“Windows To Spirituality”
What Is A Stepfamily? A stepfamily, blended family, or bonus family, is a family where at least one parent has children that are not genetically related to the other spouse or partner. Either parent, or both, may have children from previous relationships. Children in a stepfamily may live with one biological...
Father This article covers the meaning of father and fatherhood. A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive father is a male...
What Is A Parent? A parent is a caregiver of the offspring in their own species. In humans, a parent is the caretaker of a child (where “child” refers to offspring, not necessarily age). A biological parent is a person whose gamete resulted in a child, a male through the sperm, and a female through the ovum. Biological parents are first-degree...
What Is Forced Pregnancy? Forced pregnancy is the practice of forcing a woman to become pregnant, often as part of a forced marriage, or as part of a programme of breeding slaves, or as part of a programme of genocide. Forced pregnancy is a form of reproductive coercion. Imperial Japan Female prisoners of Unit 731 were...
Compulsory Sterilization Compulsory sterilization, also known as forced or coerced sterilization, programs are government policies which force people to undergo surgical or other sterilization. The reasons governments implement sterilization programs vary in purpose and intent. In the first half of the 20th century, several such programs were instituted in countries around the world, usually...
Marriage Law Marriage law refers to the legal requirements that determine the validity of a marriage, and which vary considerably among countries. Summary table Country/territory Civil marriages Religious marriages Customary marriages Divorce Same-sex marriages Polygamous marriages Afghanistan Foreigners only Recognized N/A Legal Unrecognized Legal [a] Albania Performed Not recognized Not recognized Legal Unrecognized...
What Is Childlessness? Childlessness is the state of not having children. Childlessness may have personal, social or political significance. Childlessness, which may be by choice or circumstance, is distinguished from voluntary childlessness and being “childfree”, which is voluntarily having no children, and from antinatalism, wherein childlessness is promoted. Types Types of childlessness can be classified...
What Is Family Honor? Family honor (or honour) is an abstract concept involving the perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects the social standing and the self-evaluation of a group of related people, both corporately and individually. The family is viewed as the main source of honor and the community highly values the relationship...
Honor Killing An honor killing or shame killing is the murder of a member of a family, due to the perpetrators’ belief that the victim has brought shame or dishonor upon the family, or has violated the principles of a community or a religion, usually for reasons such as divorcing or separating from...
Violence Against Women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) are violent acts the victims of which are primarily or exclusively women or girls. Such violence is often considered a form of hate crime, committed against women or girls specifically because they are female. VAW...
Women In Christianity The roles of women in Christianity can vary considerably today as they have varied historically since the third century New Testament church. This is especially true in marriage and in formal ministry positions within certain Christian denominations, churches, and parachurch organizations. Many leadership roles in the organized church have been...
Child Marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, entered into by a youth under a certain age, typically age eighteen. Child marriage violates the rights of children and has widespread and long term consequences for child brides and grooms. It affects both boys and girls,...
Female Genital Mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and within communities from countries in which FGM is common. UNICEF estimated in...
Domestic Violence Against Men Domestic violence against men deals with domestic violence experienced by men or boys in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. As with domestic violence against women, violence against men may constitute a crime, but laws vary between jurisdictions. Men who report domestic violence can face social stigma regarding their perceived...
Parental Abuse By Children This article covers Parental Abuse By Children. Abuse of parents by their children, also known as child-to-parent violence (CPV), is a form of domestic violence, and is one of the most under-reported and under-researched subject areas in the field of psychology. Parents are quite often subject to levels of childhood aggression in...
What is Forced Marriage? Forced marriage is a marriage in which one or more of the parties is married without their consent or against their will. A forced marriage differs from an arranged marriage, in which both parties presumably consent to the assistance of their parents or a third party such as a matchmaker in...
Christianity And Domestic Violence Christianity and domestic violence deals with the debate in Christian communities in relation to the recognition and response to domestic violence, which is complicated by a culture of silence and acceptance among abuse victims. There are some Bible verses that abusers use to justify discipline of their wives....
What Is Ketubah? A ketubah (כְּתוּבָּה, “written thing”; pl. ketubot) is a Jewish prenuptial agreement. It is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride. In modern practice, the ketubah has no agreed monetary value, and is seldom enforced...
What Is A Bride Price? Bride price, bridewealth, or bride token, is money, property, or other form of wealth paid by a groom or his family to the family of the woman he will be married to or is just about to marry. Bride price can be compared to dowry, which is paid to the groom, or used by the bride to...
Woman’s Creed This is a woman’s creed written by Rachel Wahlberg. I believe in God who created woman and man in God’s own image who created the world and gave both sexes the care of the earth. I believe in Jesus, child of God, chosen of God born of the...
