Abortion and Religion Procured abortion, the deliberate killing and removal of a foetus from the womb, is hotly debated and very controversial in today's society. As well as the views of some modern moral philosophers, the Christian view on this situation is to be discussed in this analysis. The Teaching of the Bible ========================= All Christians accept the Bible as a source of authority. The Bible has an impact on Christians' faith and decisions as it shows them how to lead their lives, as God wants them to. If a Christian were to turn to the Bible for guidance on Abortion, they would find no direct teaching, concerning the topic. There are however sources in the Bible that underline the issue of sanctity of life as a basis to an argument against Abortion. The basis of the Christian belief is the importance of the sanctity of life. Christians emphasize that life is sacred, holy, worthy of reverence and should be respected, as do most other religions. The Bible emphasizes the sanctity of life by portraying life as a gift from God that should not be destroyed by any other authority. The Bible states in the 10 commandments, 'Thou shall not murder'[1] or 'Thou shall not kill' The fifth commandment clearly states that it is condemned by God to eliminate an innocent person's life.[2]The act of Abortion can be related to the issue of murder. The Christian writer Patrick Reardon believes that, 'The act of Abortion is murder,and it is always murder, and there are no circumstances, whatever, in which murder is a legitimate moral optionThe deliberate, directly intended killing of an innocent li... ... middle of paper ... ..., Simon and Christopher Danes. Social and Moral Questions for GCSE Religious Studies, Lion Educational, Oxford 1994 --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Exodus 20: 1-17 [2] However, capital punishment was seen as wanted by God in the Old Testament. [3] Patrick Reardon, 'Abortion and the mother's life'. [4] Genesis 1: 27 [5] Psalm 139: 13-15 [6] Ruth 4:13 [7] Isaiah 49: 15-16 [8] Psalm 139 [9] Genesis 1: 27 [10] The Declaration on Procured Abortion, 1974 [11] Document from the Vatican II [12] Report from the Church of England, 1984 [13] A companion to Ethics, Peter Singer pg 313 [14] A companion to Ethics, Peter Singer pg 311 [15] The Puzzle of Ethics, Peter Vardy & Paul Grosch pg 157 [16] www.ul.ie/~philos/vol2/bh
to seek religious freedom and to “purify” the teachings and ceremonies of the Church of
For as long as there has been recorded history, there have been recordings of the procedure now known as abortion. The Bible appears to be silent on the topic, which is of no support to Christian groups, especially Catholics, who believe that abortion is a mortal sin. In his book, “The Morality of Abortion: Legal and Historical Perspectives,” John T. Noonan (1970) states that “The Old Testament has nothing to say on abortion” (6). John Connery (1977) agrees with Noonan in his book “Abortion: The development of the Roman Catholic Perspective” where he writes, “If anyone expects to find an explicit condemnation of abortion in the New Testament, he will be disappointed. The silence of the New Testament regarding abortion surpasses even that of the Old Testament” (34). This is a difficult silence to understand when one considers the fact that abortions were widely practiced during the New Testament era in the Middle East. There were few recorded legal prohibitions against abortion in antiquity, and even fewer ancient laws protecting the practice (Gilbert 1).
that matters is that of the woman the rule "life for a life, burn for
of existence. This is written in Psalm 139:13-16: 13For you created me in my inmost being; you knit me together in my
“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.
The Divine command theory states that morally right actions are those commanded by God, and any action going against it is morally wrong. People that accept this theory can only consider an act to be right or wrong if God commanded it to be so. Therefore, supporters of this theory have a moral obligation to do and obey whatever God considered to be right without questioning his judgment. Those in favor of this theory should fulfill his will without any hesitation, regardless of its consequences to society. So if God had claimed abortion to be morally right, everyone supporting this theory were to happily accept it. Moreover, this theory suggests that those who act on a moral sense God desires will be rewarded at the end, perhaps in the afterlife;
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
and grow in the scope of their experience and understanding of their faith.1 All Christians engage
Their mission is simple: faith+good works=salvation. Religion over 2000 years ago was almost more important then, than it is today. It was new, and it was important, that the rise of Christianity played a central role in the early historical development of our culture.
word here is obey, we need to keep our side of the covenant and follow
“First, there is the call to be a Christian. Second, for each individual there is a specific call—a defining purpose or mission, a reason for being. Every individual is called of God to respond through service in the world. Third, there is the call that we face each day in response to the multiple demands on our lives—our immediate duties and responsibilities” (Smith, ...
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.
...ach day, the followers are striving to do one similar thing. To become a better human being, whether is for their god, their religion or themselves.
Gillespiel, Norman "“Abortion and Human Rights,"Education 132.4 (2012): 94-102. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Feb. 2014.
Our main goal is to present everyone fully mature in Christ. (Col. 1:28) we warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (1 Th. 5:14-15) We pray for them (Jam. 5:13-16) and help them to recognize and repent for their sins. (Matt.