Partial Birth Abortion Ban
Anna LaSalle 992505998 Political Science 1 Partial Birth Abortion Ban In the United States a fierce battle has been fought for years over the issue of abortion. Since the 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade which declared it unconstitutional to make laws against abortions, Conservatives have been fighting to overturn the decision, while Liberals have been fighting to retain the right to choose. In the past several years, a new issue has come up in drawing the line of abortion laws: partial birth abortions. Only a few weeks ago, President Bush signed a bill prohibiting partial birth abortions. This gives a perfect example of how our legislative process works and it will be interesting to see in the upcoming months how the law is enacted and what kind of opposition it will face, judicial or otherwise. The issue of partial birth abortions really began to come into the public sphere in 1993, when the National Right to Live Committee (a strong anti-abortion public interest group) got hold of information from Dr. Martin Haskell, an Ohio abortionist) who described in great detail how to go about performing the procedure (www.house.gov, 11/10/03.). The procedure is an abortion "...in which a physician deliberately and intentionally... delivers a living unborn child's body until either the entire baby's head is outside the body of the mother, or any part of the baby's trunk past the
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred - Explain how this teaching influences its attitude towards abortion
AO1 ''The Roman Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred'' Explain how this teaching influences its attitude towards abortion The R.C Church teaches that all human life is sacred. The word sacred means devoted or help especially acceptable to a deity. Both the old and new testaments teach that human life is sacred and should not be terminated. God created life in his image and each one of us is like him. To kill a human being is like killing a part of god and this has greatly influenced the teachings of the R.C Church about abortion. Human life must not be violated and in abortion we are doing exactly that. The scriptures tell us that ''who ever sheds the blood of a man, by man shall blood be shed; for god made man in his own image'' Genesis 9: 6-7. In the book of Luke we are told ''are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten by God'' Luke 12: 6. The ultimate teaching is found in the fifth commandment ''thy shall not kill'' thus providing that in god eyes human life is precious. This notion of sacredness epitomises the churches teaching that abortion is immoral. Catholics believe that all life is sacred and see the unborn baby as a human being from the moment of conception and a gift from God. Abortion should not be used as a type of birth control since it is ultimately murder. The word 'abortion' means the death of the baby in
What do most people mean when they talk about an abortion.
. ABORTION (A) Doctors use the word 'abortion' to mean any death of a baby in the womb and its subsequent expulsion from the mother's body. This sometimes happens of its own accord and is usually called a miscarriage. A miscarriage can be very upsetting to couples wanting a baby. However, it may be so early in pregnancy that the woman is not even sure that she has conceived. It is thought that a great number of early pregnancies end this way. What most people mean when they talk about 'an abortion' is really a procured abortion. This is when the foetus of growing child is deliberately killed and removed from the womb. The term for abortion really means the premature expulsion of the foetus from the womb. There is an operation to cause this. There are two types of Abortion. Natural and a miscarriage. Abortion has been seen as a controversial issue for hundreds of years. Many people believe too many people have abortions for reasons which are not enough to justify the 'killing' of a human being. The 'Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act of 1990' was introduced in order that there was a time limit of 24 weeks for the termination of pregnancy as opposed to the previous limit of 28 weeks. For many centuries it was regarded as a serious crime to destroy a baby in its mother's womb. The law passed by Parliament in 1967 stated that a pregnancy could be
'Abortion is never justified' Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view.
Christian Perspectives on personal, Social and World Issues 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. Christians believe totally in the sanctity of life, however some denominations also consider the quality of life concept, which is the secular view. There are two main teachings on the subject of abortion in Christianity, sanctity of life and quality of life. Sanctity of life is the belief that all life is sacred and is created by God; therefore it is not ours to abort. To support this theory Christians refer to the oldest surviving Christian document, The Didache. This states, "You shall not kill by abortion the fruit of the womb and you shall not murder the infant already born". This teaching agrees with the statement, 'Abortion is never justified'. Quality of life is the belief that abortion is justifiable in the cases of homelessness, large families, poverty, bad housing, handicap and if there is any risk to the mother's health. Some Christians believe that in these cases abortion would be the lesser of the two evils. Other religions have different views towards abortion, for example all the eastern religions have an absolute morality and condemn abortion completely. The Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches take the firmest line against abortion. The present Pope
Does a person have the right to bring his/her own life to an end? Does a foetus have the right to live or is it the mother’s choice whether it does or not?
R.E Coursework - Abortion and Euthanasia Does a person have the right to bring his/her own life to an end? Does a foetus have the right to live or is it the mother's choice whether it does or not? The issue of the right to life lies at the centre of much moral and ethical debate today. The key issue in the abortion debate is "What constitutes a human being?" When does a zygote or embryo become a human being and therefore assume the right to not be killed? Abortion is the termination of an unborn baby whilst still in the womb. Abortion was made legal in the UK in 1967 under the Abortion Act although this did not apply to Northern Irish law and it is still illegal here. It was legalised in 1967 in the UK and is allowed up to 24 weeks, but could happen later in certain cases, i.e. to save the mothers life. In May 1996, the Termination of Pregnancy Restriction was read in the House Of Lords and meant that the Abortion Act of 1967 was amended so that to perform terminations on the sole ground of a diagnosis of Down's Syndrome. Although this was inconsistent and contradictory with it's early legal development, this provides the prominent statutory framework on which abortion is based. 63,621 abortions were carried out in England and Wales in 1994. 9,232 of these women came from overseas or from elsewhere in the British Isles such as Republic Of Ireland. A woman has to see two
Explain how Christian Teachings may be used in a discussion about Abortion.
Explain how Christian Teachings may be used in a discussion about Abortion Christians are taught about their religion through teachings from the Bible. They also follow what the Pope and other religious teachers tell them. These teachings help guide Christians through life. On the subject of 'having children' God told his people that they should multiply he said "Be fruitful and increase, fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28). When God said this, the world was sparsely populated so He wanted to fill it with His people. He also said, "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons of one's youth. Happy is he who has his quiver full of them" (Psalm 127:4-5). The arrows represent the sons, the warrior, the father. Happy is he who has many arrows, meaning the more sons the father has, the happier he will be. Christians believe that begins at conception, this is what they have been taught. "You knit me together in my mother's womb . . . my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place . . . your eyes saw my unformed body" (Psalm 139). This Psalm refers to 'you' meaning God. This quote is suggesting that God created humans the way he wanted them to be. Another quote to back this up is from the 'Declaration on procured abortion' by the Roman Catholic church in 1974, it reads, "From the time the ovum is fertilized a new life is begun. It is the life of a new human
Describe Christian teachings on abortion, specifically considering its status as legally permissible.
Describe Christian teachings on abortion, specifically considering it's status as legally permissible. Roman Catholic's do no condone abortion, accept under the principle of double affect. This is because "God gives life, and God takes life away." - Job 1:21, and it is an intrinsically valuable gift from God. Abortion as an indirect result of lifesaving surgery is acceptable. Catholics believe in ensoulment: from the moment of conception you have a soul, so it is therefore intrinsically evil to take it away. Catholics believe that abortion goes against the Decalogue "Thou shall not kill", and goes against natural law (Thomas Aquinas), whatever is good fulfils its natural end purpose. Pope Paul VI stated that "abortion interrupts the natural generative process" and it is a sinful act (Humanae Vitae). In the case of rape, Catholics say that one sin does not justify another, and so abortion on the grounds of rape is immoral. The Church of England is against abortion in principle, but believe each case is special. Abortion is justifiable under the 1967 abortion act. They believe that if there is a "serious risk to the physical or mental wellbeing of the mother or existing children", then an abortion should be accepted, or "if the baby is severely mentally or physically handicapped". However, the therapeutic & social clause can be exploited. In the case of rape, Church of England
Is Abortion Never justified?
Abortion is never been justified. Do you agree? Many Catholics think that abortion should not be allowed in any circumstances. There are a lot of arguments about abortions. For Catholics, I think there aren't all the Catholics who agree with the statement of Abortion produced by church. For Pro-life, they think that abortion is never been justified because church said so. They think that every life is sacred. People should not murder (Exodus 20:13) and life begins at the moment of conception (CCC2270). They agree with the Church teachings of abortion and they also believe that abortion should not take place in any circumstances. For Pro-choice, they have mentioned that we should put the women's right into first priority. Some think that while the babies are growing, they don't have the same value as human beings. They also mentioned about women right and law, which accepted the consequences of abortion. They argue with the point that once the law of abortion has passed in 1967, women should have right to have an abortion legally. Both Pro-life and Pro-choice groups have different opinions and comments about abortion, abortion is a difficult topic to make a correct decision. Some of the people may think your decision is correct but some may not. There are a lot of situations which made people argued. Rape is a common situation. Conception can result from rape,
How Abortions Are Performed.
How Abortions Are Performed Abortion procedures are usually performed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the first trimester. Most abortions take place in the second trimester of pregnancy, because the pregnancy was not diagnosed earlier, abortion services were not available, or the pregnancy has become unhealthy or unmanageable. Second trimester abortions are more frequent among women who are teenaged, single, and pregnant for the first time. An embryo grows and becomes more physically developed with each week that passes. In Canada scientific evidence indicates the stage of pregnancy at which abortions are customarily performed that the embryo or fetus has no awareness of pain. Sometime after 20 weeks' gestation, the fetus develops cognitive awareness or "brain life". An abortion today consists of a surgical procedure in which a doctor removes the embryo or fetus and placental tissue from the woman's uterus. A slim piece of dried seaweed called a Laminaria Tent is inserted into the woman's cervix a few hours to one day before the abortion in order to start the process of the widening of the cervix. During the abortion procedure, the woman lies on an examining table with her feet in stirrups. The doctor inserts a speculum into the vagina. The woman's cervix is numbed with an injection of local anesthetic or she is put to sleep briefly with a general anesthetic.
Abortion - Who's Life, Is It?
Abortion - Who's Life, Is It? Over thirty years have elapsed since the insidious Abortion Bill became law in 1967, yet the debate still rages over the moral and ethical issues surrounding this emotive subject. Abortion is the deliberate and direct killing of a human being in the initial phase of his or her existence, at any time from conception to birth. Abortion is not to be confused with essential medical treatment to save a mother's life that results in the death of her baby. There is a clear difference between essential medical treatment during pregnancy and the direct targeting of the life of an unborn baby. Broadly speaking, most people fall into one of three categories: those wholly in favour of abortion; those wholly against and those who think it is justified in certain circumstances. However the ultimate question becomes; if it is not legitimate to permit the killings of beings that have been born, why should it be legitimate to kill them before their birth? Arguments in favour of abortion generally imply that Women should have the right to choose whether to continue with a pregnancy. If that means she should be free to choose to become pregnant, who would disagree? It is a basic human right of a woman to decide if she wants to marry, to have children, how many and when. However, if the "right to choose" means that a mother can kill her baby, before or after