Religion+and+Morality

> ** Religion and Morality ** Back  With new rule, Britain moved out of the Romantic Era and into the Victorian Era; this brought forth new values, traditions and religious ideals. The ideals of the Romantic Era of nature and the individual were overrun with science, morality, and society. It was a time of adjustment; people were trying to hold onto their past while [Prior to the Victorian Era, importance was placed on the individual but society took its place. [|Personal happiness] no longer represented moral goodness unless the happiness of society was also incurred through what pleased the individual. Scientists such as [|Darwin] and Green were challenging the views of the church and deciphering human etiquette. Victorians would often categorize others according to their view points. Beliefs such as [|holism], [|utilitarianism], [|nihilism], and [|communitarianism] became common terms used in everyday conversations. These Societal ideals were the fruits of a stable economy and a culture enriched by collaborative effort.
 * Describe the religious climate in Victorian England. What was it like, and how did it impact day-to-day life in England? Describe Victorian attitudes toward morality (including sex).



Every social class in Victorian England was religious, going to church every Sunday and reading the Bible every night. In some cases, church was attended twice every Sunday due to the growing importance of [|religion and spirituality].  This was a new sensation across England which, in the nineteenth century, was marked by a religious revival almost as large as that of the Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries. This new interest in religion brought with it a focus on combining behavior with morality and adhering to rules of what was considered right and wrong. Even today, most people frequently attribute the term “Victorianism” to this correlation between religion and moral behavior because it was such a contrast from the previous lifestyle practices in England. One of the morals that was considered distinctly English was the value of truth. Throughout England, there were two meanings of the word “truth”, one referring to fact and the other referring to honesty. [|Truthfulness] was regarded as a very important factor when distinguishing someone's moral character. Victorians focused on truthfulness by caring more about the moral character of the person than factual roots of his or her words. 

In addition to valuing truthfulness as an imperative moral, Victorians also possessed strong morals regarding sexual conduct. During the Victorian period, [|sexual behavior]  was regarded differently between classes. In the upper and middle class, women were expected to have no sexual relations before marriage. Acceptable displays of affection consisted solely of a kiss on the cheek or an arm around the waist. The only premarital sex that would take place would be between men and servants or prostitutes because the “nice girls” would not go against the norm of accepted sexual behavior. The "high class" Victorians strictly enforced these beliefs and values into the minds of members in society so that women would continue to be seen as pure. In contrast, it was far more acceptable for the working class citizens to have sex before marriage. It was even “winked” at as long as the couple ended up getting married. Premarital sex in the working class was much more accepted by society than premarital sex in the upper class. It was so acceptable that nearly one third of working class women were pregnant on the day of there wedding! Although the acceptance of sexual behavior differed between the upper and working class, beliefs regarding homosexuality were the same in both classes. It was considered immoral to be homosexual, and the punishment for being homosexual during the Victorian period was execution.

Electronic Databases:** SIRS Facts on File //Victorian England// [|//http://www.english.uwosh.edu/roth/VictorianEngland.htm] //The Victorian Web// [|http://www.victorianweb.org/religion/altholz/a2.html]>
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 * Websites:**

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/do_history/courtship/images/victorian_romance.gif http://history.powys.org.uk/school1/religion/religion.shtml http://www.ulove.org.uk/images/Charles_Darwin_1880%5b1%5d.jpg http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/content/images/2007/01/04/st_andrews_exterior_400x300.jpg http://www.victoriana.com/doors/queenvictoria.htm http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauralemur/1846637498/
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