Christianity teaches that all life comes from God;
‘Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.’ Genesis 1.
It also teaches all life is sacred;
‘Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.’ 1 Corinthians 6:19.
It is against Christian teaching to take another person’s life. The sixth commandment is- do not commit murder. It is clear from the Bible that it is up to God to choose when a person dies not another human being.
Euthanasia is done to stop suffering but suffering has a place in our lives, some suffering can have a positive purpose, e.g. childbirth.
Abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy, usually before the foetus is 24 weeks.
Although the Church generally views abortion as wrong, especially as a means for birth control, the Protestant Churches and the Church of England accept that each case is different and believe that in some cases abortion is morally justifiable, e.g. rape. The Protestant Churches believes that in certain cases abortion is the lesser of two evils, for example if the baby is very severely handicapped. The Church of England Board of Social Responsibility reads ‘abortion on demand would be a great evil but we also believe to withhold compassion is evil, and in circumstances of great distress or need, a very great evil.’
There has been a long tradition in the Roman Catholic Church that the unborn child is recognised as human, a gift from God. It is therefore worthy of complete respect and right of life.
The Christian Church teaches life is a scared gift from God. Christians believe God created every one of us, equal yet unique. From Genesis 1:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."’
The Bible appears to say that life begins when the baby is in the mother's womb.
‘For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.’
Psalm 139:13.
‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.’
Jeremiah 1:5.
None of the Christian Churches believe that abortion and euthanasia should be encouraged and all agree that it should only be used in the most serious circumstances.
