Medical Ethics

Medical Ethics

1. Abortion

   • Removing a foetus from a womb before it can complete the pregnancy.
   • Roman Catholics
     • Sanctity of life/Murder is wrong
     • "you yourselves are gods temple" Corinthians 6:19
   • Protestant
     • Abortion is ok if it is the lesser of two evils-e.g : Result of rape or danger of death at childbirth.
     • Quakers (society of friends)- pacifists in Nature : no harming the baby
   • Secular
     • Woman's choice
     • Do what you want as long is no harm is done
   • Islam
     • "slay not your children, the slaying of them is a sin"
     • Accepted if life is in danger
     • Haram after 40 days

2. Fertility Treatment

   • Artificial treatment to help a woman concieve
   • Christian
     • Marriage is to create a family from natural union and when sperm is not from the husband it is wrong
     • Hannah's womb closed for a reason (Samuel)
     • RC
       • God has plans we must not intervene- "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb" Jeremiah
       • Sanctity of life is broken when spare embryos are destroyed
     • C of E
       • Adoption is encouraged- it preserves God's creation
     • Anglican
       • Permissible if all other means fail
       • Right to have children
   • Islamic
     • Acceptable as long as no 3rd party
     • All children are gifts
     • AID is adultery
   • Secular
     • Maximises happiness
     • Discarded embryos is wrong
     • OK if no physical harm done

3. Euthanasia

   • The act of ending ones life to relieve suffering
     • Passive euthanasia : stopping treatment
     • Active euthanasia : Killing to end suffering
   • Christian
     • Liberal-Agape love justifies passive euthanasia
     • RC-any act of killing is wrong
     • Anglican- Life should be preserved always
     • Baptist-only acceptable if brain dead
     • SC-if double effect occurs it is ok
     • Quakers-support hospice movement for sufferers to die peacefully

4. Animal Rights