Abortion and Euthanasia

The first 200 words of this essay...

Abortion and Euthanasia

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred. Explain how this teaching influences its attitude to abortion and euthanasia, showing that you understand other points of view.

Abortion is the deliberate and intentional killing of an unborn baby. Abortion means destroying the life of an unborn baby, either by killing it in the womb or by removing it from the womb prematurely before it is able to live in the outside world.

The abortion Act states that the law in the UK says that an abortion can be performed up to the end of the 24th week of pregnancy if two doctors agree that:

> To continue the pregnancy would involve a risk of injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman greater than the risks involved in having an abortion.

> To continue the pregnancy would involve risk of injury to the physical or mental health of any existing children of the pregnant woman greater than the risks involved in her having an abortion.

However, the law allows an abortion at any stage of the pregnancy

> If the doctors agree that continuing the pregnancy