(ii) What biblical and Church teachings might be used in a discussion about abortion?
There are two extreme views on abortion. Many people, especially Christians, believe that the life of the foetus must be preserved at all costs. Others think that the mother has a right to decide whether or not to have the child she is carrying. The Bible does not say much directly about abortion, but you can still refer to the Bible when discussing abortion. It states many times the sanctity of life, and this could be used when discussing abortion. In Exodus, Chapter 20, the Bible states “You shall not kill”. This means it is wrong to take all human life, even if it is an unborn baby, therefore having an abortion is a mortal sin. This view is held by Roman Catholics, and also the Celtic Orthodox Church. According to Father Raphael, a Celtic Orthodox priest, abortion is breaking one of the Ten Commandments and therefore “…a mortal sin. Even worse: it is at the instigation of a child’s mother, the one person above all whom a child should be able to rely upon for loving care.” This debate often leads to a discussion on when life really begins. Roman Catholics believe that life begins at conception, and so abortion is under no circumstances right, unless continuing with the pregnancy would damage the mother’s health. They believe that God planned every single life long before the person was born.
“Thy eyes beheld my unformed substance; in thy book
were written every one of them, the days that were
formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Psalm 139
Each human life is individual and sacred and so should not be ended by anyone other than God. Others believe that life really begins when the foetus becomes more recognisably human, or at around “quickening” when it starts to move around. Some believe that it is a person when it is capable of surviving on its own outside of the womb, at around 22 weeks.
A baby at 24 weeks – the
legal limit for abortion.
The Roman Catholic Church is completely opposed to the idea of abortion in any circumstances, even rape or if the child would be severely handicapped. Cardinal Basil Hume, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster says that “If you really respect other people and love other people, then the idea of taking life at any stage is inexplicable.” The only condition on which a woman can have an abortion, in the Roman Catholic opinion, is if her life or health is in danger.
The Church of England believes that abortion is to always be avoided if possible. However, in a few
circumstances, it is acceptable. For example, if she were likely to give birth to a handicapped child, or if the baby was a result of rape. It is also acceptable if there is a risk to the physical or mental health of the mother. However, it is difficult to define how her mental health would be affected, so the mother would have to prove this to at least two doctors.
The United Reformed Church recognises that there is a wide range of views among its members, but it suggests that there is a difference between a foetus that is almost ready to be born and the early stages of pregnancy. They would not talk about a pregnancy of a few weeks as if this were already a child, and they believe that sometimes abortion is necessary, although it should be taken seriously.
b) Explain how Christians might put their beliefs about abortion into action.
Most Christians believe that abortion is wrong and should either be illegal, or made harder to get. In a discussion on abortion they can refer to their faith and the Bible to help show that they strongly disagree with it. It will often affect the way in which they vote. It is more likely they will vote for a party that promises to make abortions illegal or harder to obtain. They may join a “pro-life” organisation such as SPUC (the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child). SPUC is not a Christian group but many Christians support it as it has similar views on issues such as abortion. SPUC believe that “abortion denies the most basic of human rights--the right to life--which is justly due to each member of the human family.” They may take part in protests and demonstrations, telling the public their views on abortion. They could even picket clinics which offer abortions, and try to persuade couples going into the clinic to rethink their decision. However, a few times, mainly in America, this has been taken too far and anti-abortion groups have bombed abortion clinics. Even though they may have begun with the right intentions, it was taken too far and ended up in murder – which is exactly what they were trying to stop. However, many Christians believe that it is not right to simply discourage people from having abortions then leave them to raise the child on their own, especially as a number of abortions are wanted because bringing the baby up will be difficult, either because of the situation the parent/s are in or because the baby will have medical problems and disabilities. In this case, a Christian might offer support for families in this situation. They could give counselling and advice to first time, unsure parents, or even just baby-sit so the parents can go out for some time alone or with their friends. Some Christians even work as foster carers and look after the children of parents who may be finding it hard to cope on a more long term basis. For people who really did not want to bring up a child, they may persuade them to give the baby up for adoption instead of having it aborted, there are even Christian adoption agencies. They may encourage this in people who do not want a child so as to give other people who perhaps want a child but cannot conceive the chance to have a baby. Christians may try to decrease the number of unwanted pregnancies by giving young people a better sex education, by organizing talks for the young people in their church, or volunteering at a counselling centre which offers help and contraceptive advice to young people. Not only would this cut down on unwanted pregnancies, but also encourage safe sex in young people. Many Christians may make sure that their private lives reflect their views. So, Christians who don't agree with abortion may not have sex before marriage or may use contraception to prevent unwanted pregnancy, if they are not Catholic, who do not agree with contraception as it is interfering with God’s plan. If they did become pregnant accidentally, they might keep the child or consider adoption or fostering as an alternative.
If Christians are in favour of women choosing whether to have an abortion they may join a group called "Pro-Choice". This group's main beliefs are that a pregnant woman should have the right to make decisions about her own body, and her rights should take priority over the rights of the foetus. The group also stresses that the decision to have an abortion is the mother's choice and they want people to understand that they are pro-choice not pro-abortion. They may support an organisation which offers counselling for people who have had abortions, and support and care for parents who have been through an abortion. They could offer advice to people who are trying to decide on whether to have an abortion, making their views clear on why sometimes it is the most loving choice in some situations. Even when Christians believe that abortion is often a sensible choice, they are likely to believe that it is still important to give people a proper sex education to avoid unwanted pregnancies in the first place.
Christians can respond to abortion in different ways, while some may see it as a murder of innocent lives, others may see it as a solution to a problem in certain situations. All Christians should exercise agape when dealing with abortion, and show love and compassion to anyone who comes to them. They can pray about the problem of abortion and refer to the Bible and their Church’s teachings about abortion to back up their views.
c) “Abortion is never justified.”
Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. You must refer to Christianity in your answer.
In my opinion, abortion can be justified in several circumstances. I believe that if, for example, a young girl got pregnant an abortion would be acceptable because having the baby would stop the girl leading normal life, and would interfere with her education and future career. I think that in the case of rape an abortion is justifiable, because the woman may not be able to raise a child that was a constant reminder of her terrible experience. However, the Roman Catholic view is that life is sacred. They would say that life is God given and the only person who has the right to take life is the one who created it. So if a woman was raped then the Roman Catholic view would be to raise the child by "loving her enemies" [Mark 12]. On the other hand, the Church of England still recognize that human life is valuable as it is created in the “image of God” but they would argue that life does not start at the moment of conception, and in some situations abortion is the right decision. I believe that someone should not look after a child if they feel they are not capable as that would not be fair on the child. There is no point raising a child if the mother was not able to bring them up in a loving and safe home. It would be denying someone the best chances in life and a child not living in the best situations can lead to problems. Other Christians would argue and say that there is support and care available for pregnant women in need, so there would be no need for an abortion.
However, I do not believe it is acceptable for an abortion to occur because of a handicapped baby. God has a unique plan for every individual, and a disability is part of this plan for some humans.
“For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst
knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
Psalm 139
If a baby is disabled, but capable of living, it should be allowed to be born and live life in its own course, and have a “time to be born and a time to die” [Ecclesiastes 5].
I think that the legal limit for aborting a baby should be made lower, because at 24 weeks the foetus is recognisably a baby, and in general able to live outside of the womb with medical care. I do not, however think that abortion should be made illegal, because it would not stop women having them, they would go to backstreet clinics and nothing could ensure the safety of the women. Taking a life is surely worse than taking a potential life, so it must be better for abortions in safe clinics to be available. Overall, I agree with the Church of England view. I think that abortion can be justified because I believe that someone should not look after a child if they feel they are not capable and then that would not be fair on the child.
Bibliography and Resources
Christian Perspectives by Libby Ahluwalia
Contemporary Moral Issues by Joe Jenkins
Today’s Issues and Christian Beliefs by S. and. C Danes
Christian Perspectives on Contemporary Issues by D. Morgan
This is Christianity = Book 3, Christianity Today by M. Keene
Christianity and Moral Issues by Anne Jordan
Father Raphael, Celtic Orthodox Priest