The Church of England combines strong opposition to abortion, but recognises there can be an availability to abortion if it is strictly necessary, which mean that they have limited conditions to when abortion should be acceptable. They believe that God creates all life including life in the womb so it must be protected and not killed. The mother of the unborn child needs all possible understanding and help to her decision.
The Church believes that the foetus is God given life and is to ‘be nurtured, supported and protected’. The mother is to be shown compassion, and her feelings and wishes are to be recognised.
“The Foetus has the right to live and develop as a member of the human family; abortion, the termination of life by an act of man, is a great moral evil” Statement by the General Synod in 1983
There are many groups of people that have points against abortion, which are points such as: By letting women have abortions, society is taking the easy way out and it is morally wrong. The unborn child is a separate human being. People with the most serious handicaps can still lead a happy life It is never just part of a Mothers body. We should create a society were no child is unwanted and treated like an outcast. A foetus has a right not to be killed. A foetus is a potential human being; one day it could be a person just like us.
Christians for Free Choice believe that women should be fully informed before they make their choice, and allow God to guide them. They say that there cannot one set of rules and every case is different.
Society for protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) aims to protect human existence from the moment of contraception and is also concerned about the welfare of the mother.
Marie Stopes International aim to ensure that humans have the right to ‘have a child by choice not by chance’. They work over 30 countries offering health screening, contraception, abortion and obstetric care.
British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) support women’s reproduce choice, and prevent pregnancy by offering contraception and offering abortion. They also provide sterilization, vasectomy and crisis counselling.
However there are alternatives to abortion, which are alternatives such as: Do not have sex or do not have sex without using contraceptives to avoid pregnancy. The baby can be given up for adoption. The baby can be fostered to other parents. The parent can get help from Social services, NSPCC, LIFE and the Salvation Army and other groups. The parent can get help from her families.
Although most Christians are generally against abortion, many groups are influenced by society as well as their faith. Also, some women’s views are altered by feminist views about the need to make your choices about your own body. In addition some Christians regard abortion as morally right and believe that they are doing no harm as they think that foetuses are not alive until a certain point.
Also connected to issues involved in abortion and the sacredness of life is euthanasia. Our beliefs in the value of life influenced by the church also affect the way we see euthanasia.
There are two types of euthanasia. Voluntary or active euthanasia is when the person concerned asked someone else to help them die. They may persuade another person to assist them to die or they may refuse the medical treatment necessary to keep them alive.
Passive/involuntary euthanasia is when the person concerned is no longer in a condition where they can make a decision for themselves. The decision to bring about the death is taken by relatives or medical experts.
The different views/beliefs of euthanasia
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I shall return again. Yahweh gave, Yahweh has taken back. Blessed be the name of Yahweh!” Job 1:21
This quote shows the basis of Christian belief that God gives life and that he can only take our lives away when we return to him.
The Quaker view is quoted as “We do not set down rules, we offer a process for working out the decision that is right for each individual person”
The Roman Catholic Church opposes passive euthanasia that is when artificial means of sustaining life are either not offered or are withdrawn. The actual teaching, which informs both of these points of view, this is the Roman Catholic Church’s belief about the Sanctity of life. Roman Catholic Church does not believe that doctors should use any extraordinary treatment to keep people alive. It is also ‘a grave violation of the law of God’ to accept euthanasia.
However if large doses of painkillers are used to help ease a persons suffering, and as a result the persons life is shortened and leads to them dying, this is understood as a double effect and is permitted as it has a good intension to it.
One of the 10 commandments “thou shall not kill” Exodus 20:30
This shows that this justifies the Roman Catholic belief of euthanasia in the past bible teachings.
The Church of England holds a similar view, saying in 1992 that although the deliberation taking of a human life is forbidden and in 1993 they stated no change in the law was needed, there are very strong arguments that people should not be kept alive at all costs when they are suffering intolerable pain, and also people that become vulnerable through illness or disability deserve special care and protection. The Church of England is opposed to euthanasia because it is seen as murder. They also belief that “God gave humankind the gift of life. As such, it is to be revered and cherished” also that “All human beings are to be valued, irrespective of age, sex, race, religion, social status” so it is against the law of God to support euthanasia. These quotes are from the Anglican view from www.cofe.anglican.org
The Catholic Church teaches that all forms of euthanasia are wrong, and that suicide is wrong, which links to their view on the sanctity of life. God creates life and it is also sacred to God, so it is his decision as to when we die, the quote below shows this saying that natural death should not be disturbed.
“Even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately disturbed”
Catechism of the Catholic Church (2279)
Christian Church’s encourage the support of hospices as an alternative to help those that do not believe in euthanasia.
There are other alternatives to voluntary euthanasia such as: Pain relief clinics to reduce the amount of pain suffered. New and advanced painkillers to ease the pain and has less side effects. TENS machines to send pulses to the nerves and enable patients to move. Drug therapy by injections: to make the patient feel less pain. Herbal remedies such as Chinese herbs. Acupuncture, which can help sickness and to encourage well-being. Meditation, hypnotherapy or yoga for relaxation and to ease pain.
double effect is often brought up to explain the permissibility of an action that causes a serious harm, such as the death of a human being, as a side effect of promoting some good end. It is claimed that sometimes it is permissible to cause such a harm as a side effect (or “double effect”) of bringing about a good result even though it would not be permissible to cause such a harm as a means to bringing about the same good end.
Jesus’ teaching was that we should look after each other, he did not agree with voluntary euthanasia, as we read:
“Simons Mother in law was sick in bed with a fever and as soon as Jesus arrived he was told about her. He went to her took her by the hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them” Matthew 2:30-31
Jesus did not believe in euthanasia as he healed her and did not kill her.
Christians who support euthanasia do so because they think Jesus would have condoned it. They believe this to be the case as Jesus showed compassion and didn’t want people to suffer. They say that euthanasia is compassion as is it is kinder to let someone go than to keep them alive and prolong their misery. The Bible does not mention euthanasia so there is no definitive Biblical teaching, but it is very hard to believe that Jesus would rather make someone’s pain last longer than to end it and let them die as in Matthew 2:30-31.
There are many groups of people that have points against abortion, which are points such as: It is more compassionate to care for the dying than to quicken their death. Life is sacred, and euthanasia destroys life. The Holy Spirit lives in Christians and dying an untimely death is killing the Holy Spirit if you are a Christian. Euthanasia destroys Gods temple. There may be a purpose to suffering and people may learn from it.
There are many arguments by groups for euthanasia such as: God wants people to have quality life. If someone has no quality of life euthanasia might be acceptable. So euthanasia could bring more glory to God than keeping a suffering person alive. People have been given freewill people should be able to use this free will to end their own lives as God gave us free will. People who are brainless and have no hope of recovering consciousness but whose bodies are still technically alive. A person may reach a point where his or her life is not worth living and they wish to die. These apply to people whose minds are so deteriorated that they are helpless and unable to live with any dignity at all and they aren’t really living a ‘life’. God has given people dominion over living. Stopping suffering is a loving thing to do.
Exit advocates a change in the law to allow the judiciary greater flexibility concerning euthanasia. They closely examine statements by politicians. They advise on living wills and are legal in the court of law. They promote euthanasia and advise legal acceptance of euthanasia.
Most Christians do not think euthanasia is right thing to do, because nearly all denominations of Christianity do not support it. The Roman Catholic Church absolutely condemns it and in 1975 The Church of England produced a report “On Dying Well” which opposed euthanasia. The Methodist Church does not promote euthanasia either, but it is debatable as to whether Christians should follow the beliefs of their church. Different denominational beliefs about euthanasia have arisen from the leaders and is therefore very much a matter of opinion-as the Bible does not refer to it Christianity as a whole cannot say whether it is religiously wrong or right.
