GCSE Religious Studies · key term

Sex before marriage

Definition

Sexual activity between people who are not yet married to each other.

Used by AQA

Paper 2

Catholic and Anglican teaching holds that sex before marriage is wrong. People should remain chaste before marriage: in this context, that means abstaining from sexual activity. Sex is understood as an important expression of the loving, lifelong union of a married couple, rather than something separate from that commitment.
Revise: Contrasting Beliefs on Sexual Relationships Before Marriage
Having a sexual relationship before getting married; also called premarital sex.
Revise: Sex Before and Outside Marriage

1
Sex before marriage and adultery are not identical: adultery involves someone who is married having sex with someone other than their spouse.
2
Distinguish sex before marriage from adultery: adultery involves someone who is married having sex with someone other than their spouse.
3
Distinguish official Church teaching from the views of individual Christians. Some Christians accept sex before marriage within a committed relationship.

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