Isaiah 49:5 says, "And now, Saith the lord that formed me in the womb to be his servant" This quote can be used by Pro-life campaigners who can say that God created us to serve and follow his commands. So Christians believe this quote means that God made you so only God can decide when you die.
Acts 17:26 declares, "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation" This quote can be used by Pro-life campaigners who can say that only God can decide when we die because he created us all. Christians feel that this statement means that only God can decide when we die because he created everyone in the world.
Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart”. Basically this quote is explaining the fact that before a baby is born (a foetus) is separate from it’s mother therefore has the same rights to life.
Lastly in Corinthians 3:17 it is written that, "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the temple of God is hold, which temple ye are" Christians believe this quote means that abortion is basically harming God himself because the temple of God is the human body because he created us all.
Christianity is a very diverse religion it has many different churches that all interpret the Bible differently…
The Church of England and the Church of Scotland teach that abortion is wrong except in extreme circumstances such as serious risk to the mother's health and life. They especially disapprove of abortion when the mother is doing it for selfish reasons such as saying her career is more important.
The Free Churches believe abortion is down to the mother - she has a right to decide. The only church that rule abortion is completely wrong is the Roman Catholic Church.
The Roman Catholic Church has the most traditional line on abortion. They believe the baby gains a soul at conception- Ensolement and that abortion is morally evil. They will not allow abortion under any circumstances what so ever, in fact they say, "All people must realise that only God can end life", which is a view that reflects the quote from Act 17:26 that basically means, only God can decide when you die because he is the one who created you. A Roman Catholic Church in Glasgow even went as far as running a pro life scheme where they offered money and emotional support to pregnant women to keep their child rather than have an abortion. The scheme is open to women all over the world, not just in Scotland.
The Roman Catholic view is completely different from the Methodist Churches point of view. The Methodist Church feel that abortion is perfectly acceptable if: "The mother's life is in danger, The baby will be born with a severe handicap or the children already in the home will suffer if a new baby arrives" This quote is like the one a pro-abortion campaigner could take for the text written in Acts 17:26 where the pro-abortion groups say even if God created all life a woman still has the right to decide what happens in her body.
The two churches have interpreted the Bible quotes very differently with the Roman Catholic Church saying abortion is not allowed at all because it is murder. They have said this because in Exodus 20:13 it says "Thou shalt not kill" and they have interpreted this statement literally and have taken it to mean any person even a half formed one such as a foetus. The Methodist Church on the other hand has taken this quote and has disregarded it in a certain sense because they do not feel a foetus is a person. They have taken the view that when the foetus is in the womb it is not technically a human.
I think the churches have interpreted the Bibles teachings differently because of their leaders, background and other religious viewpoints. The Roman Catholic Church is very traditional and interprets the Bible ideally and literally. The Roman Catholic Church has many ceremonies and sacraments. The Methodist Church is much more liberal and allows their followers more flexibility. The Methodist Church has tried to interpret the Bible in a way that is relevant for modern living.
Depending on their own church of Christianity (Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Church of England etc...) Christians can in some circumstances justify an abortion. If they are any other church other than Roman Catholic then Christians will always have at least one reason to have an abortion for example the baby having a severe handicap or the mother's life being in danger. This gives them a religious justification because it is saying yes you may have an abortion and we will not send you straight to hell, because of this it will make them feel better about themselves and their decision. Pro-life campaigners could rebuke all of the above statements by saying that no Christian can justify and abortion because if they do have an abortion they are going against God himself because he says in the Bible "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13) Pro-abortion campaigners can say that even if their church doesn't allow an abortion then women should still have them if that is what they want because it is their right to do what they want with their bodies and not the right of their priest of the Bible. Personally I feel that any woman Christian or not is justified in having an abortion because it is her own right to do what she wants with her body.
Through all of this, women from every religion continue to terminate pregnancies.
(b) Explain how Christians might put their beliefs about abortion into action.
There are many ways in which Christians who are against abortion might put these beliefs into action. Some examples of these actions are…
- Some Christians may wish to go to straight to the source of the problem and cut it off right from the beginning. So they may organise talks for young people in their church, or work as young volunteers in a counselling centre which offers help and contraceptive advice to young people to try and give young people a chance to receive proper sex education so that fewer unwanted pregnancies happen in the first place.
- A Christian may join a ‘Pro-Life’ organisation, which campaign’s against abortion, such as Life, SPUC (the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child) or CURA. By doing this they will help target advertise the disadvantages of having an abortion and the issues, how to help people who have had an abortion, people who are considering an abortion and abortion rights. They advertise in leaflets and magazines etc, targeting young women. They can give free pregnancy tests, expert pregnancy counselling, accommodation before and after birth, advice about rights, and help with baby clothing etc and support. Providing these services will help to bring down abortion rates as it provides the insecure mother with security and wellbeing.
- They may pray about the problem of abortion, perhaps asking God’s help for the foetuses and for the pregnant women if perchance the woman is pregnant with a mentally handicapped child she may pray to save the potential child.
- They might take part in protests against abortion. Some of these protests could be writing letters to their MP, take part in marches or other demonstrations, carry placards advertising their opinions, besiege clinics which offer abortions, and try to persuade the people visiting the clinic to think again before keeping with their abortion plans.
- Christians offering advice to someone who might be considering having an abortion might suggest that the baby could be adopted, as there are many couples who would happily take on a child as they could be unable to conceive etc. There are many Christian adoption agencies, and a Christian who is against abortion my support one of these and therefore encourage women to go through with their pregnancies and give the baby to a couple who will provide him or her with a loving home.
- Sometimes abortions are wanted because having the baby is going to prove to be to easier said than done, maybe because it will be born with medical problems or perhaps are suffering with financial problems. A Christian who, because of their faith, can offer support for families or single mothers. For instance a Christian may offer to baby-sit for a single parent, so that he or she can go out with their friends to let a bit of the stress and strain of looking after a child off. Some Christians work as foster career which involves them looking after the children of parents who are finding it difficult to manage, on a more long-term basis. These things could save many abortions taking place therefore reducing the abortion rate. This is a serene type of protesting against abortion.
- Generally in discussion with other people they might show that they strongly disagree with abortion, and they might explain their opinions by making reference to their faith and maybe the bible. It’s a simple method of putting a Christian’s faith into action but sometimes it can be the most affective.
- Some Christians may choose to go the politics route and try and get the law changed about abortions. They could do this by voting for someone in an election who promises to make abortions more difficult to obtain. This would be making a start to getting the law changed and therefore clearing the lawful right to have an abortion.
There are also many ways in which Christians who are in favour of women being able to have an abortion might put these beliefs into action. Some examples of these actions are…
- Again they may pray about the abortion problem.
- They may join similar groups like Life only a group which campaigns for the right to choose abortion such as the BMA, the British Pediatric Association or other ‘Pro-choice’ campaigns.
- They might support an organisation which offers counselling for people who have had abortions.
- Even if they believe that abortion can sometimes be a sensible choice they may still believe in giving young people a chance to avoid unwanted pregnancies in the first place by giving them a proper sex education.
- Again they may express their views about abortion in discussion but this time how they feel it is sometimes the most loving choice, also discouraging other people to criticise women who have chosen to have abortions and pointing out the many reasons people have abortions and why people still have the right to have an abortion.
(c) ’Abortion is never justified’. Do you agree?
Some people may agree with this statement because…
It has been said that a foetus is not a human being; it is merely part of the woman. Whereas, medical science has proved that the foetus is biologically separate from its mother. From the moment the embryo is formed a new individual comes into existence, genetically different from its parents. The development of test tube fertilisation has proven that an embryo can exist outside a female body. All these scientific advances confirm that the unborn is a separate human being. The terms 'embryo', 'foetus', 'baby', 'child' and 'adult' are just different words for a human being at different stages of life.
Given the necessities, a foetus has the potential to grow into an adult.
Many women think that they would have to give up their job or education if they were to have a baby, but now this is not true. There are laws which prohibit discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. Even though a woman may have to postpone some of her plans, the foetus’ right to live should take precedence over the mother's right to a certain lifestyle.
Other anti-abortionists would argue that people with severe handicaps can lead happy and fulfilled lives. Every foetus is a unique, talented human being, a genius perhaps even a William Shakespeare or Beethoven. An example of a person is the education minister who is blind, David Blunkett. Other examples are people who are involved in the Paralympics, a large achievement and success of disabled people. A very famous man called Stephen Hawkins has motor neurone disease. He is a wheelchair user because he is paralyzed and can only communicate through a computer. He has achieved such things as being a famous author and is a very well known scientist.
The main argument against abortion is that human life is sacred and that killing a human even a half formed one is wrong it is basically murder. Pro-life campaigners and the Roman Catholic Church agree strongly with that view. They believe that this life begins from the moment of conception and anything that takes away this life is the same as to murder. If it is wrong to kill a baby of 2 months, in the eyes of Pro-Life people and some Christians it is equally wrong to kill a two-month-old embryo. They see every human life both within the womb and out of the womb as sacred and from God. So they believe that a fertilised egg is a human being that possesses a soul from the moment of conception.
The different types of abortion can be very harmful not just to the potential human being…
Taken the morning after pill involves risks for the women’ long term health. These are a small risk of thrombo-embolic and cardiovascular complications that increase with age, obesity and smoking. Anyone with a family history of diabetes and hypertension is at increased risk. The textbooks on drugs also caution about the use of this method for people with migraines, epilepsy, depression, asthma, contact lenses and varicose veins. There is also a risk that you may remain pregnant after taking the pill.
During vacuum aspiration artificial dilation of the cervix in pregnancy carries the risk that the cervix will be damaged and will be insufficiently tight to contain a subsequent pregnancy, so the mother runs the risk of miscarriage or premature delivery next time she is pregnant. It is also possible for the wall of the womb to be perforated, which can be very serious for the mother.
During dilation and curettage or dilation and evacuation unless all the parts are removed it is possible for infection to set in. Infection as a result of retained parts of the child or the placenta can result at worst such damage to the fallopian tubes and the ovaries that the women is unable to ovulate and the egg to pass through the fallopian tube. Infertility specialists regularly cite abortion as a major cause of infertility. If infection is not treated quickly the women will be very ill, sometimes haemorrhaging and needing urgent hospitalisation.
Many believe that a baby is a human with rights from the point of conception, this means that many people believe from the point when the foetus is formed the baby is a human being. These people believe that abortion is murder and should not be legal and should not be carried out. They believe that if an abortion is carried out it should be treated as a murder and the mother should be given a prison sentence.
There are also less significant views, such as, having an abortion can break down relationships, cause depression and tear families apart. Having an abortion could be seen as an obstacle in a relationship, the two don't know what to say to each other or how to react. It could break up a family by going against others wishes; for example if half the family wants the baby and the other half don't. This leaves the mother very confused and lonely. Depression is seen as a more serious case, mothers can become depressed by changes in the body, she could feel guilty and following a termination she could feel like a piece of her has gone.
Some other reasons why pro-life groups and some Christians are so strongly against abortion are:
‘A Child should not be punished for its parent's irresponsibility’. The argument here is based on the embryos right to life irrespective of the situation his/her parents find themselves in. If the conception of the child is due to casual sex, the parents should have no rights to decide if the child should live or not. They would probably only be having an abortion for their own convenience and not value the unborn child's life at all.
‘Woman should not be allowed to put her career before her life of her child’. In today's society many woman are career orientated and the untimely arrival of a child may ruin their career prospects. If a career woman becomes pregnant she may look for an abortion as a way of dealing with an unwanted child. The Pro-Life movement believe that no human situation can justify the taking of an innocent life. Obviously a person in this situation may need counselling or help in knowing how to reconcile her pregnancy with her career.
‘Abortion may have physical or mental side affects for the woman’. Many women who go through with an abortion sometimes suffer from depression as a result of it. Pro-Life groups try to inform the public of these realities while Pro-Choice groups pay little attention to this.
‘Abortion is plain and purely murder’. This is what Pro-Life people and many Christians see abortion as. They believe if we are able to justify abortion then we could just as easily excuse murder as in both cases you're killing with intent.
On the other hand some people would disagree with this statement because…
People for abortion are often labelled Pro-Choice groups. These include The National Abortion Campaign Lobby. Pro-Choice groups believe that it is the right of any woman to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes. Groups which are Pro-Choice believe that abortion should be made legal and be offered to all women. The arguments they make for abortion are as follows:
‘The embryo in the womb is not an actual human being’. This argument is based on the belief that the embryo is just a cluster of cells which is not a person but only has the potential to be a human being.
‘A woman should have the right to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes’ This argument is based on the belief that a woman has absolute right over her own body. In this argument the embryo in the womb is not considered to have any rights whatsoever.
‘Abortion should be legalised to stop unsafe and unsanitary back street abortions’. This is one of the strongest arguments for abortion. In modern day society girls can get abortions anywhere if they really wish. These back street abortions are very dangerous and could maybe even lead to the mother dying as well as the child dying. So for this reason Pro Choice believe abortions should be allowed.
‘Woman may not have the facilities and the money to raise a child’. This argument is based on the fact that bringing up a child can be a financial burden. Pro Choice believe that if a mother feels she will not be able to care for the child then it is irresponsible on her part to bring a child into the world.
‘A woman has become pregnant as the result of rape or her life is at risk if she has the child’. Pro Choice argue that it is unfair to force mother to go through the trauma of pregnancy to have a child which will make her feel hurt as it will remind her of the rape. Pro choice groups also argue that if a mothers life is at risk then she shouldn't have to go through with pregnancy because it would leave any other children she has motherless. A foetus is only a potential human life, but there can be no argument about the humanity of the woman.
‘The child maybe born with physical or mental abnormality’. This argument is based on a warped value system that says that a person with a mental or physical handicap is worth less than a person who has no disability.
Many people who argue for abortions agree that with or without the law, it will still happen. Desperate women will go to all sorts of measures to get an abortion. People who fight for abortion argue that it is safer to allow abortions to be legal, this way, women can get the treatment they need safely.
Another view is that if a woman is ill with child she should be able to abort the pregnancy. Many believe that if a mother is ill or has been raped or knows that the baby will have no quality of life they should be able to have an abortion. Some women who are disgraced in their family's views argue that their prime concern for requesting a termination was for the potential child. How can a mother bring a child into this world when she knows she will not love or care for it?
In 1991 nearly 90% of all the 163,000 who had an abortion did so, on the grounds that it would be damaging to their physical or mental health.
Another reason is if the pregnancy was unexpected. Contraception is widely available but it is not yet 100% reliable; in fact no method is 100% reliable.
Other factors as to why women need or have abortions are, she may be too young or too old, and there is some conflict as to how old a woman can be to have a child. Some women terminate their pregnancy because of AIDS and HIV. Mothers are scared this may be passed in to their babies.
If a woman wanted a child and found out from a scan that it would be severely handicapped and disabled she may want an abortion. Surely, as a parent you want what's best for your child in the long run and not put him or her through the pain of at least a childhood and adulthood of teasing or even worse bullying. If he or she was severely disabled mentally then he or she may not be able to communicate. This would affect the child mentally and physically. In modern day society there is a high chance of being discriminated against. Everywhere people are prejudice so why risk any abuse. Why put it through pain all of its life when it could have no pain at all.
Research indicates that abortion is very safe. In fact carrying on with an unwanted pregnancy can cause more long-term stress and suffering than abortion can. A refused abortion can cause the mother to feel hate towards the child.
It has been estimated that one hundred thousand women a year die from illegal abortions in countries where it is illegal. An estimated two million women have illegal abortions a year; those that don't die could be left with permanent injuries which may not allow the women to have further pregnancies in the future.
Many people believe that from conception to birth the foetus is part of the mother’s body and she therefore has complete jurisdiction over it. Therefore, some argue she should be able to have the right to terminate it from any time between conception and birth. These people do not believe in the 24-week law and may try to terminate a baby after this deadline.
Even if abortions are banned they will still be done illegally. For example last year on the coast of Dublin there was an abortion ship, which is on international water where people can get an abortion if they like.
In my opinion I disagree with this statement. Abortion is justified, but only in some cases.
I think that the earlier laws were too harsh and impractical and the more recent laws are too lenient and vague. A balance between the two must be established. I think that the weeks limit should be changed to 20 weeks as the foetus has nearly finished developing senses and a brain and therefore might be able to feel pain during an abortion.
I believe that many of the reasons for having abortions are totally unacceptable. For example, there have been reports that some pregnancies were terminated because parents decided that their child was the 'wrong' sex. I think that too many women do not look hard enough to find the possible solutions of the problems that arise with pregnancies. Parents must take more responsibility. It is the final decision for the mother and the baby which can never be undone. It is probably one of the most difficult and heart rending decisions that a female will ever have to make in her life. A decision which should not be taken lightly as abortion can harm you body not just your feelings. It suddenly ends a natural process and can make it difficult for you to conceive another baby.
If a woman does not feel she is ready to bring up a child, the best option is to give the child up for adoption as there are thousands of people who are desperate to foster or adopt children. I disagree with some people who believe that abortion is simply a last chance contraceptive.
But I do believe that there are circumstances and situations in which abortions are the best option. For example, if the child will have severe disabilities or if the continuation of a pregnancy will cause a high risk of severe injury to the mother or even death because the death of the mother would leave other children without a mother and this will mean that all their lives will be hugely affected. I also believe that it is right to terminate the life of one or more foetuses involved in a multiple pregnancy to preserve the life of other foetuses. Finally, I think that although doctors should consult other doctors, they should not be prosecuted for carrying out an abortion in extreme circumstances. For example, in 1938, Dr Alexander Bourne performed an abortion on a 14 year old girl after a gang of soldiers raped her. Dr Bourne informed the police and was prosecuted.
When an abortion is requested, I believe the reasons for the abortion should be evaluated by an impartial body. They should also consider the possible outcomes of the situation, if an abortion takes place, and if it does not. The woman seeking the abortion should not be the only person whose wishes are taken into consideration. The family and father should also be given thought.
I do not think that abortion should be made illegal either. If abortion was made illegal, hundreds of women would die trying to solve the 'problem' of an unwanted child by themselves. It would also cause a raped mother to have the baby, which could lead to her hating the child, because it reminds her everyday of her dreadful ordeal. Some women would die if they continued with the pregnancy and need to have the option of terminating the pregnancy available to them. Not having an abortion could also lead to a severely handicapped child being born with no chance of surviving. In my opinion legal abortion should be an available choice for a pregnant woman. I don't class a baby as a living, human being until it is born and so I don't see abortion as murder.
I also believe that once the child is born there are very little mothers who will regret going through with the pregnancy and birth no matter what the situation is whether they have financial problems or whether they are just not ready.
