Is the Sanctity of Life to be regarded as a Moral Absolute? Discuss in Relation to Abortion.
Is the Sanctity of Life to be regarded as a Moral Absolute? Discuss in Relation to Abortion. Before I start to discuss whether decisions about abortion can be a morally absolute I shall start by defining what a moral absolute' is and what the 'sanctity of life' means. A Moral Absolute is the theory that there are absolute values. What this means is that it does not depend upon evidence or circumstance, it is either true of false no matter what the situation, there is always a fixed answer for every condition. By linking this to the question, a moral absolute would mean that abortion is wrong no matter what the circumstance, it will always been wrong with no exception. However there are Catholics, Priests Bishops who believe that abortion is right if the mother in danger. Ex Governor Gray Davis was criticised for supporting abortion rights yet he was in the minority. 20 The main rebuttal was that we should never interfere with Gods creation, yet we do with many other things such as cloning, so why not abortion. Therefore, to a Protestant moral thinker the rights of the mother and the exercise of agape (doing the most loving thing - situation ethics) and the rights of the foetus must all be considered. Even Roman Catholics argue that 'indirect abortion' is permissible; an example of this would be in the case of the fetus threatening the life of the mother. The 'sanctity of
Should Abortion be illegal
Abortion should be made illegal. Abortion is murder, it is the killing of an unborn baby. In today's society, regular people are not allowed to go out and just murder someone for no reason, so why should doctors be allowed to murder unborn babies? "Abortion is not merely the removal of some tissue from a woman's body....Abortion is the destruction of an unborn baby." (O'Connor 93) According to John C. Willke, president of the National Right to Life Committee, "At the union of sperm and ovum there exists a living, single-celled, complete human being." Therefore, according to what John C. Willke says, abortion at ANY stage of pregnancy is the immoral taking of human life and should be illegal. "The bible makes it clear that to God the unborn child developing inside the womb is far more than mere fetal tissue. He inspired King David to write: "Your eyes saw even the embryo of me, and in your book all its parts were down in writing." (Young 25-27) The bible (Exodus 21:22, 23) has clearly stated that a person would be held accountable for hurting an unborn baby. (Young 25- 27) Take this for example; Say a woman is walking down the street carrying a child in her arms. Another woman is walking down that same street carrying a child, only this woman is carrying the child in her. Both children are dependent on their mothers, both just
Should cannabis be legalised
'Cannabis is harmful and leads to hard drugs. It should never be made be made legal' Cannabis is harmful and can lead to harder drugs meaning it should not be made legal as it's every parent's nightmare. Furthermore, it's the terror of drugs that means it should be kept illegal. Drugs are extremely expensive and a kilo of heroin in America costs as much as a Royal Royce due to great risks of distributing and selling. If one was to agree that cannabis should be legalised then it would make cannabis more accessible to the youth at a very cheap price. Therefore, whether a person is young or old more people will experiment and consume this product. This point can be addressed with other drugs such as alcohol and cigarettes. With the rise of drug taking due to cannabis people will become dependant on it because it offers pleasurable experiences. In addition this would create an addiction problem in British society meaning that crime rates will soar and affect those around them. Furthermore, the use of soft drugs leads onto hard drugs meaning the effects of drugs which was once a problem psychologically is now one in which your body can't cope and can lead to the death of a person. This means that the NHS will need more of tax payer's money to help rehabilitate people to a normal state only to find they may once again be tempted to take the legalised cannabis again. Poorer
arguments for and against abortion.
This essay focuses on the arguments for and against abortion. The definition of abortion is a miscarriage or termination of pregnancy consciously by some form of human intervention. I will consider four points in favour and four points against abortion. Firstly, I will argue the points in favour of abortion. With abortion you must consider the rights of the mother. The institution of abortion has created a fork in the road for women. Imagine this; there is a woman caught up in the pursuit of her life's dreams. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she finds herself pregnant. Society gives her two options. First, she could have an abortion, remove herself from the problem, and continue the pursuit of a desired lifestyle. Second, she could have the child, abandon her dreams, and lead a selfless lifestyle oriented around her family. To this ambitious woman, it becomes quite clear that abortion is the only way out. So, she has the abortion and continues on with life. It is this type of situation that results in well over one million abortions every year. The problem here is that women should not be forced to choose between one way of life or the other. They should be able to have children and continue their desired lifestyle. Most importantly, women should not have to have an abortion as part of that choice. To blame is a society that does not respect the pregnant woman and the
No-one has the right to take another human beings life. Do you agree or disagree? Show that you have looked at more than one point of view.
Q.2: No-one has the right to take another human beings life. Do you agree or disagree? Show that you have looked at more than one point of view. Across the world there are many different laws dealing with the taking of another human's life. For instance powerful nations like America, China and Turkey all frequently impose the death penalty. The later two countries are condemned for this. No western governments speak out against America because of the U.S economic influence on us in Europe. Citizens of these countries tend to agree with these laws although their faiths are against it. The Christian churches worldwide teach that it is never acceptable to take another person's life in the following essay I will try to argue both points of view. As a Christian I primarily agree with the teaching of my faith, that it is never right to take another human's life although at time there can be adverse circumstances. One of the most argued subjects today is abortion. In Ireland abortion is illegal even thought there are many pro-choice sympathisers and demonstrators but on the other hand there seem to be more anti-abortion supporters. In an upcoming referendum it is expected that the current laws will be upheld and that the law will remain anti-abortion. As I said there are many pro-choice supporters in Ireland and if these people would like to have an abortion they often travel to
"Only God has the right to interfere with our genes"
"Only God has the right to interfere with our genes" Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion, showing you have considered another point of view. In your answer you should refer to religious teaching. Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by the manipulation of the genetic material. People wish to do this in order to wipe out or cure genetic diseases such as Huntington's disease and Cystic Fibrosis. Stem-cell research on this is permitted in England, but is illegal in the USA. This is a major issue in many places, as different people have different views on the subject. Not all of them are religious, but some people believe that "only God has the right to interfere with our genes", due to their religious beliefs. People are very concerned about this issue. In the bible it is written "Consider what God has done: who can straighten what he has made crooked?" Because of this some people see genetic engineering as wrong. There is also the potential to place too much power in the hands of scientists, with a possible "Dr Frankenstein" situation arising. The long term effects are unknown, and people worry that something may go wrong, with catastrophic consequences. The benefits would also only be available to the wealthy. Some Christians are against genetic engineering. Roman Catholics believe that life begins at conception,
Euthanasia and Abortion
????????? Euthanasia and Abortion are some of the most controversial issues discussed in and around medical institutions today. The term abortion suggests the death and removal of an unborn child within the mothers womb. It can however mean the termination of a pregnancy as the result of an operation. The statement "Human Life Is Sacred" is in an array of opinions, (inclusive of myself), very true. It is known that the word sacred must be in one way or another connected to God himself. I am certain that it is. One of the major influences on Christian Belief in the Bible is the quote from Genesis itself: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; Male and Female he created them" From this, we can see that God has indeed invented and created Man in his own image, and therefore something as special as this, to me, is considered to be sacred. Similarly, it is dictated in the Bible that the fifth commandment states "Thou shalt not kill" and therefore the termination of a new life is obviously not taking into account that Human life is sacred. I am confident that it is going against the will of God and therefore should not be allowed. But should these people be forgiven? It is a disturbing fact that the majority of abortions are down to the fact that mothers cannot accept the responsibility of a child. There are however more traumatic and
The Roman Catholic church teaches that human life is sacred. Explain how this teaching influences its attitude to abortion and euthanasia, showing that you understand other points of view.
The Roman Catholic church teaches that human life is sacred. Explain how this teaching influences its attitude to abortion and euthanasia, showing that you understand other points of view. This piece of course work is about the issue of abortion, the Catholic Churches view on abortion, and the pro and anti abortionists and the implications it has on modern day society and individuals. The Catholic Churches view is that all human life is sacred and that includes a fertilized egg still in the womb. Founder members of the pro-abortion lobby were well known eugenicists. Founder members of the feminist movement were opposed to abortion. Mary Wollstonecraft decried the sexual exploitation of women was what had caused them to either `destroy the embryo in the womb, or cast it off when born. But nature in everything demands some sort of respect'. Abortion is ending the life of an unborn child or 'foetus' before it has had the chance to live. This can be induced by drugs or in most cases a vacuum. In 1966, with the encouragement of ALRA liberal MP David Steel decided to sponsor an abortion law reform bill. Its passage through parliament was far from smooth. Religious groups, government ministers, doctors and medical organisations all had strong views on the subject and there were several influential allies that had opposed to the bill. The bill was then modified
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred. Explain how this teaching influences its attitude to abortion and euthanasia, showing that you understand other points of view
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred. Explain how this teaching influences its attitude to abortion and euthanasia, showing that you understand other points of view. (You should refer to the Bible, to the thinking / writing of Christians and Roman Catholic tradition to illustrate and support what you say). A lot of people think that euthanasia is a country. A lot of people think that abortion is murder, but what do these words really mean? Abortion: the expulsion (either spontaneous or induced) of a foetus from the womb before it is able to survive, especially in the first 28 weeks of pregnancy. This word has also a second meaning, which I think we should take into account, 2. A misshapen creature or thing This definition I find deeper. If we take the first and second definitions at first we see that they are completely different, like a lot of dictionary definitions. But in doing English Literature and in being an active scientist and a promising philosopher I saw another view of the two definitions. I know that the first definition is what happens in the process of abortion, but personally I think that the second definition has a hidden message. Euthanasia: the bringing about of a gentle and easy death for a person suffering from a painful incurable disease. I dislike this definition as it is biased. The first definition was telling it
What biblical and church teachings might be used in a discussion about abortion?
Religious Studies Coursework a) What is meant by the word i)'abortion' The premature expulsion of the foetus from the womb. ii) What biblical and church teachings might be used in a discussion about abortion? Many people believe different thing about abortion and the issue of abortion has caused much conflict for many years. All Christians believe that life is a sacred gift from God but disagreements exist between the churches over weather abortion is morally acceptable. The Church of England believes that 'although the foetus is to be specially respected and protected, nonetheless the life of the foetus is not absolutely sacrosanct if it endangers the life of its mother'. So basically the Anglican view on abortion is that it is wrong but in special circumstances, for example the birth of the baby harming the mother or the baby being a result of rape or incest, abortion may be necessary and is therefore justifiable. The Roman Catholics believe that abortion is morally wrong and a sin in all cases. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that life begins at the moment of conception and from that moment it is sacred and everybody should try to protect it. Therefore to abort a foetus is to break the commandment 'thou shalt not kill'. There are groups that work to make Abortion illegal; these are pro-life groups such as LIFE and SPUC, they believe that abortion is morally wrong