Abortion was legalised in Britain in 1967 (The Abortion Act). On the 27th of October 1967 the Abortion Act became law in England.
What really matters in the moral question of abortion are the views of the people. Many of us are led to believe that abortion is a modern change, and that everyone is accepting it as "morally right”. A lot of people think that abortion should be legalised in certain circumstances. These are the average results and examples of why abortion should be legal.
Life/Health of Mother............................... 90% Rape/Incest.................................................. 75%
Fatal Handicap.............................................65%
Can’t Afford.................................................40%
Too Many Children.....................................40%
Emotional Strain..........................................35%
To Finish School...........................................28%
Not Married..................................................25%
For Birth Control ..................................... 16%
Christians are against any form of contraception. In genesis 1:27, we are told that god made man in his image, which tells us that we don’t have the right to take away a life. The fact that God gave us life his the only one that should take it back. In Psalm 139 we are told that god knitted us together and that he saw us even before we were formed. This backs up the opinion that we are all individuals and unique.
Christians are taught about their religion through teachings from the Bible. They also follow what the Pope and other religious teachers tell them. These teachings help guide Christians through life.
Christians believe that this is what they have been taught. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depth of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:13-16). We notice that Psalm refers to the individual meaning God. This quote suggests that God created every human being unique from any other human being and we all should thank him for making us our own individuals. Another quote to back this up is from the ‘Declaration on procured abortion’ by the Roman Catholic Church in 1974, it says, “From the time the ovum is fertilized a new life is begun. It is the life of a new human being with it’s own growth. It would never become human if it were not human already”. This means that any human being is an individual from conception, but it also states that abortion is a serious sin and that everyone, whether catholic or not should have respect for human life. The Salvation Army also believes that life is sacred from the moment of conception, but it accepts that abortion should happen in cases such as if the mothers life is in danger.
Christians believe that the abortion of a baby is wrong. However this depends on the individual case. The Church of England says, “The life of a foetus is not absolutely sacrosanct if it endangers the life of the mother”. What this means is that if the mother’s life is in danger then abortion is acceptable. So, in this case, we realize that there arguing for abortion.
Christians use various actions to put their beliefs into action. These actions could take place by individuals or groups to oppose or support abortion.
There are many ways Christians who are against abortion might put their beliefs into action for example Christians who are offering advice to someone considering having an abortion might suggest that the baby could be adopted, because of the fact that many couples would love to have a child but they are unable to reproduce. Christians that support the abortion issue might put their beliefs into action by joining a group which campaigns for the right to choose abortion.
SPUC - an organisation that campaigns against abortion.
People thought that it was very wrong to make abortion legal; they believed that it allowed innocent human lives to be destroyed and that it encouraged women to have abortions instead of looking at other possibilities, such as having the baby adopted. Some of these people joined together to form an organisation called SPUC - the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child.
I think that Christians might support this organisation because of their belief that life is sacred. They might believe that it is wrong to do nothing to stop abortion, because the Bible teaches about the importance of defending the weak “Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked”(Psalm82: 4)
PCA – an organisation that supports the abortion issue
The Pro-Choice Alliance is a group that campaigns and supports women to have an abortion without having to give anyone a reason. The organisation believes that it is wrong for women to have to explain their personal circumstances to a doctor so he/she could decide whether that person should have an abortion. They think that women are mature and sensible for making their own decisions in life therefore nobody should try to interfere with any decision that is being made.
Some Christians might support this organisation attending a demonstration to publicise their views or they might use passages from the Bible, which teaches that men and women have equal rights so then they can show that women are responsible for their own decisions.
