Matters of Life and Death

Abortion

Abortion

The planned termination of a pregnancy

Abortion

Has been legal in the UK since 1968 2 doctors must agree that it is needed Abortions must be carried out on registered

premises

Abortion

In deciding if an abortion is needed doctorsmust consider whether: The life, health or mental health of the mother

is at risk An existing family will suffer if the pregnancy

continues There is a reasonable chance that the child will

be born handicapped

Questions

1. What is an abortion?

2. Copy and complete the following sentence

Abortion has been legal in the UK since 1968. Doctors must consider the following things before agreeing to an abortion…

Abortion

Since abortion has been legalised the number carried out has risen steadily

Some people say that to some people abortion is a form of contraception

020000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

160000180000

1971 1991 1993 1999

Christianity and Abortion

“Thou shalt not slay thy

child by causing abortion

… for everything that

has been shaped by and

has received a soul from

God, if it is slain, shall

be avenged”

4th Century

“Abortion is worse than

Killing a man in his own

home.”

John Calvin,

16th Century

Christianity and Abortion

Christians who defend this traditional approach to abortion are called pro-life or anti-abortion

In 1968 the Pope said that for all Catholics abortion was absolutely wrong

Many protestants also support this point of view

Christianity and Abortion

In the 1960s many old ideas were reconsidered

Some Christians argued that because of the number of illegal abortions, some leading to the death of the mother, abortion should be reconsidered

Legalised abortion was considered the lesser of two evils

Christianity and Abortion

The Abortion Bill was introduced into Parliament by David Steel who was a Christian

These Christians leave it to the individual to decide what is right or wrong from them

These Christians are called pro-choice

Questions

3. Copy and complete the following sentence

Pro-life Christians believe that abortion is…

4. Copy and complete the following sentence

Pro-choice Christians believe that abortion is…

Copy down the following chart

S tro ngP ro -L ife

M o de ra teP ro -L ife

M o de ra teP ro -C h o ice

S tro ngP ro C h o ice

A b ortion

Read through the following quotes and mark down where on the scale

they should go

Source 1

“Abortion is always a tragedy, both in the life which is destroyed and in the health of the mother. It should never be used as a method of birth control. Those women who do have abortions needed to be offered care and compassion.”

TEAR Fund Population Policy

Source 2

‘Have the baby they say’. ‘Someone will help you.’ But where is the support when the mother has a screaming two-year-old, no money and feels like she has not a friend in the world… Adoption is no cosy alternative. It is deeply traumatic for the mother and the child.

A Christian who works in adoption

Source 3

“Are we sure, on biblical grounds, that it is always the just and loving thing to bring into this demanding, complex world a badly deformed, perhaps even mentally incomplete individual?… While the scriptures establish the sanctity of life, the stress of the scripture is on the quality of life.”

Kalland, Abortion, Can an Evangelical Consensus be found?

Source 4

Source 5

“There will always be unplanned pregnancies …there are many women and young girls who’ve gone ahead and had babies and found it wasn’t the end of the world. There is help available, a baby is not the end of life it is the beginning.”

Victoria Gillick, a Catholic

Source 6

“In July 1997 the first baby was born to a 15-year old mother under a new scheme started by the Catholic Church in Scotland. Mothers who choose to have the baby rather than an abortion receive money for clothes and equipment…The scheme…gets 2 enquiries a day…”

Source 7

“The greatest destroyer of peace in the world today is abortion. If a mother can kill her own child, what is there to stop you and me from killing each other? The only one has the right to take life is the One who created it.”

Mother Teresa, a Catholic

Source 8

What is your opinion on abortion?

Briefly explain what you think about abortion and mark it on the scale.

Past Paper Questions

Explain why there are different attitudes among Christians towards abortion.

What are the alternatives to abortion?