Abortion and Euthanasia

Nicola Donnelly 12D

Mrs Treanor

Abortion and Euthanasia

The term ‘human life is sacred’ means that since every person is made in the image of God, life itself is a gift from God – it is holy and sacred. It is because man is made in God’s image that men, women and children are set apart from the rest of creation, and life is given a unique value and sanctity. Human life is precious and should not be destroyed and God has a plan for every single one of us. All Christians and even most non-Christians hold this view on life. There are many occasions that suggest to us that human life is something precious and valuable which should be celebrated. For example, at the celebration of the birth of a new baby, the determination we have to preserve life through medication and operations and the sadness and despair we feel when someone we love dies, no matter what their age.

Down through the centuries and in the Bible from the Old Testament through to the New Testament the sanctity of human life is underlined. The responsibilities that Christians have to defend life are also emphasised. In the Bible, it says that it is wrong to murder. This is one of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus did not talk specifically about abortion, but we can, however, look at his actions and draw some conclusions about abortion. He cared for people who were unwanted (such as lepers) or who were sick and had little hope of recovering (such as the woman with the haemorrhage). He also cared a lot for children, such as Jarius’ daughter. Jesus set an excellent example for how Christians should behave – we should care for each other, rather than destroy each other. Because traditional Christian teaching places the highest value on human life, it naturally condemns abortion. The Didache, one of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament states:

“You shall not kill by abortion the fruit of the womb and you shall not murder the infant already born.”

Didache

In modern times, however, there are various issues that are threatening the sacredness of human life - abortion and euthanasia being such examples. If abortion can become readily available to people, they may become more promiscuous. Because of this, some fear that human life may be counted too cheap if an ‘unwanted’ pregnancy can be ended. There is a similar debate when euthanasia is seriously considered as a solution to suffering, old age, and mental or physical handicap. Some people worry that life may be ended too easily under the pretext of being merciful.

There are also, however, some people who believe abortion and euthanasia can be morally justified in certain circumstances.

Today the sanctity of human life is being continually challenged and threatened, in particular, by abortion.

An abortion is the intentional and deliberate killing of an unborn baby, known as a procured abortion. A miscarriage is also the loss of a baby before birth, but which is unintentional – miscarriages occur naturally. There are also many medical reasons as to why miscarriages can take place.

Contraceptives are methods that enable a couple to have sexual intercourse without risking the chance of a child being conceived. Some methods cause abortion after conception has taken place, for example the coil or the morning after pill. The coil is a hook-like device, which is placed inside the woman’s womb. It prevents the lining, in which the baby will grow, from forming. If a fertilised egg enters the womb, it cannot find anywhere to embed itself. For this reason, the coil is believed to be an abortive method because it causes a fertilised egg (a potential human being) to be aborted. The morning after pill, for example RU 484, is also considered to be an abortive method. It prevents nourishment from the mother reaching the child, causing its death.

In 1967 the British Parliament passed a law which stated that it was no longer a criminal offence for an unborn child to be aborted by a doctor, if two doctors agree on either of the following two conditions:

  1. That to carry on with the pregnancy would involve a greater risk to the life or the physical or mental health of the mother or of her existing children than if she had it terminated.

  1. That there was a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer serious physical or mental handicap.

However, the Act contained a clause allowing account to be taken of the woman’s ‘actual or reasonably foreseeable environment’, and this allowed doctors to interpret the act in such a way that a great variety of social, financial or emotional problems could be considered as justifying abortion. In the main, most abortions are carried out on healthy babies of healthy mothers for social, economic or emotional reasons. The result is abortion on demand.

Although abortion is not mentioned in the Bible, from its earliest history the Church consistently opposed it:

“Thou shalt not slay thy child by causing abortion, nor kill that which is already born, for everything that has been shaped by and has received a soul from God, if it is slain, shall be avenged.”

Apostolic Constitution (written in the fourth century)

In the Bible, the prophet Isaiah compares a mother’s love for her child with God’s love for his people:

“So the Lord answers, ‘Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her own child, I will never forget you. Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of my hand.’ ”

Isaiah 49:15 – 16

The Catholic Church teaches that deliberate procured abortion is a serious sin in all circumstances. In Catholic theology, human life is said to begin at the moment of conception. From that moment, it is sacred and everyone should try to protect it:

“Human life is sacred – all men must recognise that fact.”

Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, 1968

The Second Vatican Council declared:

“Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.”

Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes 51

There are some occasions, however, when an operation carried out for the purpose of curing a life-threatening disease (for example, cancer) might kill an unborn child. The Church teaches that these are permissible and necessary, but an operation to take away the life of an unborn child is wrong.

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Many people believe the Catholic Church to be the main opponent against abortion, but in fact, many other Christian Groups are firmly opposed to abortion as well:

“In the bible in the witness of the Christian commission from its earliest days down to this present century we see a continuous and united witness to the sanctity of human life in God’s eyes and the responsibility and duty laid on God’s people to defend that life.”

Anti-Abortion organisation, SPUC (Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child)

A leading Protestant theologian stated his views on abortion very clearly:

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