The Church of England says:
“The Church of England view abortion is that the life of the foetus has to be protected. If the foetus endangers the life of the mother action can be taken.”
Church of England report 1984
The Church of England do not agree with abortion but if the mothers life is at stake a abortion can be carried out with the churches blessing.
The Church of Scotland says:
That they are against abortion on demand. They believe that abortion is okay at the following times:
- The baby is a threat to the mother’s health
- There is proof the mother was raped
- It is certain the baby will be handicapped
The Church of Scotland has a similar view to the Church of England. Abortion is a last resort to mothers who could not cope with handicapped children or illtimate children.
The Roman Catholics say:
“We have been made like God. God plans the birth of all babies and makes them with the parents. In every foetus God has made a completely new human being. Human life is given by God. All people must realise that. Only God can end life.
Catholics have a strict view on abortion. Abortion must not be carried out on a foetus at all.
The Methodist Church says:
That abortion can only be carried out at these times:
- When the mother’s life is in danger
- When the baby will be handicapped
- When a mother who already has children may suffer.
The Methodist has similar views to the Churches of England and Scotland but point 3 is very different from all the churches.
Christians put their beliefs into action in different ways. One way is a union that protects unborn babies. The society for the protection of unborn children has 4 aims:
- To defend all human life right from contraception
- To protect children by all means possible including legal
- To defend, assist and promote the life of mothers
- To examine and promote laws concerning abortion
This society represents a voice for unborn children. Without this society unborn children would be defenceless. The SPUC’s main concern is to campaign for changes in the law where abortion is concerned. The SPUC will provide support to MPs presenting pro-life bills. The SPUC also try to tighten laws on abortion. The union will also try to drive out all abortions carried out on the terms of disability etc. Leaflets are distributed all over the UK to try and get people to join the union and promote it. Foetal models have been sent to every secondary school in the UK free of charge, the SPUC also produce many educational packs for schools. These are produced to teach the younger generation of people about abortion and why it is wrong. The SPUC has to also try and educate its own members by hiring guest speakers etc.
The Presbyterians Pro-Life (PPL) are an organisation that will help woman who are pregnant and either afraid or alone. They provide a Samaritan style service where mothers can phone and have a chat. The PPL help women by who are pregnant and mothers by going over their options. There are 2 main options that the PPL promote. Option 1 is to raise your baby. Sometimes babies can come at the wrong time, when life may be hard going. The PPL will support mothers at this time. The PPL are a Christian group and will help mothers find a church for loving help. Whatever a mother needs the PPL will try to help. The second option is to have the newborn child put up for adoption. This is the mother’s decision only and can be a hard one to make as the mother may never see her child again unless the child decides to find their biological mother later in their life. Any baby that is put up for adoption would be given a loving home as there are many Christian couples who can not have their own children. The PPL do not consider abortion as an option. Abortion is considered as an un-godly choice. Abortion is considered as a murder, the PPL say; “Abortion won’t undo the past. It won’t take you back in time, it will take your babies life. You’ll lose a child you can never replace.” The PPL promote God saying he loves you and a child is a gift from God to a parent.
I am now going to argue the cases for and against abortion.
Case for abortion:
- Some women may not want children through life. They may have good prospering careers. A baby may stop the mother from working and earning a high income. Some women may feel that they would not be able to look after a child and the child may end up being abused. Some women like to go out with friends and come back late at night this may be unfair on a child.
- Every child has the right to be a wanted child. Abortion may stop many children from being born and becoming unwanted. This will stop many problems such as child abuse. Abuse can ruin a child’s life the future and may even make the child think that it is ok to beat up a child.
- It is more of a trauma to give up a child for adoption than having an abortion. When a mother has to give a child up for adoption the child has been in her for 9 months and the mother may become attached to the baby. When the mother sees her baby’s face this might make her feel guilty and adoption may be a decision she will regret in the future.
- The decision to have an abortion is never easy, but no-one is better suited than the woman concerned to make that decision. The foetus inside a woman belongs to the woman it is her child and she is responsible for the upbringing of that child. She has to choose the child’s future. If she cannot face bringing up a child or maybe the child is handicapped and she could not face giving the child up than maybe abortion is a woman’s only choice.
The case against abortion:
- Even in the womb the unborn child has a right not to be killed. Every thing on this earth has a right to live. Women should not take their pregnancies for granted they may not be able to have children again.
- Unborn babies are unique, different, they have potential personalities, every aborted foetus was a potential human being, perhaps even a Beckham or a Britany Spears. Every one in the world is different, no 2 people are the same. If every one was the same, society would become boring. Who knows but any of the future aborted babies could change the way we live today maybe changing history in their path. One of the aborted babies may have found out the cure for cancer.
- People with the most awful handicaps can lead happy, creative and fulfilled lives. Handicapped people can live in care where they will be well looked after and be happy. Handicapped people have a right to live also they don’t deserve to be aborted just because they are different. A great example of a handicapped person who has lived a creative fulfilled life is Stephen Hawking whose books has made him the most intelligent man in the world since Einstein.
- Modern science proves that the unborn child is a separate human being from contraception. It is never just a part of his or her mother’s body. The unborn child is forming in the mother’s body as a new human being it is growing its own brain and its own heart to prepare its self to one day be independent. Babies are still forming after birth, there skulls are still fairly soft when born and can take another year or so to fully harden.
By James Harrison
