abortion

Question 1

the sancity of life

Answer 1

the belief that all life is sacred

Question 2

abortion

Answer 2

the termination of the foetus

Question 3

conception

Answer 3

the fertilisation of the egg by the sperm in the womb

Question 4

speciesism

Answer 4

the belief that human life is more important than the life of any other animal

Question 5

pro-choice

Answer 5

Women should be able to choose for
their own body

Question 6

pro-life

Answer 6

opposing abortion

Question 7

catholic beliefs on sanctity of life

Answer 7

• humans are special because they were created imago dei (genesis 1:27)
• life is holy because we were given an immortal soul from god - st paul said that your body is a temple for the holy spirit
• humans have conscience given by god to make right or wrong decisions (genesis 2-3)
• Catherine of sienna tells us that god creates us out of omnibenevolence and that he made us with dignity

Question 8

catholic beliefs on abortion

Answer 8

• wrong because life begins at conception and destroying this goes against the commandment ‘thou shall not kill’ (exodus 20:13)
• god formed us in the womb (jeremiah 1:5 ‘before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’) - you should not destroy God’s creation
• the ‘double effect’ states that if an attempt to treat the mother threatens the life of the unborn child, it is acceptable as it was not a direct attempt to terminate the foetus

Question 9

church of england beliefs on abortion

Answer 9

• in 1988 ‘in an imperfect world, the ‘right’ choice is the lesser of two evils’
• abortion is acceptable in the case of rape so as not to add to the long term suffering of the mother

Question 10

humanists beliefs on abortion

Answer 10

• ‘pro choice’ because they do not believe the foetus qualifies for ‘personhood’ and therefore does not have any rights that supersedes the mother’s
• peter singer argues against speciesism, a new born cat has more mental capacity than an infant human and treating humans with any greater concern is morally wrong