“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10,13)
This quote shows that God cares about you and that he will help you in any situation that you may find yourself in.
“‘Put your sword back in its place,’ Jesus said to him, ‘for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.’” (John 25,52)
This quote shows that something bad will happen to you if you do something bad to someone else.
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way as you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7,1)
This quote shows that if you punish someone for something that they haven’t done then it will be held against you and the same thing will be done to you.
The above quotes show how principles in the Bible apply to the idea of abortion. These can also help explain why many Christians are against abortion. They show who a soul is present in an embryo, so it shouldn’t be terminated.
Mother Teresa was also against abortion:
“Any country that accepts abortion, is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what it wants.”
This quote shows that abortion should not be allowed because it is not an act of love. The following quote is an act of love on Mother Teresa’s behalf.
“Please don’t kill the child. I want the child. Please give me the child.”
This quote shows that someone will want the child, even if you do not want it. So you should not have it aborted because that is an act of cruelty.
What does the Bible say about abortion?
Below are Biblical quotes referring to abortion:
“Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.” (Deuteronomy 27:25)
This quote shows that you should not take away the life of an innocent person who has done nothing wrong, which is so in the case of an abortion. The baby hasn’t done anything wrong, so why take its life away? This quote also says that people should not perform abortions and get praise for it. They have done wrong, not right.
“Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth…And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. (Genesis 9:1,5)
This quote shows us that God wants us to multiply in number, so he obviously doesn’t want people to have abortions because you are lessening the chance of us multiplying in number.
“If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (Exodus 21:22-25)
This verse would suggest that if a woman gives birth prematurely, but the baby is not injured, then only a fine is appropriate. However, if the child dies then the law of retaliation should be applied. In other words, killing an unborn baby would carry the same penalty as killing a born baby.
However the Bible does not actually say anything about abortion directly. This is because it is unthinkable to a Christian woman so there is no need to mention it. But why is abortion viewed as an unthinkable act? Firstly because children are viewed as a blessing, a gift or heritage from God and secondly childlessness was seen as a curse.
When is abortion allowed?
Abortion is allowed only in extreme circumstances, such as the mother’s life being in danger. Abortion is not permitted if the child is conceived as a result of rape. However the Bible does say that God will forgive those who have had abortions:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
This quote shows that we can be forgiven for our sins, however it is always best not to commit them in the first place.
If the mother’s life is endangered then an abortion is the only option and it is safer for both the parent and the child if the abortion is carried out. Lots of Christians take the middle view on the matter of abortion. However there are some that are totally against it, such as the Roman Catholics.
It is mainly understood in religions that abortion is only permissible when the mother’s life is put in danger because of the pregnancy. Then and only then may the mother terminate the pregnancy at her own will.
What is euthanasia?
Euthanasia is a type of mercy killing or a gentle death. It is usually carried out to relieve a person of incurable suffering. It can be carried out in two types: voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary is generally carried out by the person (suicide) however it can be carried out by another person if they are asked to perform it, e.g. a doctor giving a lethal substance to kill the person. This is seen as murder and considered a crime. Passive euthanasia is where a patient refuses treatment that is keeping them alive. Involuntary euthanasia is when someone else makes the decision to end someone’s life painlessly; they don’t have the person’s permission to do so.
What does the law say about euthanasia?
At the moment euthanasia is illegal in Britain. There have been many arguments for the legalisation of it. In a recent opinion poll 79% of UK citisens were in favour of some form of euthanasia law, yet it is still illegal. One religious reason is the sanctity of life. A non-religious reason is the worry that doctors will abuse their power. Holland was the first EU country to legalise euthanasia. Voluntary euthanasia is permitted if a strict procedure is followed. However even though euthanasia is permitted, 600 doctors out of 4,000 belong to an anti-euthanasia support group.
What do the religions say about euthanasia?
Christians know things about life that the world doesn’t understand. They know that man was created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26,27) and that God is the giver of life (Psalm 139:16-18). These facts rule out the taking of life because of unpleasant circumstances or lack of personal “quality of life.”
A Christian is never to take their own life or the life of another Christian, this is because believers have been purchased by Jesus and their bodies are a temple if the Holy Spirit. (Cor 6:19,20) All things are to be done in the glory of God. Christian suffering can be to the glory of God. Therefore euthanasia is classed as a sin. God is the one who gives life and takes it away.
The Biblically balanced view for a Christian is neither “life is everything” nor “life is nothing.” Instead it is balanced by three truths: 1. Life is important because it is God-given and because man is created in the image of God.
- Eternity with Jesus is better than physical life. 3. Physical life is to be used to bring glory to God.
The ultimate truths are the promise of Jesus that he will never leave or forsake believers. Suffering should be considered in comparison to the glories of eternity and a future that is more wonderful that can be imagined awaits those who love him.
What does the Bible say about euthanasia?
Below are quotes from the Bible to show views on the topic of euthanasia, and what I understand each quote to mean.
We all know that murder is the worst crime that a person can commit. One main quote from the Bible that shows this is:
“Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13) The Sixth Commandment.
Christian’s believe in the sanctity of life and as the above quote clearly shows, to take your own or someone else’s life is considered wrong.
“You turn us back to dust, and say, Turn back, you mortals.” (Psalm 90:3)
This quote portrays God as deciding to end human lives. He is justifiable in making these decisions, that’s why he is the one making them. As shown in the quote above we aren’t able to make the decision.
“God created man in his own image.” (Genesis 1:27)
This quote shows that God created all humans and that life is sacred and possesses dignity and value because God created life.
“…because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.” (Acts 17:25)
This again shows that God gave us our life, it seems ungrateful to destroy it.
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” (Matthew 9:13)
This quote tells us that God wants us to have mercy on the sick and elderly, not sacrifice them to him. This means that he does not want us to kill them, he wants us to look after him.
“Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.” (Romans 12:12)
The Bible here suggests that the response to trouble shouldn’t be suicide, it should be prayer. It says to be patient and wait for God to take you from our world to his, as he will in time.
Abortion is not seen as euthanasia because it does not meet the requirements of being a painless death. However it can be seen as the first step to euthanasia, because in abortion one person is legally allowed to take another’s life to prevent their own life from inconvenienced by the pregnancy and the child.
When is euthanasia allowed?
People have argued that euthanasia should be allowed if the patient is terminally ill and really want to end their life in a quick and painless way. Yet religions don’t permit it.
The Sanctity of Life
Roman Catholics believe in the following quote, they are totally against abortion and euthanasia:
“You shall not murder” (Exodus 20,13)
This is the Sixth of the Ten Commandments that all Christians follow and believe in.
They believe that life is sacred and they also believe that it is a gift from God. It is for this reason that they believe that you should not have an abortion.
There are also some other quotes, taken from the Bible referring to the matter of abortion;
“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1,27)
This quote shows that God created humans and it gives the idea that only he can take that life away because he is the creator of that life.
However Aristotle favoured abortion to control the size of the family, the Greek philosopher Hippocrates prohibited it. However no Biblical text specifically prohibits abortion. Though some are seen as providing the framework to prohibit it.
The ‘double effect’ rule is used for when an ectopic pregnancy occurs. That if the pregnancy were to continue both the mother and foetus would be lost. Instead the uterus is removed and the embryo dies. The ‘double effect’ rule is that the doctors intended to save the mother, rather than kill the foetus, this is morally permissible. However Peter Vardy and Paul Grosch have identified a problem with the ‘double effect.’ There is a method where the fallopian tube no longer has to be removed so the mother is better off but the foetus still dies, this could be done for different intentions and not be permissible.
Life is sacred and a gift from God, ‘which they are called upon to preserve and make fruitful.’ (Declaration on Euthanasia 1980). ‘Mercy killing, like suicide, finds no support except in the atheistic way of thinking.’ This shows that only atheist’s can permit euthanasia.
The philosopher Peter Singer said that there’s no moral difference between the withdrawal of treatment and the active killing of a patient by lethal injection. The Roman Catholic Church approves the ending of treatment in situations in which death is inevitable and the treatment is a burden.
Hippocrates said: “I will not prescribe a deadly drug to please someone, nor give advice that may cause his death.” This shows that he was completely against euthanasia and would not permit it.
Evaluation
Should a Christian woman ever have an abortion? Is abortion right?
The answer to this question in the eyes of the Roman Catholics is quite simply “No.” Life is sacred and present from the moment of conception. Know one but God has the right to take that life away. They see it as a grave sin.
Other Catholics may agree to it, others may not, lots take the middle view. Sometimes yes and sometimes no. David Smith summarises their views on absolute rejection of abortion. He says: “God alone is Lord of life and death, humans do have no right to take life, human life begins at conception and so abortion at any stage is the murder of an innocent.”
Most Christians see the foetus as a fully living thing human, they view it as living from the moment that it is conceived. So that is the start of its life and should not be ended in any way, unless it is natural. The start of life is from the moment the sperm makes contact with the egg to form a zygote.
Should euthanasia be made legal in the UK? Is it morally right?
Christians believe that God gave you life and that only he has the right to take it away. Their view is that euthanasia is illegal for a reason and should stay illegal. Life to them is sacred and should not be taken away. Ending another person’s life is seen as murder in the eyes of the law and all religions.
Life only ends when God takes you away from your world and into his. Only he has the power and authority to take you from this world to his. He decides when your life ends, not you or anyone else. When he decides it’s time for you to go, that’s when you go.
The start of life is the moment of conception, as said by Pope Pius IX. The end of life is when all organs of the body are no longer working because of natural causes and not because you have stopped them, when God decides that you should join him.
Final Evaluation (my thoughts)
I believe that abortion is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly. A person should have some sort of control over their body, however they shouldn’t think of abortion as an easy escape out of unwanted pregnancies. Women should respect their bodies, this should mean being careful when having sex and only having it when you’re ready. Not just rushing into it. However I do believe that abortion should be allowed to go ahead in extreme circumstances. I do think that Christian women should never have abortions, unless their life is in danger because life is sacred and a child that you don’t want could be wanted by a couple that can’t have children and would care for and look after your child. In my opinion abortions should only be allowed to take place if the mother’s life is in danger.
With regards to euthanasia I believe that you shouldn’t end your life or get someone else to end it for you. No matter how bad you see things there are people who love and care for you and would dearly miss you. If you’re not in any physical pain you shouldn’t end your life.
Bibliography
Books: Ethical Studies – Robert A Bowie
Philosophy of Religion – H J Richards
The Abortion Story
Religion and Ethics
Ethics within Religion
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