Faced with the issues of abortion and euthanasia, explain the different ways in which Christians respond.

   Some Christians claim that abortion reduces the number of ‘unwanted’ children in the world along with neglect and abuse of children.

   Except this fact is false as due to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) doing research into the number of child abuse cases in 1973 and they estimate that between the late 1970’s and the late 1980’s the rate of reported cases of chid abuse in England and Wales doubled even though more than one million “unwanted” children had been aborted during this decade.

   In the case of rape or incest Christians are sympathetic towards the woman and some believe that she should be able to choose to abort her unborn child in fear that the child may inherit aggressive traits from the father.

  But many Christians disagree with abortion in this case, as two wrongs don’t make a right.  So in most Christian communities the mother will be offered counselling during the pregnancy and will be given the opportunity to have the baby adopted.

   Christians may respond positively towards abortion if the mother is a teenager and giving birth may risk her physical health.

   However, PAS (Post-Abortion Syndrome) affects many women who have had abortions and some of them try to commit suicide later on in life.

  Abortion encourages the belief that some human beings are expendable and worth less than others, which in turn encourages the killing of disabled babies above all others.  Many Christians believe that abortion is acceptable if there is proof that the baby may be disabled as they think that it is not fair for a human to live life disabled.

  Christians are reminded through this of the inhumanity of abortions as they attack the most vulnerable and in need of help.

   In the case of Euthanasia which means ‘gentle death’ whereby if a person has an incurable disease which causes them huge pain and distress, their life should be terminated in a painless scientifically approved method in order to shorten the suffering of this person.  This is usually asked by from the patient or relatives if the patient were incapable of asking.  It is referred to as a ‘mercy killing’, particularly in the case of deformed infants or terminally ill, senile or comatose suffering adults.

  Voluntary Euthanasia has been condemned by many organisations including the World Medical Association.  They feel that the practice of euthanasia undermines the trust between a patient and the medical profession claim to always act to preserve life and that if exceptions were made in the thought that human life was sacred, the principal is weakened.

   The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single founder opposed to euthanasia. It invests more money in its fight against euthanasia than all the combined resources of right to die societies around the world many times over.

   A common objection in religious quarters is that suffering is part of the divine plan for the good of man's soul, and must therefore be accepted.

   Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are prohibited in most countries worldwide.  Euthanasia is illegal in most European countries like Italy, India and Germany however, in the Netherlands since 2001. People who agree with it say that it lets people who have illnesses die with dignity and no pain.

   Although those who oppose it say that it does the opposite on the patient, that in fact they actually lose their dignity.  The sanctity of life issue with Euthanasia is probably why the most of Christians disagree with it among other reasons but mainly because God has the only right to take life away from any human being. The Catholic Church states that we all have to suffer as Jesus on the cross and that it is a part of our journey in life.

   In aid to stop the number of people choosing Euthanasia Dame Cicely Saunders and others set up the hospice movement, this was to organise hospices that specialise in caring with diseases like Alzheimer’s and the doctor to patient ratio is much higher. This is to help people become more comfortable with death and show them that it is not the end when you die.

   In conclusion all Christians are encourage following in the footsteps of Christ and help care for the life of others regardless of their age or health condition. Although the Church has many members that agree with their statements on abortion and euthanasia in this modern society their other factors that have major influences on a Christians decision.