A Christian Response to Abortion or Euthanasia
Abortion is the death of the foetus (life) from the mother's womb
whether deliberate (operation/termination) or accidental
(miscarriage). Christians are divided in their views on abortion.
The Roman Catholic Church does not allow abortion. They do not agree
on the precise moment in human development when a human person begins
to exist. However, Roman Catholics are very clear that human life (the
human person) begins at the very moment of conception. Therefore, it
is unjust to destroy the human embryo or foetus deliberately and
directly. From the time of the great theologian St. Thomas Aquinas in
12th century, it has been the Church's position that the soul of the
person enters at the moment of conception. Therefore a person becomes
a person when they are conceived. Roman Catholics also believe in
Natural Law, which is allowing nature to take its course and not
interfering with nature. The teaching was repeated in 1995 by the
Church in an encyclical that said, "By the authority which Christ
conferred upon Peter and his successors, and in communion with the
bishops of the Catholic Church, I confirm that the direct and
voluntary killing of an innocent being is always gravely immoral".
Although, Roman Catholics do accept abortion when the life of the
mother is in danger as a result of her being pregnant.
The Protestant tradition takes a less hard line as Catholics do in the
abortion debate. It accepts that there are certain situations when
abortion is an unavoidable consequence of deciding between 'lesser of
two evils'. For example, if a woman has become pregnant after being
raped, ...
... middle of paper ...
...euthanasia is only one answer to the problem of
suffering. Another answer is the hospice. The aim of the hospice is to
enable people to die with dignity and to be aware of what is happening
to them right to the end of their lives. People who are terminally ill
are given care and treatment that lessens the pain, but will not cure
them. This is known as palliative care. They and their families are
given support to come to terms with the death. The Hospice Movement
was set up by Dame Cicely Saunders and is now a real alternative to
euthanasia.
In Conclusion, it seems that the Roman Catholic Church are much more
strict towards the issues of abortion and euthanasia than the
Protestant Church and other churches. The Protestant Church and others
churches tend to be lenient towards most issues of abortion and
euthanasia.
This essay is dedicated to the expression of the various official views of religious bodies within our nation. Most major denominations are represented. These religions have long been the custodians of the truth, serving to check the erratic and unpredictable tendencies of political, judicial and social bodies which would have Americans killing off their elderly and handicapped.
When I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there, you saw
that matters is that of the woman the rule "life for a life, burn for
The Roman Catholic Catechism teaches that at the moment a sperm enters an egg, a life is formed, so, “a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person” (“Catechism of the Catholic Church”). The Church also condemns abortion for any reason, because it is considered murder, a crime, a grave evil, and a mortal sin. Also, elective abortion for personal or social convenience is forbidden by some religious groups, but many religious denominations believe that there are certain circumstances where abortion is justified: “... a pregnancy that threatens the life of the mother or that has come about as the result of rape or incest” ("Religious Groups’ Official Positions on Abortion"). Such a view is sanctioned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Episcopal Church; Evangelical Lutheran Church; Hinduism; Islam; and Judaism. Although there is conflict between religious denominations over the issue on what is morally right on abortion, many agree on the importance of the well being of the mother in considering whether or not it is ethically right to
We as Catholics are taught to show respect and protect human life from the moment of conception. From conception, the embryo must be defended, cared for, loved for, and healed, as much as possible, like any other human being should be. God gives life from the moment of conception and we don't have the right to take it away.
“Any American born after 1973 is a survivor of legalized abortion” (“Abortion”). This quote struck me because of its frankness. After it was legalized, many women had an option to abort their pregnancy against the Catholic Church’s wishes. Any child that was born after that year could have been aborted. This shows that many of the people that are living today could have been killed simply because the mother did not want them and they were considered to not be living in the womb. Being here today, many people survived the mass murder that is abortion and still continues today. The Church urges every mother to think about the morals and laws that God has sent to us. “You shall not kill” (Exodus 20:13). This includes the fetus in the womb that has been alive since conception. The views of the Church and the views of society fight against each other constantly. Abortion is the killing of a human being and is accepted by modern society despite it being against the teachings of the Church and moral good.
Euthanasia, Abortion and the Church The Catholic Church has consistently taught that respect for human life is one of the most essential aspects of our faith. Life includes love, respect, community, and family. Each person is entitled their right to life, a responsibility to God, to live out their life from natural birth to natural death. Unfortunately, there have been horrifying incidents where people commit murders, assault and manipulate other people. One of the Ten Commandments clearly states
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I
For many years, the morality of abortion has been questioned by two perspectives: pro-choice and pro-life. While modern culture explains that abortion is a woman’s free choice if she does not want the unborn baby, the Catholic Church teaches the world that from the moment of conception there is a child with a soul within the womb, and to abort it would be to murder an innocent being.
The catholic view of euthanasia is that euthanasia is morally wrong. it has always been
other aspects of life because he gave us free will and he also gave us
Roman Catholicism’s views regarding life, and by extension death and dying, differ and oftentimes clash with secular views around death and dying. The sanctity of human life is a major tenet in Roman Catholicism where life is the most precious gift from God and the most fundamental of all goods. As God’s creation, man
In examining religious opinions on abortion, one must find common ground on which to form a foundation of comparison. With most of the religions to date, that common ground lies on the argument of whether or not a fetus is an actual person. Some religions protest by saying a fetus isn't a conscious being -- therefore there is no loss in doing away with it. But for those religions that do believe there is a life -- or any spiritual being -- in a fetus, it is clearly a crime to have an abortion.
Euthanasia is described by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘The bringing about of a gentle and easy death, especially in the case of incurable and painful diseases’ .
Christians' Response to the Issue of Euthanasia Euthanasia is currently a highly debated topic for many Christians and in this section of my coursework I will be looking at how Christians may respond to the question of it. However before I explore or begin to explain how a Christian may respond, I need to explore how Christians make their moral decisions. Christians use a number of sources to make decisions or discuss moral issues such as euthanasia. The first of these is the Bible.