1. Attitudes towards cohabitation (living together)
5 September, September, September, 2018
KQ: Do cohabitating couples make it more easy to get divorced?
Learning Objective:
Grade A*- A:
To evaluate the reasons why people might be against cohabitation before marriage and justify your opinion.
Grade B:
Analyse whether the reasons against cohabitation are strong or weak and explain if you think cohabitation and divorce are linked.
Grade C:
Explain Christian views on cohabitation and how it links to divorce, suggest your views.
Starter Task:
If you had the choice do you want to live with your partner before you get married?
Write a PEEEL paragraph to explain your reasons why.

2. Reasons FOR and AGAINST cohabitation
Women are better off cohabitating because they are less likely to be treated like slaves
Co-habitation can be very protective. People hurt in the past may not wish to marry again
Marriage is more secure for the couple and their children
Reasons FOR and AGAINST cohabitation
Marriage is merely a piece of paper, it is no guarantee of happiness
You can be just as committed to each other when you live together
Marriage is respected by society, cohabitation isn’t
Legally women are better off getting married – they have more rights
If you are married you are more likely to try and make the relationship work
Living together is an excellent way to see if you are compatible. Then you can get married if you want to
Task: Produce a chart FOR and AGAINST cohabitation.
Challenge: Include your own views and justify your opinion.

3. What does the Bible say about cohabitation?
Making Links and Evaluating
Most Christians believe that couples should not live together before marriage, as they think sex before marriage is wrong.
Copy out these Bible verses and explain in your words what it is trying to says and teach:
I Corinthians 6 v 18
“Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immortality is a sin against your own body”
I Corinthians 6 v 19
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself”
I Thessalonians 4 v 3
“God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin”

4. GRADED
GRADE C
GRADE B
GRADE A & A*
20 minutes

5. True Love Waits The Pledge Why might someone sign this contract?
Listening and Judging
True Love Waits
In America, many teenagers are joining in a campaign which states that the best sex is no sex at all before marriage. The True Love Waits campaign, which was set up in 1992, encourages teenagers to make a promise not to have sex until they are married. They sign a contract, and are given a ring to wear to help remind them of the promise they have made. This is supposed to show respect to themselves, to God, their future spouse and future children, as well as helping teenagers to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Why might someone sign this contract?
Do you think these contracts are a good or bad idea? Explain your answer.
What guidelines would you set teenagers considering having sex?
The Pledge
‘Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, and my family, those I date, my future children, to be sexually pure until the day I enter a covenant marriage relationship’

6. Can Cohabitation lead to Divorce?
Noticing
CHALLENGE: Be prepared to defend your position on this debate against an expert.
As you watch the clip, decide what facts you could use to support the Christian view.

7. Is cohabitation before marriage wrong?
Distilling
1. What is the Christian view?
2. Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.
3. An atheist might be someone who thinks sex and cohabitation outside marriage is OK. What reasons do you think they might give?
CHALLENGE
4. If you were taking part in this video, what would you have said to the question ‘Is cohabitation and sex before marriage wrong’?

8. Listening, Judging and Defending
Feedback and Reflect
Cohabitation before marriage is a sin to yourself and God – it is damaging.
The facts show no cohabitating before marriage is the best option.
Cohabitation and Divorce are possibly linked.
How would you respond to these statements and your Learning Objective?