Contemporary Family Issues (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062))

 Same-sex parents are people in a relationship with someone of the same sex raising children together

• Same-sex couples may have children from previous relationships, legally adopt children, conceive through IVF or use surrogacy to have a child

In modern British society this is legal and widely considered acceptable

• Many same-sex parents are committed to one another in a relationship that may be legally recognised via a civil partnership or a marriage

Some traditional Christians disapprove of same-sex parents because they think the ideal foundation for family life is within a marriage between a man and a woman

• The ideal situation is for children to grow up with both a male and a female role model as parents

Other Christians accept these type of families because they think that as long as the children grow up in a secure and loving family, their parents’ gender shouldn’t matter

Most Muslims oppose same-sex families because they believe homosexuality is wrong and therefore the parents would not be setting a positive example to the children because they are going against the teachings of their faith

• Muslims believe that the ideal is to grow up with a male and female role model as parents

Some Muslims would say that whatever their personal opinion, they shouldn’t judge others and so should be accepting of same-sex parents

Polygamy is marrying more than one person

In modern British society polygamy is not allowed, because bigamy is illegal

• However, polygamous marriages that have been performed outside the UK may be recognised

Non-religious people have differing views about polygamy

• Some see it as causing jealousy between some partners

• Some people say that if the father has more than one family, his children might see him less, putting them at a disadvantage

• Some have concerns about the legal rights of the people concerned if the marriage is not legally recognised

Although there are examples in the Bible of people practising polygamy, this is not part of Christian teaching

Christians believe that the foundation for a family is marriage between a man and a woman

St Paul said that each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband to avoid sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 7:2)

Bigamy is illegal in the UK and therefore polygamous marriages cannot be performed

Islam permits polygamy: men can have more than one wife with the agreement of the first wife

The man should be able to support, love and care for each wife equally

The prophet Muhammad had several wives