The Methodist Church are more precise than the Church of England, in the situations that abortion are acceptable. These are “when the life of the mother is in danger, when the baby will be born with a severe handicap or when the children the mother is already bringing up might suffer badly if a new baby arrives.
The Church of Scotland has similar beliefs to the Methodist Church. The Church is against abortion on demand, which is when women want an abortion for no particular reason other than for themselves. The Church of Scotland believes that abortion is right, if there is a threat to the mother’s health, if there is proof that the mother was raped, or if it is certain that the baby will be handicapped. Again the Church of Scotland has more precise rules than the Church of England.
b. Many Christians are opposed to abortion because the main issue of abortion uses their belief of God being the Creator of Life. Christians believe that nobody has the right to destroy what God has created. In the Bible it says that God values life. In Genesis it says that God created us in His own image.
Lots of Christians believe that life begins at conception so abortion is murder. Abortion therefore breaks the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” Mainly the Roman Catholics believe this. In psalm 139, it confirms that the creation of these humans takes place in the womb. Some Christians believe that if it is wrong to kill a child that is still dependant on it’s mother than it is wrong too to kill a foetus that is dependant on it’s mother although in the womb.
Several Christians think that if a baby is born handicapped it still has a good quality of life. Sometimes the medical tests are not 100% accurate and some mothers have not had abortions although tests have said that the child is handicapped and have given birth to normal and healthy babies. Even the most handicapped of people enjoy their lives.
An argument that Christians put forward to use against abortion is that God in the Bible is a person who is concerned about the weak and defenceless.
In the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act of 1990 it says that the foetus can be aborted up to the 24th week. Even though no one is 100% sure Christians argue that whatever method of abortion is used the embryo experiences pain. These are many reasons that Christians say that abortion is wrong some parts of the religion say that abortion is acceptable in some situations.
c. A circumstance when some Christians regard abortion as acceptable is when the woman has become pregnant as a result of rape. If the woman does not want to continue the pregnancy some Christians say that it would not be right to expect the woman to continue the pregnancy, give birth, look after and bring up the child who’s father has raped the mother. It would cause trauma to both the child and mother when the child asks who their father is and the mother has to explain that they were conceived as a result of rape. The baby could be adopted but sometimes adoption causes severe strain especially after carrying and giving birth to the child whom was conceived through the act of rape. Sometimes the strain is worse that keeping the child herself. Abortion in this cause is said to be the lesser of two evils.
Another circumstance that an abortion is accepted is when the foetus is deformed or handicapped. Some Christians may think that it is unkind and not “loving one’s neighbour” to allow a badly handicapped child to be born when it could have been avoided. The Christians who think this think that an abortion is the kindest thing to do if the quality of the child’s life would be so affected it would make it unbearable for the child.
Different parts of the Christian religion believe in these circumstances in which abortion is acceptable but the Roman Catholic Church will not accept abortion in any circumstance.
