The Sanctity of Life works on the basis that human life is sacred from the moment of conception and immediately we can see problems conflicting with the ideas of abortion. The Sanctity of Life considers that abortion is the destruction of a human being. The Bible states that the deliberate taking of an innocent human life breaks the sixth commandment, “thou shalt not kill” and so the act, for many Christians, is condemnable at the least.
The Sanctity of Life teaches that Life is a gift from God and that “man was made in the image of God” and therefore, the destruction of a gift from God and a being in the image of God is abominable. Abortion, as a Christian describes it as the destruction of a life, you are destroying God’s creation.
The Sanctity of Life, as a Christian ethic, is often associated with Christian Ethics. The most notable ethical theory of Christian Ethics is that of Natural Moral Law. St Thomas Aquinas developed Natural Law in the 13th century from the Aristotelian theory. This ethical theory is an absolutist and deontological one – it is focused on the ethicacy of actions rather than the consequences. Aquinas described Natural Law as a moral code existing within the purpose of nature, created by God. The primary concept of Aquinas’ Natural Law is that there are God-given laws in the Universe that should always be obeyed – it combines reason with faith to fully determine what is morally right or wrong with our actions.
Aquinas had a strong belief that man was created by God for a purpose. According to Aquinas, our purpose was to abide by the 5 primary precepts; preserve life, be educated, reproduce, live in society and to worship God. Preserving life, as one of the primary precepts of Natural Law means that the Sanctity of Life would be used here in cases of Abortion – One of the 4 Hierarchical levels the support these 5 primary precepts is the Divine Law. The Divine Law are laws from the Bible, the backbone of Christianity. The laws from the bible support the Sanctity of Life and so the Sanctity of Life would affect this particular ethical approach to Abortion.
The Sanctity of Life can also be applied to Kantian Ethics – it is arguable to Kant’s moral system can only be used as an attempt to rationalise Christian Moral principles. Kant would consider abortion as wrong because you cannot universalise the killing of a foetus; otherwise the human race would cease to exist.
Sanctity of Life can also affect Situation Ethics. As a considerably more relativist ethical theory, Situation Ethics would judge Abortion as the most loving thing to do for both parties when the principle of Double Effect is considered or if the child is very likely to have severe disabilities. Whilst the Sanctity of Life is considered, the Quality of Life is reasoned along with it, and when weighed up, it is the lesser of two evils and the most loving thing to do is have an abortion.
