The complex dilemma of Abortion R.E coursework

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  • What is abortion?
     A natural abortion is the premature expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it is able to survive independently.
    Induced or artificial abortions are various medical and abusive procedures that results in such termination and expulsion of a fetus. For example, drug abuse during the pregnancy could induce a premature pregnancy and in some cases, when the baby is unwanted the mother could inflect self harm.

But for the purpose of this argument I will restrict the discussion to induced abortions (artificial abortions).

  • Legal history
    There have been many laws about abortion passed in England in the last century. Before the 1967 Abortion Act was passed through parliament, women who wanted an abortion had to find someone who would carry out the procedure in secret. Many women were terribly injured by these “back – street” abortions that were carried out. But the 1967 Abortion Act stated that the woman had to convince two doctors that her mental health would suffer if she were to carry on with the pregnancy. If the doctor agreed with her, then the abortion would take place. However, the Act also stated that the abortion could only take place before the 24 week stage.


    In 1991, another law was passed:





  • Christian Views
    There are many different types of Christians which may have different views on certain issues however I think that in this particular issue, the views are very similar if not, the same.

The Ten Commandments
in the Ten Commandments, in Exodus20 there is the commandment:


But what is the definition of murder?
Dictionary definition:

 



Abortion is the premeditated killing of an individual by another; however it is not unlawful in. But does this make it right?
 
In World War II, there was a law that all Jews should die, although this was the law; it was not right on any level of morality; for Christians or non-Christians. So abortion could still be argued to be an illegitimate action for Christians. Another example or culture verses religion is divorce. It is lawful in this country and many other Christian countries but the Bible say that it is only lawful in the eyes of God if it is a result of “marital unfaithfulness.”
(Matthew 5: 31-32). So the law of the country differs from the Law of God. But suppose abortion was not classed at murder but classed as killing, then you would be killing a potential life and if you killed everything that had potential then you would have to kill children as they have potential to be adults. But is abortion even the killing of an individual, of a person? This leads the discussion of when life really begins.

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Whereas, physicians believe that life begins when the fertilized ovum implants itself in the wall of the uterus. But these are only two opinions. Others may argue that a child’s life begins when they can sustain themselves

outside of the mother’s whom and therefore when they the fetus is terminated, a human being has not been murdered.

  • ii) None of the Christian churches encourage abortions but all agree that it could only be used in serious circumstances. Roman Catholics and Orthodox churches forbid abortions completely. This following quote is from the documents of the ...

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