In this piece of coursework I intend to explain the beliefs that Christians hold about their responsibility for these beliefs at the beginning and end of their lives.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

Abortion

And

Euthanasia

Najia Ataur

Religious Studies Coursework

Sister Judith

11 Clare

Introduction

In this piece of coursework I intend to explain the beliefs that Christians hold about their responsibility for these beliefs at the beginning and end of their lives.

In AO2 I will explain the different ways Christians might respond to Abortion and Euthanasia.

In AO3 I will give my opinion on whether or not I agree, with more than one point of view, to the following statement: “What Christians believe about life is up to them. They should not try to make others accept their position.”

The Abortion Act was passed in 1967 and became effective the year after. It applies to England, Wales and Scotland, but not Northern Ireland. During the 30 years after the implementation of the act, the total number of abortions performed annually rose by nearly 700% such that some five million abortions were performed in Britain. During the last 15 years of that period, the annual total of abortions exceeded 170,000.

Abortion is an operation carried out to remove the growing foetus from its Mothers womb so that it can be destroyed.

Skill AO1

All human life is sacred and all human life is good, to us this means that life is precious and that no one has the right to take life away, just God alone can decide when conception takes place as well as to determine a person’s death. The Christian church teaches that life is a sacred ‘gift’ from god.

We are all created in the ‘image of God’ (Genesis 1:26-27), life is therefore sacred and has dignity. Christians also believe that ‘The Lord God formed the ...

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Skill AO1

We are all created in the ‘image of God’ (Genesis 1:26-27), life is therefore sacred and has dignity. Christians also believe that ‘The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being’, (Genesis 2:7). And although there is no physical likeness, God is within us as a Spirit. We may have certain qualities and characteristics that God has.

St Paul also says the same thing, ‘God’s Holy Spirit lives in our bodies, and we must not harm it’. All human beings are created equal, ‘Man has a dominion over all other forms of life’ (Genesis 1:26-27), saying that we are the superior intelligence and we have free will so we should treat nature and surroundings just as God treats us and that we should use God’s gifts to the full.

Christians believe people have souls; this is the part of us that lasts forever. They believe the soul is a part of a person which is separate from the person. When the body dies the soul joins God and we have been given an opportunity to have a relationship with God. Many Christians believe that people have souls even before they were born, while they were growing during pregnancy.

Christians also believe God values human life greatly as they believe Jesus came to die to heal the broken relationship between God and humans. Jesus died for human salvation therefore we must respect human life.

Every human life, from conception through to death, is therefore to be valued and respected. Every human life is to be lived in obedience to God and His Word.

Both Abortion (at the beginning) of life and Euthanasia (at the end) are about ending a life.

Skill AO2

Most Christians would agree that it is wrong to take the life of another human. It is also mentioned in the 6th commandment, ‘You shall not kill’ (Exodus 20:30). This quote relates to both abortion and euthanasia.

Roman Catholic’s believe that abortion denies the most important right which is the right to live. This is made worse as it denies this right to the most vulnerable as the baby is inside the mother’s womb. They believe that life begins at the moment of conception. Therefore there is no difference between abortion and murder.

A human being should not end any life created by God at any stage of its development. All life is precious as the psalmist says ‘you created every part of me; you put me together in my Mothers womb… When I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there, you saw me before I was born’.

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart’ (Jeremiah 1:5), many Christians believe that even before the pregnancy is completed and the baby is born, God has a plan for the potential life.

Other organisations such as SPUC and LIFE are supported by the Roman Catholic Church and they both campaign strongly against abortion. PRO- LIFE also opposes abortion.

The Church of England encourages its members to think through issues themselves in the light of the Christian faith and in dialogue with the Christian community. The Church of England combines strong opposition to abortion with a recognition that there can be strictly limited conditions under which it may be ethically preferable to any available alternative.

The position of the Church of England is often compared to that of The Roman Catholic Church. This according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church is that:

‘Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognised as having the right of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.’

The Methodist’s believe in the sanctity of unborn human life but this makes them reluctant to approve abortion. But they are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother, for whom devastating damage may result from an unacceptable pregnancy.