The Church did not always regard all abortion as simple homicide, however, although it regarded the abortion of an unformed foetus anticipated homicide or homicide by intent because it always involved the destruction of a future human being.
“To claim the right to abortion, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the death of true freedom: "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin" (Jn 8:34).”
- The Gospel of Life, #20, John Paul II, 1995
The Church’s teaching on Euthanasia
The Church’s view on Euthanasia is that it is gravely wrong to take ones own life, and that it is suicide. It also believes that if another shares in the suicide, they are also sharing in the guilt. The Catholic Church believes that no matter how seemingly the result, or merciful the motive, terminating the innocent life of another murder.
“Taking into account these distinctions, in harmony with the Magisterium of my Predecessors[81] and in communion with the Bishops of the Catholic Church, I confirm that euthanasia is a grave violation of the law of God, since it is the deliberate and morally unacceptable killing of a human person.”
- The Gospel of Life, #65, John Paul II, 1995
Human life is sacred - the bible respects human life
1. “Do not judge others, and God will nor judge; do not condemn others and God will not condemn you.”
- Luke7:37
2. The fifth commandment: “Thou shalt not kill”
- Exodus
3. “Even the hairs of your head have all been counted”
- Matt 10:30
4. “Then God said ‘Now we will make human beings. They will be like us and resemble us…’ So god created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, blessed them and said, ‘Have many children, so that your descendents will live all over the earth and bring it under their control.’”
- Genesis 1:26-28
1. This means that the way we judge and condemn others, so God will judge and condemn us on the last day. No-on has the right to judge others. Who do people think they are, condemning people to death?
2. All murder is wrong, including medical murder. No-one has the right to harm or take human life, or decide who should and should not live.
3. God knows more about us than we do. We are all unique and special.
4. God created human life and asks humans to reproduce. He is for life. God sees human life as worthwhile and responsible, and asks human life to control the world. God blessed us, He made us holy. Nothing holy should be destroyed.
Jesus too respected Human life. When sick people came to him in need or despair, he did not put them out of their misery. He healed them.
Opinions for Abortion and Euthanasia
The groups in favour of abortion are mostly humanitarian groups the have their own point of view, according to National Abortion Campaign:
“The decision to terminate pregnancy is so important that it can only be made by the person most involved- the women. Women must always have a choice and never have the decision forced upon them. Free abortion facilities should on the NHS for every woman who needs them. We believe that the right of women to control their own fertility is a fundamental human right. Women will not be able to take a full and equal part in the society when we can all decide for ourselves whether and when to have children.”
National Abortion Campaign states the basic right of women to control its own fertility, they say that women have a full right to chose when the want to have children. Humanist Dipper supports abortion by suggesting that:
“Humanist regards abortion better than bringing unwanted into the world. It is a mistake to say that Humanist are in favour of abortion; no one can be in favour of abortion, which, except in unforeseen circumstances, is result of failed contraception. We think there will probably always be a certain number unplanned pregnancies and that the mother concerned should have the complete choice of either complete abortion, or keeping the baby.”
A survey of the British public was carried out on Euthanasia views. Although the precise numbers have varied somewhat, nationwide polls have been unanimous in showing a majority to be in favour of legalised voluntary euthanasia, with highly respected sources showing support as high as 82% .
Research has also shown that those with disabilities are more likely to be in favour of euthanasia than those who are able bodied.
However much the Catholic Church condemns euthanasia, a majority of Roman Catholics support the right to die. It is a widely held misconception that most Roman Catholics are opposed to voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. However, research has revealed that as many as 73% of U.K. Catholics agree that doctors should be allowed to help an incurably ill patient to die. (NOP poll, 1993)
In Netherlands 1972 the Dutch Reformed Church published a paper in which euthanasia was conditionally accepted as a humane way of dying. In the Netherlands, Catholic or Dutch Reformed clergymen may be present at Voluntary Euthanasia deaths.
Opinions against Abortion and Euthanasia
“Laws which authorize and promote abortion and euthanasia are therefore radically opposed not only to the good of the individual but also to the common good; as such they are completely lacking in authentic juridical validity. Disregard for the right to life, precisely because it leads to the killing of the person whom society exists to serve, is what most directly conflicts with the possibility of achieving the common good. Consequently, a civil law authorizing abortion or euthanasia ceases by that very fact to be a true, morally binding civil law.”
- The Gospel of Life, #72, John Paul II, 1995
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single funder opposed to euthanasia. It invests more money in its fight against euthanasia than all the combined resources of right to die societies around the world many times over.
"Abortion and euthanasia are thus crimes which no human law can claim to legitimise. There is no obligation in conscience to obey such laws; instead there is a grave and clear obligation to oppose them by conscientious objection. ... In the case of an intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia, it is therefore never licit to obey it, or to "take part in a propaganda campaign in favour of such a law, or vote for it".
- John Paul II, On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life, Evangelism Vitae, 73.
My opinion on Abortion and Euthanasia
Abortion -
I believe that abortion is acceptable under only some conditions. For example, if a young girl was raped and traumatised, and she became pregnant, is it right for her to go through the misery of having an unplanned child that might ruin the rest of her life? Of course some might say that it is unfair to the child, and just because he or she was not conceived under love or plan, that they should suffer? I do however think that adoption is the wisest choice under these circumstances. But perhaps a mother could not live knowing her child is with another family, and does not know her? If this is the case, how could a mother abort her own child without even giving the child a chance to live?
I think abortion is totally unacceptable if and when the mother’s pregnancy was “an accident”, and the termination of the child is simply because it is too inconvenient to have a child. This is sinful, as there is no excuse if it was the mother’s own fault.
Euthanasia -
I am very much for Euthanasia, if it is the person’s true will to die. If they are suffering from long term illness or endless pain and if they feel they want no more out of life, then it is their choice to die, and not society’s choice. Sometimes, however the person (if they are elderly) may feel under pressure from their family. They may feel they are a nuisance, or may be pressurised by their family, because the family may want money. This is why it must be the patient’s true will to die.
I believe everything must be done to make sure the person cannot live a normal life before euthanasia is performed. What I mean by this is that if the person is ill and wants to die to end the pain, doctors must try to cure the person, before euthanasia can be considered. Also, this applies to someone who may be suffering severe depression; everything must be done to help them out of it.
“God gives life and only God can take it away”.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have considered more than one point of view.
I both agree and disagree to a certain extent from some aspects to this. I believe no one has the right to “play God”. What I mean by this is that no one must think that they have the authority to judge who should live and who should not live. One of the human rights is:
“Everyone has the right to life”
However this right is constantly ignored. I do not just mean by murderer’s, but by society itself. In the united States, convicts are put to death for their crimes. They are either given deadly injections, poisonous gas, or the electric chair. This is called “Capital Punishment”, but it is plain outright murder. The same goes on in countries such as Saudi Arabia…except the criminals may have committed simple petty crimes, and face a much harsher death, such as stoning.
Cloning is becoming more and more controversial. If “God gives life”, then surely God is against cloning. However, the bible’s creation story in Genesis says that God made man in his own image - which in itself is cloning.
God is the provider of life and should be the only one who can take life. This may leave some people asking what sort of God they have, if he leaves them suffering if they have a terminal Illness or unhappy life. They then turn to euthanasia - taking their own life away - but this, according to the bible, is a sin, and so the person is left suffering.
When we are all born God has our life mapped out for us, how we are going to live and how we are going to die. No one has the right to intervene with this. But abortion, euthanasia, murder and suicide all intervene in God’s plan.
If god gave us free will, we choose what to do with it. He then however, gave us the will to take our own lives, as it is ours and we should decide whether to keep it. We should feel comfortable using this free will even in issues of life and death. Even though we may be committing a sin when we take our lives and the lives of others, and this may not please God, he gave us the choice and we are still free to do so.
In saying this, no one has the right to take the life of another out of anger, carelessness, selfishness or revenge, just because they feel that person does not desire to live.
Although Jesus healed people, and did not kill them…miracles like this cannot be performed today, and when medicine cannot help a person the only way out may be euthanasia, as this is the most desirable option. After all, is it right to see someone suffer?
There are many wars going on in the world at the moment, and some are “Religious” wars. Many people die and kill in war. Some kill in self-defence, others in vengeance. Do these “Religious” wars make it right to kill people if those fighting believe they are doing it in the name of God?
This brings me to the conclusion that because God gave us the life, we should respect his will not to take it away, and leave it to him, if possible. We should become the minder’s of our life, and try not to think of ourselves as the owners of life. This way whenever someone feels the want to take a life, they will be taking the life of God, the owner, and not that of the minder.
