Abortion and Euthanasia: Explain how Christians would respond to these issues

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AO2 Abortion and Euthanasia: Explain how Christians would respond to these issues. In your own answer you should refer to different attitudes that Christians have to these issues as well as practical ways that Christians might offer support.

Abortion is when a woman’s pregnancy is deliberately terminated before the unborn child is fully formed and therefore foetus dies.

Christians believe that they were created by God and have a duty to care for all life and everything in the world. “Made in God’s image and likeness” Genesis 1:27.

“Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception; abortion and infanticide are the most abominable of crimes”                          Statement from the Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church strongly opposes abortion under every circumstance except when it is the inevitable result of a necessary treatment given to the mother. The Roman Catholic teaching that the foetus is a human being from the moment of conception, and that its rights to life are equal to that of the mother's, is based on two theories; Ensoulment: In the 13th century Thomas Aquinas argued that the male foetus becomes a human being at 40 days and the female at 90 days after conception. Quickening: This is the time that the baby first moves in the womb. It is supported by the experience of John the Baptist's mother Elizabeth, described in the Bible:

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:41

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The Church of England and most other protestant churches agree with the RC church and Orthodox churches in principle but they agree that each case is special. Therefore while abortion is generally not accepted, especially as a method of birth control, it may be permitted in certain cases. If there is a serious risk to the mother’s life, if conception takes place as a result of rape and if there is a grave risk that the baby will be born handicapped.

The Anglican Church

Although the foetus is to be especially respected and protected none the ...

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