Religion and the Family in the UK: Changing Marriage, Sex and Attitudes
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Added: 17.01.2026 at 10:51
Summary:
Explore Religion and the Family in the UK, covering changing marriage, sex and attitudes, learn causes, Christian and Islamic views and effects on families.
Religion and the Family: The Changing Landscape in the United Kingdom
Questions surrounding the relationship between religion and the family are at the heart of Section 3 of the Edexcel Religious Studies/Religious Education syllabus. In the context of modern Britain, students are expected to understand how issues such as marriage, divorce, family structures, sexual ethics, and attitudes towards same-sex relationships have evolved, and how major religious traditions engage with these changes. This essay will examine how family patterns and public attitudes towards sexuality have altered in the United Kingdom since the mid-twentieth century, explore Christian and Islamic perspectives on sex outside marriage, and assess both the reasons behind these social transformations and the implications they have for individuals and faith communities alike. Key terms that will be defined and used include marriage (a legally and/or religiously recognised union), cohabitation (living together without marriage), civil partnership (a legally recognised union for same-sex couples), adultery (sexual relations where at least one partner is married to someone else), and premarital sex (sexual activity before marriage).
Historical Change in Family Life and Sexual Behaviour in the UK
Throughout much of the twentieth century, the dominant model of the British family centred on marriage, often solemnised in church and expected to be lifelong and monogamous. Rates of divorce and children born outside marriage were low, while premarital sex was disapproved of by social and religious authority alike. Since the 1960s, however, British society has witnessed profound shifts in these patterns. According to the Office for National Statistics, cohabitation has risen markedly; it is now common for couples to live together without marrying. The proportion of children born to unmarried parents increased steadily through the 1980s and 1990s. There are also more single-parent families, a higher incidence of remarriage creating blended or stepfamilies, and, particularly since the twenty-first century, much greater legal and social acceptance of same-sex partnerships and families.Several landmark legal and technological developments underpin these trends. The advent of the contraceptive pill in the early 1960s offered effective control over fertility, enabling women and men to exercise far greater autonomy about whether and when to have children. The Divorce Reform Act in 1969 (coming into force in England and Wales the following year) made the process of divorce less adversarial and more accessible, further contributing to the normalisation of divorce and reconstituted families. The 1967 Sexual Offences Act decriminalised private homosexual acts between men in England and Wales, the Civil Partnership Act 2004 offered legal recognition to same-sex couples, and the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 legalised same-sex marriage in England and Wales from 2014. These changes reflect, and themselves have encouraged, a move towards pluralism and individual choice in family life, with significant variation depending on culture and religious belief within different parts of the UK.
Reasons for Social Change: Social, Legal, and Technological Factors
The changes outlined above cannot be attributed solely to legislation or technology, but rather arise from a complex interplay of forces. The process of secularisation—the declining influence of church attendance and religious authority—has played a notable role. Once, the established Church of England and other major Christian denominations shaped not only spiritual but also social and moral norms; with less frequent attendance and greater religious diversity, their power to dictate acceptable behaviour has waned.Advances in contraception and access to reproductive healthcare have meant that sexual relationships are less likely to result in unplanned children, which weakens an obvious incentive for early marriage. This development accompanied, and was reinforced by, the rise of the women's movement: as women in Britain gained greater access to education, employment, and legal rights, the traditional economic dependence on marriage reduced. From the Equal Pay Act 1970 through to parental leave legislation, social policies have both reflected and accelerated transformations in gender roles and relations.
Cultural influences—such as the emergence of youth subcultures in the 1960s, the liberalisation of media standards, and the increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ people—have encouraged more open discussion of sexuality and challenge traditional expectations about how families “should” look. Activism and advocacy have also made a difference: for example, the campaign for same-sex marriage highlighted stories of discrimination, changing many minds at an emotional as well as intellectual level.
While legal changes such as the equalisation of the age of consent or the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act made historically groundbreaking statements about public values, they often followed sustained periods of social debate and shifting attitudes. However, law does help to entrench and normalise new patterns, granting security to those whose relationships were previously outside the bounds of recognition or respectability. Not all segments of society have moved at the same pace—religious, cultural, and generational divisions remain.
Christian Responses to Sex Outside Marriage
Traditionally, Christian teaching in Britain has promoted the view that sexual relations should be confined to the bonds of marriage. The Bible dwells extensively on both fidelity and chastity: passages such as Hebrews 13:4 (“Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure”) and the commandment against adultery in Exodus emphasise the seriousness of sexual morality. Jesus, in the Gospels, not only reaffirms the prohibitions against adultery but also speaks of the inward intention (“anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery... in his heart” – Matthew 5:28), showing that morality is as much about inner discipline as outward conduct.Among Britain’s largest Christian denominations, there is some difference of emphasis. Roman Catholic doctrine maintains that sex belongs exclusively within marriage and has an essential connection with procreation; the Catechism of the Catholic Church outlines that any sexual act outside marriage is “objectively disordered.” The use of contraception and cohabitation are similarly discouraged. Many Anglicans and non-conformist Protestants also uphold strong support for marriage, but there is greater acceptance in some liberal congregations of couples cohabiting before marriage, so long as their relationship is grounded in love, commitment, and mutual respect.
In practice, the gap between official teaching and everyday life can be considerable. Many people identifying as Christians in the UK cohabit, use contraception, or dissolve marriages. While church leaders may stress ideals, they increasingly focus pastoral care on compassion and understanding. There are growing numbers of churches that offer support to single-parent families, stepfamilies, and the divorced, including welcoming them to communion and positions of responsibility after suitable reconciliation or reflection.
From a critical perspective, Christian arguments in favour of restricting sex to marriage often highlight the stability and security this model provides for both partners and particularly for children. Critics, however, point out that the ideal of lifelong monogamy is not always attainable or desirable, and that its strict enforcement can lead to hypocrisy, marginalisation, or harm, especially in cases of unhappy or abusive marriages. Furthermore, as society has come to accept that couples may choose not to have children, and as medical technology makes procreation possible outside traditional marriage, some traditional arguments for sex only within marriage appear less compelling.
Islamic Responses to Sex Outside Marriage
Islamic teaching, too, places a strong emphasis on the sanctity of marriage as the legitimate context for sexual relations. The Qur’an prescribes chastity outside marriage and regards extramarital sex (described as zina) as a significant moral failing. Such prohibitions are rooted in the need to protect the family, lineage, and wider society. Both Sunni and Shia traditions view sexual intimacy as a gift from God—but one which is to be experienced within the boundaries of marriage, where the rights and duties of both partners are clearly set out and protected.Within Britain, British Muslims often engage in various forms of negotiation between faith, family expectation, and the law of the land. Some Muslim community leaders actively encourage early marriage and foster environments where single men and women are introduced for the purpose of finding a spouse. Others are pragmatic, recognising the pressures and realities of British society and seeking to provide confidential pastoral support for those who struggle with these ideals. Community and family expectations tend to encourage modesty in dress and behaviour; prevention rather than punishment guides most local practice.
There is, however, diversity both between and within communities, and between generations. Younger Muslims born or raised in the UK often adapt their beliefs and practices—sometimes living in a manner quite distinct from first-generation relatives. As with Christians, there is often a gap between teaching and practice, but the strength of communal identity and the significance of family reputation can result in more powerful informal controls.
Attitudes to Homosexuality: Religious and Social Perspectives
No discussion of family and sexual ethics in contemporary Britain can ignore the transformation in attitudes towards homosexuality. From criminal prosecution barely a lifetime ago, British society has moved steadily towards acceptance and legal recognition, culminating in same-sex marriage. The Church of England is itself divided: whilst some Anglican bishops and parishes welcome LGBTQ+ members, others maintain that marriage can only exist between a man and a woman. The Methodist and United Reformed churches have gone further in affirming same-sex marriages in some circumstances. The Catholic Church upholds an official teaching rejecting homosexual acts but acknowledges the need for pastoral sensitivity and respect towards gay people.Muslim beliefs generally remain more conservative: traditional interpretations of the Qur’an and Hadith disapprove of homosexual acts. Nonetheless, there are British Muslim advocacy groups campaigning for greater acceptance, and some younger believers are reassessing inherited attitudes in the light of contemporary British values. Tension between equality law (which prohibits discrimination by public bodies, including schools) and religious teaching has led to high-profile disputes, for example, over the content of relationship education in some Birmingham primary schools.
These debates raise deeper issues about conscience, pluralism, and the limits of tolerance. While legal equality is largely achieved, social attitudes change more slowly, and for many faith communities the question remains one of how to balance tradition with changing pastoral needs.
Impact on Family Life and Children: Competing Claims
Religious and secular voices have long debated the consequences of family structure for children’s wellbeing. Proponents of the two-parent, married family argue that it offers optimum stability and a supportive environment for children’s development, pointing to religious teaching and some sociological research. However, studies by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and others suggest that the quality of parenting, consistency, and economic security matter more than family structure per se. Many children flourish in single-parent or same-sex-headed families, and harmful outcomes are typically associated with conflict, instability, or poverty rather than family form.Weighing Religious Teaching Against Social Change
The UK is now a place where religious communities, secular campaigners, and everyday families encounter and negotiate a patchwork of moral expectations. For many, religious teachings continue to provide a vital source of ethical guidance, ritual, and community support. Traditions such as marriage vows, baptism, and family worship endure and often adapt—faith communities increasingly respond flexibly to new realities, focusing pastoral energy on inclusion, reconciliation, or simply “meeting people where they are.” At the same time, the era in which churches or mosques could dictate the rules of family life for broader society has long passed. Laws are framed to protect both freedom of belief and the rights of individuals to marry, cohabit, or dissolve relationships according to mutual consent.Where tension exists—for example, between religious doctrine and anti-discrimination law—British society generally seeks accommodation: faith groups are free to teach their principles, but may not impose them on others outside their confessional boundaries. This pluralism can be uncomfortable, but it is a defining feature of the contemporary landscape.
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