Abortion

Abortion

1. Sanctity of Life

   • issue depends on whether foetus is human or not.
     • some xns believe foetus is human from conception, same rights and value to God as born child. therefore abortion is murder
     • others believe foetus is not yet a person, so life isn't sacred. it's a potential person but not yet, therefore abortion may be justified
   • 'so God created humankind in his image (Imago Dei)'
     • implies God is creator of life and he alone should have right to start and end it
     • all life is equal, has intrinsic value and should be treated with repect.
   • Part of Natural Law, taking life is intrinsically evil, and all unborn life should be protected
   • Abortion only justified using doctrine of double effect e.g. ectopic pregnancy terminated for intention is preserve mothers life not kill foetus
   • Strong and weak sanctity of life
     • strong = born and unborn life to be respected, abortion never allowed
     • weak= life in general respected but scientific advances mean boundaries of life and death are more flexible and more's known of disabilities. abortion may be most loving thing
   • Problems
     • Charles Darwin challenged imago dei with theory of natural selection
     • Kant saw no reason to link vital signs to valuing life
     • Peter Singer- speciesism- all life should be valued not just human
     • can't cope with conflict of duties, what's more sacred, life of mother or foetus?
     • sometimes means life of foetus is more valuable then disabled/mentally ill etc
   • is embryo actually person, potential person, neither? what characteristics make a person? when does foetus become person? etc
   • Bible quotes
     • "man is made in the image of God"- Genesis
     • "do not kill"- Exodus
     • Jeremiah states God knows us before we're born, planned our lives, soul is special

2. Right to Life

   • Church
     • Sanctity of life argument
   • The Law
     • suggests life begins at 24 weeks (abortion illegal) but in practice not the case e.g. mother 8 months pregnant killed. man only charged for death of mother
   • Sentience argument
     • sentience- ability to feel pleasure/pain
     • between 20-24 weeks foetus develops sentience, argued this could give foetus right to life. utilitarian approach as focus on pleasure
     • Problems- we'd have to give rights to animals too
   • Personhood
     • Hooke and Hume - characteristics of personhood are:
       • rational thought
       • communication
       • morality
       • deep and emotional bonds
       • imagination
       • problems- foetus wouldn't have right to life, neither would disabled people or babies
   • Potential argument
     • foetus is potential being therefore should have right to life
     • Problem- have potential to win lottery but can't spend money until i have won. would have to give rights to sperm and egg. don't treat future king as king now (singer). potential needs to be actualised
   • Pro-choice argument
     • Judith Jarvis Thompson- Violinist analogy- right to life doesn't include right to another persons body.
     • abortion doesn't violate right to life, just deprives it of something it has no right to.
     • Peter Vardy (criticism) this would give homless right to mutilate to gain more sympathy and money as has right to choose what to do with body. but woman isn't trying to mutilate herself or make people sorry.

3. Bible, Religion and abortion

   • Bible
     • says very little about abortion as it wasn't common. doesn't use word abortion or deal with directly but xns use passages for and against
       • Against
         • "before i formed you in the womb, i knew you"
         • "in the image of God"
         • "God...chose me even before i was born"
       • For
         • "God made Adam and Eve, and then breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (not human until first breath)
         • "but better off are those who have never been born, who have never seen the injustice that goes on in the world" (used to show abortion is better than being born into life of suffering
   • Roman Catholic Church
     • "life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception; abortion... the most abominable of crimes"
     • "the unborn human being's right to live is one of the most inalienable human rights" Pope John Paul II
   • CofE
     • Abortion is evil to be avoided but justified if: Risk to mother, baby likely to be deformed, rape
     • don't morally agree but accept may be most loving thing to do. don't condemn but help. jesus forgave, so should xns
   • United reformed church
     • recognises wide range of views among members. difference between foetus almost ready to be born and one in early stages of pregnancy. sometimes necessary but taken seriously