Family, Love And Marriage - Class 8 CRE Revision Notes

• Family, Love and Marriage
• Types of Families
• Marriage
  • Factors Considered When Choosing A Marriage Partner
  • Benefits of A Christian Marriage
  • Factors to Consider When Getting Married
• Essential Needs of A Family
• Obstacles To A Good Marriage
• Traditional African View on Love And Marriage
• Christian Teaching On Love and Marriage
  • Qualities of A Good Parent
  • Qualities of A Good Child

Family, Love and Marriage

Types of Families

• A family is a group of people who are related by:-
  1. Blood
  2. Marriage
  3. Adoption.
• There are two types of families namely :-
  1. Nuclear family
  2. Extended family.
• A nuclear family is made up of:-
  1. Father
  2. Mother
  3. Children
• An extended family is made up of:
  1. The nuclear family
  2. Other relatives.
• A Christian nuclear is complete even without children
• Family members should love and respect one another.
• God established families and wants them to stay united.

Quiz

1. Name members of the extended family other than the nuclear family 
   1. _________________________
   2. _________________________
   3. _________________________
   4. _________________________
   5. _________________________
   6. _________________________
2. List two complete biblical families.

Marriage

Factors Considered When Choosing A Marriage Partner

• Marriage is a legally recognized union between a man and a woman.
• The legal union between marriage partners makes them one
• There are various factors considered when choosing a marriage partner.
• These factors include :-
  1. Maturity
  2. Self-discipline
  3. Good character
  4. Respect
  5. Family background
  6. Hard work
• When choosing a marriage partner, one should not consider :
  1. Physical beauty
  2. Wealth
  3. Sexual demands
• Factors when choosing whom to marry are considered during courtship
• The bible teaches that a sensible wife is only given by God.
• Joseph was engaged to Mary and married her according to God’s law.

Quiz

1. List two types of families
2. List three thing that join family members.

Benefits of A Christian Marriage

• A Christian marriage has many benefits
  1. The couple is given guidance and counseling.
  2. Marriage partners are taught about their responsibilities in advance
  3. A Christian wedding is conducted in public and has many witnesses
  4. The wedding gives one a sense of belonging when it is conducted in his/her church. 
  5. Prayers said during a Christian wedding bestow blessings on the couple
  6. Wedding rings are an outward mark of a Christian marriage.
  7.  Marriage certificate given during a Christian wedding makes it legal.
  8. Christian marriages are recognized by God and the state.
  9. A Christian marriage is monogamous and gives one a sense of security.

Quiz

1. The bible teaches that whoever God has put together
2. List three Christians virtues that bind marriage partners
   1. _______________________
   2. _______________________
   3. _______________________

Factors to Consider When Getting Married

• Marriage is voluntary and binding for a man and a woman to become one.
• It is a lifelong commitment that should be entered in sobriety.
• There are several factors one should consider when getting married.
• These factors include
  
  1.  Religious background.
  2. Likes and interest
  3.  Age of a partner
  4. Family background.
  5.  Level of education
  6. Economic background
• Abraham organized for his son Isaac to get a good wife.
• Abraham servant prayed before choosing Rebecca for Isaac.
• Christians should pray for God’s guidance when choosing a marriage partner.

Quiz

1. Match the following bible personalities with their wives
   1. Amram _______________________
   2. Aquila _______________________
   3. Nabal _______________________
   4. Mahlon _______________________
2. Dowry is_______________________

Essential Needs of A Family

• A family has member who have essential needs
• The essential needs of a family can be classified as
  1. Physical needs
  2.  Social needs
  3.  Spiritual needs
•  Physical needs include food, water, shelter and clothing.
• Social needs of a family include:-
  1. Security
  2. Love
  3. Acceptance
  4.  Self esteem
• The need for God stands above every other need of a family.
• Family members need to live with hope and assurance of eternal life.
• Jesus taught that human beings cannot live on bread alone.
• Just as we need food for physical growth, we need the gospel for spiritual well-being.

Quiz

1. Give examples of the following
   
   1. Basic need
   2. Secondary need
   3. Tertiary need
2. The word essential means

Obstacles To A Good Marriage

• There are many factors that may lead to failure in a marriage
• Some of the factors include
  
  1. Unfaithfulness
  2. Childlessness
  3. Communication breakdown
  4. Mistrust
  5. Different likes and interest
  6. Poverty
  7.  Interference from the extended family.
  8. Alcoholism and drug abuse
  9. Un- forgiveness and intolerance
  10. Failure to pay dowry.
• Marriage partners should strive to overcome all obstacles.
• God values the institution of marriage
• No one should separate those whom God has put together,

Quiz

1. Partners who have marriage problems should go for ___________ and ___________
2. The first marriage was ordained by ___________ in ___________
3.  List three factors considered when choosing a marriage partner
   1. ___________
   2. ___________
   3. ___________

Traditional African View on Love And Marriage

• Africans traditionally valued and respected the marriage institution
• Marriage was an obligation and every African was expected to marry.
• African marriage was mainly for child-bearing or procreation.
• An African family was not complete without children.
•  Africans valued chastity and sex before marriage was considered immoral.
• African marriage extended kinship bands; one got more relatives.
•  An African marriage raised the status of a couple.
• Polygamous unions were encouraged in African marriage eradicating adultery and prostitution
• Polygamy also raised the status of the first wife and the husband.
• The bible teaches that riches can be inherited but a sensible wife comes from the Lord.

Quiz

1. State three reasons why children were valued in African communities
2. Dowry is also known as

Christian Teaching On Love and Marriage

• A Christian marriage is highly valued.
• The marriage unit forms the foundation of a strong nation
•  Among the Christian teaching on marriage are:-
  
  • Marriage was established by God
  • Courtship should be pure and mature
  • Fornication is not allowed
  • Procreation should be within marriage
  • Love and fitfulness are the cornerstones of marriage.
  • The wife should submit to the husband.
• The bible teaches that God ordained marriage from the very beginning.
• Celibacy is a gift from God but it is not for all people.
• Apostle taught that marriage partners should honour their roles towards each other.
• Windows and widowers can remarry to avoid temptations.

Quiz

1. Define courtship
2. List two types of sexual immorality.
3. Husbands should love their wives just as

Qualities of A Good Parent

• A good parent provides the basic needs of his or her family.
• Such parent advises children concerning good conduct and character.
• Z good parent provides both formal and non-formal education.
• Good parents provide security and protection for their families.
• Children should get love and attention from their parents.
• Parents should give directions to their children in all matters especially about God.
• The bible teaches that children are a gift from God.
• Family members should always be committed to the family cause.
• Jesus admonished his disciples for barring children from him.
• He said “let the children come to me”

Quiz

1. List three biblical parents and their children
2. Mathew 19:14 says

Qualities of A Good Child

• A good child takes the initiative to help in family duties
• Such a child offers encouragement to his or her parents.3. A good child provides physical protection for the family where need be.
• An obedient child is a role model to the rest of the family.
• He/she can be relied on to provide for the family when the parents are away
• A good child accepts and takes correction positively when wrong
• Above all, a good child is God fearing
• The bible teaches that children have a chriatian duty to obey their parents.
• Those who obey their parents have a promised of a long and prosperous life.
• We should desire to honour and obey our parents.

Quiz

1. State two types of families
2. Define a family
3. The words, “let the children come to me” were said by _____________