marriage? Both can be religious arguments. “Divorce is always wrong” and “divorce does not matter” are equally thin.
See the idea in action
Question: “The most important purpose of marriage is to have children.” Evaluate. Support: Genesis 1:28, Catholic openness to life, Islamic view of family as ummah’s future. Against: Genesis 2:18 companionship (“not good to be alone”), infertile couples, older widows who remarry, Protestant acceptance of contraception. Humanist: consent and care beat a fertility quota. Judgement: children are a central purpose where possible, not the only one; a childless marriage can still fulfil companionship and faithfulness.
Exam technique
Turn knowledge into marks
Name the denomination or school. “Christians think contraception is wrong” is false for most British Protestants and true for official Catholic teaching on artificial methods.
Common mistakes
Do not give these marks away
- 01
Writing “Muslims can have four wives” as if it were the British Muslim norm and without conditions or civil law.
- 02
Assuming all Christians ban contraception or all Christians bless every family form.
- 03
Ignoring the non-religious view when the question says “religious and non-religious”.
Which statement about Catholic teaching on artificial contraception is accurate?
AThe Catholic Church requires all couples to use the pill
BOfficial teaching rejects artificial contraception and allows natural family planning
CCatholic teaching is identical to the Church of England on this point
DThe Catholic Church has no teaching about sex
Show the answer
Official teaching rejects artificial contraception and allows natural family planning. Humanae Vitae is the landmark. Many Catholics in practice disagree, which is a diversity point — but the official teaching is not the Anglican one.
Quick questions
If this is the bit you searched
Is polygamy legal in the UK?
UK civil law recognises one marriage at a time. Classical Islamic fiqh permitted a man up to four wives under justice conditions. British Muslims generally live under civil monogamy; do not confuse legal systems.
Do Christians all oppose divorce?
No. Jesus’ teaching is strict, so churches start from permanence. Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and independent Protestant rules then diverge on exceptions, annulment and remarriage.