Religion and Medical Ethics

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

I am discussing the issues that are put forward by Christians concerning the sanctity of life in relation to abortion and what their beliefs are. There are no Biblical scriptures that deal directly with abortion; however I will refer to passages in the Bible that refer to life and other relevant areas. Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy and can be defined as the deliberate destruction of a foetus, causing its death. The 1967 Abortion Act allows a woman to terminate or end her pregnancy up to the 24th week; however there is no time limit if there is a high risk to her life or if the foetus has major abnormalities. A woman must also have the permission or consent of two doctors that agree upon the decision to have an abortion.

People who agree with abortion are often referred to as pro-choice and some of the reasons for doing so are; every woman should have their own choice and this should be respected; if the woman is expecting a severely handicapped child or if the pregnancy is a result of rape. However there are also people who completely disagree with abortion and think that it is inhumane, this group is often referred to as pro-life. Some reasons they disagree with abortion are; even as a foetus, the baby, as a person, has rights and these should be respected; there are a lot of people who are desperate to adopt but there are few babies up for adoption. Roman Catholics are taught that abortion is never right, they believe that life is sacred and look to abortion as murder.

You need to determine ‘Is the foetus human, or merely a mass of tissue?’ If you think that a foetus is a human then as a Christian there could be moral implications, however if you think it is a mass of tissue then the removal of the tissue will have no moral implications. Another issue that you need to determine is ‘When does life really begin?’ Pro-choice people would say late in pregnancy, some would even say as late as birth. Genesis 2:7 would agree with this in that it was after God breathed life in Adam that he became living. ‘. . . and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ Genesis 2:7. While the pro-life people would say life begins at conception, right at the beginning. Another verse from the Old Testament could be used in agreement to this. ‘Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb . . .’ Isaiah 44:2. There is a keen debate concerning the moment a human embryo or foetus becomes fully human or when, according to Christian teaching, it has both body and soul. Within the Church Christians generally want to follow the teachings and principles found within the Bible and then apply them to the way they live. However this in not always easy due to the vast number of translations that are found today. It has lead to a variety of viewpoints concerning the moral thoughts on abortion. Generally the Church is united in its condemnation of abortion. It is a decision that must be taken very seriously and only in unusual circumstances when abortion is the lesser of two evils should it be carried out.

'Our belief in the sanctity of unborn human life makes us reluctant to approve abortion. But we are equally bound to respect the sacredness of the life and well-being of the mother, for who devastating damage may result from an unacceptable pregnancy.'

There is a lot of controversy and there are many questions on this subject all which should be considered individually before a decision is made. Personal circumstances need to be taken into consideration before you can say whether abortion is morally right or wrong. Furthermore, Christians believe that children born or unborn hold a special ...

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‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’ Luke 18:16

Bibliography

The King James Study Bible, Nelson

Erickson, Millard J – Introducing Christian Doctrine, Baker Book House

Mayled, Jon & Libby, Ahluwalia – Discovery Study Guide: Philosophy & Ethics for OCR GCSE Religious Studies, Nelson Thornes

Internet

In this part of my coursework I am going to explain how the teachings from Part A might influence the actions of a believer. On the whole Christians would disagree with abortion but they might also say that each case should be taken individually.

A fundamentalist Roman Catholic would be totally against abortion as they see it as interfering with the process of life. They believe that life begins at right at conception therefore destroying a foetus is the same as taking a life of a fully-grown person. In this bible verse it says that God made Mary pregnant and Roman Catholic's interpret this and say that only God can give life so only God can take life away.

‘And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.’ Luke 1:31

A Roman Catholic would not think of abortion as an option if they fell pregnant accidentally or if it was the result of rape. They would not have an abortion even if the mother’s life was in grave danger. Roman Catholics teach that they do not believe in any form of contraception and this is why a lot of Roman Catholics have very large families. This kind of teaching would have a major influence on the believers when the couples or woman have an accidental pregnancy of any kind. They would have no choice but to have the baby. Therefore depending on the circumstances of the pregnancy the outcome later on in life may have difficult implications.

Furthermore The Anglican and Methodist Churches are willing to accept that abortion may be acceptable in certain circumstances;

‘The worth of the human race itself hinges on reverence for human life at every stage and the long tradition of Christian teaching is marked by an abhorrence of destroying the life in the womb. But a right to life does not mean an absolute right.’ .

Methodists believe life is sacred because it is God-given. They also believe that the ability to decide when and whether individuals will be born is 'an awesome power'. The gift of life is a precious thing and should be treated with reverence and respect. However, it can be seen from the quote above that Methodists do believe that there are times when abortions may be necessary. This may be the case if the mother's emotional and/or physical well-being is at risk from her pregnancy. However, if an abortion is considered necessary then the church believes this should go ahead as soon as possible.

Some free churches are usually against abortion because they think children are a special gift from God. However, when couples are faced with the decision of whether or not to have an abortion, most will leave the decision to the individuals own consciences. Although they are against abortion they do allow it in some circumstances. Free churches use this verse to argue that if the foetus has not yet exited the womb then God has not breathed the breath of life into it yet. ‘Then the lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being’. Genesis 2:7 So they think that abortion is a way of giving life back to God.

Christians believe that they must trust and have faith in God because He knows what is best for them and also it is not our choice to decide. In believing this teaching most Christians would not have an abortion but it does give them the right to choice that would allow them to consider their individual situation and circumstance. Christianity teaches that children should be born within a marriage, so this is the foundation of the way they think. This teaching ultimately allows the couple or woman to make up their own minds.

Bibliography

The King James Study Bible, Nelson

Internet

In this piece of coursework I am going to put across the views for the statement above, views against the statement above and also what I believe and my opinion. The statement above uses the word “interfere” this means “to get in the way or to be a hindrance” it also means “to enter into or take part in matters that do not concern one”. In the previous parts of my coursework I have concentrated on abortion, but to further explain this section I will introduce some new themes; euthanasia, suicide and capital punishment. All of these new themes have one thing in common and that is forced or unnatural death. These new themes are well suited because they all involve an adult person’s life being cut short and not unborn babies.

Christians believe that the above statement is correct and they adamantly believe that euthanasia is wrong because it is interfering in gods business. Euthanasia, also known as ‘mercy killing’, is when the life of a person who is old or terminally ill is ended prematurely, either by giving them lethal medication or by withholding the medication that is keeping them alive. I believe that it is wrong to involuntarily bring a person’s life to an end by purposely with-holding medication. However, if they are being kept alive by a machine and they are medically dead then I think that it is only fair for the machine to be turned off. By interfering with the life or death of a person Christians would argue that this is “playing God” and it is wrong.

Also Christians believe suicide is wrong. Suicide is when a person takes their own life intentionally people who think they have nothing worth living for, may commit suicide as a way out. Suicide can have a negative affect on close friends and relatives because they could be left wondering what the person was going through and how they could of helped the individual. However I believe suicide is not the answer to an unwanted life. I believe that suicide is wrong in the situations where sane people take their lives intentionally. However it is not the solution to an unhappy or an unwanted lifestyle; it is an escape and is very sad when committed by people who are unstable or severely depressed.

I believe that abortion is necessary in some situations, for example when the pregnancy poses a threat or a victim of rape. I believe it is wrong if it is not for health reasons.

Christians believe that if a person becomes ill they should use all the medical help possible. However they believe that it is all part of God’s plan. They believe that if they are meant to get better they will but if this is their time to die they will die no matter how hard they try to oppose it.

I believe that death is God’s business as He is in control of life and death but I also believe that abortion and voluntary euthanasia may be necessary in some situations also capital punishment is necessary when a murder is committed. I believe that abortion is necessary in some situations, because if a pregnancy poses a threat to the mother or is a victim of rape. I believe it is wrong if it is not for health reasons. I believe that capital punishment it is right as long the right criminal is charged and there is no shadow of doubt. A Christian is taught that murder is wrong; because it was one of the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses in the wilderness these commandments are a touchstone for Christians.

‘Do not commit murder’ Exodus 20: 13

I believe that you cannot say whether you believe this statement is right or wrong until you have taken every situation individually; until you have looked at all the facts and you have considered what you believe in the other areas of life and death. This is what I found out doing this piece of coursework.

Bibliography

The King James Study Bible, Nelson

The Penguin English Dictionary

Internet

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