Explain the beliefs Christians hold about their responsibility for those at the beginning and end of their lives.

Authors Avatar

Theo Yiangou

R.E Coursework

AO1: Explain the beliefs Christians hold about their responsibility for those at the beginning and end of their lives.

Abortion and Euthanasia are two very difficult subjects to discuss but I will try to do so to the best of my ability.

Voluntary abortion is the deliberate expulsion of a baby from the mother’s womb.  Abortions have been legal in the United Kingdom since MP David Steele introduced the 1967 Abortion Act.  The Act has since been amended where it was revised in 1990.  It says that an Abortion can be performed up to the end of the 24th week as long as two doctors agree that to continue the pregnancy would involve a risk of injury to the physical or mental of the pregnant woman or any existing children are greater than the risks of having an abortion.  However Laws also allow an Abortion at any stage of pregnancy if the doctors agree that continuing pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the mother, that it is necessary to prevent grave injury to the physical or mental health of the woman or that if the child were born it would be seriously mentally or physically handicapped.

To discuss the opinions held by Christians, it is imperative that we look at the Sanctity of Life.  But firs t we must look at what Christians believe about when life begins.  Some         Christians, such as Roman Catholics, say that life begins at conception whereas others may say that life begins when the baby leaves the mother’s womb.  Christians may also say that life begins when the Child’s heart starts to beat or such as the Anglican and Methodist Churches, when the child is capable of surviving outside the mother's womb.  These different Christian views are significant towards people’s views on Abortion.  The Sanctity of life is the religious perspective.  Sanctity means being sacred or holy.  Therefore life is ordained by God and is very special to him.  Each person is separate, and thus has rights, especially the right to live.  We are all created as individuals and so we are all unique, and unlike any other individual in the universe.  To stop this from happening is against what God wants i. e Abortion is going against God.

Join now!

Churches have differing views.  The Roman Catholic Church believes that life begins at the moment of conception and everyone has the right to life.  They believe that Abortion is wrong under any circumstances, as it is going against God.  The pregnancy happened for a reason whether it is through a marriage or rape.  To stop that birth is stop someone’s right to live.  That is against God.  

The Church of England position as expressed in reports and resolutions of the General Synod, where it states, The Church of England combines strong opposition to abortion with a recognition ...

This is a preview of the whole essay