abortion- religious views

Do now: Jot down (in the back of your books) what you remember about

abortion and the law in the UK.

Success criteria

ALL (E GRADE): Will be able to describe a Christian and Muslim

viewpoint about abortion

MOST (C GRADE): Will be able to compare two different Christian and Muslim viewpoints about abortion and give example of

Bible/Quran quotes to support these views

SOME (A GRADE): Will be able to

compare and contrast several Christian and Muslim viewpoints

surrounding abortion using Bible/Quran quotes, and other

Christian documents, to support these views

LO:

To compare different Christian and Muslim attitudes towards abortion

To give and explain Pro life and Pro Choice Christian and Muslim responses to a variety

of situations concerning Abortion.

The Sanctity of Life

• Most religions believe that life is a gift from God.

• As God gives life, only God has the right to end life.

• This idea is called the Sanctity of Life.

Christian ideas about the Sanctity of Life

So God created man, in his own image, in the image of God he created them male and female. (Genesis 1:27)

What might this imply about the importance of

life? How, then, should we treat ourselves

and others?

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple. (1Corinthians 3:16-17)

Christian ideas about the Sanctity of Life (2)

How would you explain the writer’s

idea of people being “temples of

God”?

What implications might being a temple of God

have for Christians?

Christian Views on Abortion• An early Christian document, the Didache,

condemns it: “You shall not kill by abortion the fruit of the womb”.

• The Bible suggests that life begins when the baby is in the mother's womb. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me

together in my mother's womb” Psalm 139:13 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before

you were born I set you apart” Jeremiah 1:5 • None of the Christian churches support abortion

without restrictions.

Roman Catholic Church • The Roman Catholic Church strongly opposes

abortion They believe that the foetus is human from the moment of conception.

“When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”Luke 1:41

“I declare that direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, always constitutes a grave moral disorder, since it is the deliberate killing of an innocent human being.”

Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 1995

The Church of England• Abortion should never be encouraged but sometimes is

necessary• “We see abortion, the termination of that life by the act of

man, as a great moral evil.” • “In situations where the continuance of a pregnancy

threatens the life of the mother a termination of pregnancy may be justified and that there must be adequate and safe provision in our society for such situations

Church of England General Synod, 1983

• Read through the sheet called ‘Christianity and Abortion’ to see what different Christian denominations generally think about the issue of abortion.

ALL (E GRADE): Will be able to describe a Christian viewpoint about abortionMOST (C GRADE): Will be able to compare two different Christian viewpoints about abortion and give example of Bible quotes to support these

viewsSOME (A GRADE): Will be able to compare and contrast several Christian viewpoints surrounding abortion using Bible quotes, and other Christian

documents, to support these views

LO: To compare different Christian attitudes towards abortion

There are a selection of useful Bible quotes on the back of this page!

• What Bible quote could you use to oppose abortion?• What Bible quote could you use to allow abortion in

certain situations?• Explain the Church of England stance on abortion. • Explain the Roman Catholic stance on abortion. • Explain what is meant by the Doctrine of Double Effect. • What did Mother Teresa believe about abortion? • What alternative to abortion is often encouraged by all

the churches?





Muslim Views on Abortion• The Qur'an is against both the killing

of born and unborn children. • "Kill not your children for fear of

want; it is We who provide sustenance for them as well as for you; for verily killing them is a great sin". (Surah 17: 31)

Muslim views on Abortion• Muslim scholars agree that the foetus becomes a

human being 120 days after conception.• Most traditional Muslim thinkers claim that it is

permissible to have an abortion for valid reasons during the first 120 days.

• The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Each of you is constituted in your mother's womb for forty days as a nutfah, then it becomes an 'alaqah for an equal period, then a mudghah for another equal period, then the angel is sent and he breathes the soul into it."

• The word abortion is never directly mentioned in the Bible?• True• Different denominations feel the same way about abortion? • False – but could say true in that they all think it is a moral evil. • The Roman Catholic Church is most likely to accept abortion than

any of the other churches? • False• The Church of England says that abortion can sometimes be

allowed if the woman has been raped, the baby will be born disabled or the mother’s health is in serious risk.

• True





• The Roman Catholic Church teaches that life begins at conception. True

• The Doctrine of Double Effect says that abortion is allowed if the mother has been raped?

• False – Doctrine of Double Effect is when something that is morally good happens but it may have a bad side-effect that was not intended. E.G. sometimes abortions will happen as a side effect of another medical treatment that was needed to help save the woman and as long as the abortion was not intended then the woman has done nothing wrong.

• Mother Teresa said that abortion was the worst crime a mother could commit.

• True





SummaryPro –choice – Individuals right to choose

• The Bible commands is to love one another and to have compassion for the weak. I suggest that the most loving thing in many cases is to allow the unsupported single mother to have an abortion.

• God gives us free will. Who are we to take it away from someone?

• God teaches us to forgivePro- life – Protect life of child

• The sanctity of life. God gives life only, God can take it away.

• Thou shall not kill• What about love/concern for the unborn baby?

Right thing to doNot sure whether it is right or wrong

Not the right thing to do

• A 16 year old girl is expecting a baby. She would have little support from her family or from the father and his family. The girl feels that she is not emotionally or financially capable of supporting the child. She has an abortion.

Pro Life ChristianTITY? TSNK Why?

Pro CHOICE ChristianWILL(y) LTN Why?

YOU. Why?

• A woman has been raped and as a result has become pregnant. She is morally opposed to abortion in almost all circumstances. However, she feels that she cannot bear the trauma of giving birth to the child of a rapist. She has an abortion.

Right thing to doNot sure whether it is right or

wrongNot the right thing to do



YOU. Why?

• A married couple had planned to take 2 years to travel the world. The woman realises that she is pregnant and that the baby would make it impossible to carry out their plans. She has an abortion.





YOU. Why?

• A married couple are overjoyed when they are pregnant with their first child. However, a scan at 28 weeks reveals that the baby has a cleft palate. The couple do not want a baby that is facially disfigured. Two doctors agree that cleft palate is a physical handicap. The woman has an abortion.





YOU. Why?

• A foetus is growing at the entrance to the fallopian tubes. As the foetus grows bigger the fallopian tube will expand and will burst causing internal bleeding which will kill the woman. The woman is a Jehovah’s Witness and decides not to have an abortion.





YOU. Why?

• ALL (E GRADE): Will be able to describe a Christian viewpoint about abortion

•MOST (C GRADE): Will be able to compare two different Christian viewpoints about abortion and give example of Bible quotes to support these views

•SOME (A GRADE): Will be able to compare and contrast several Christian viewpoints surrounding abortion using Bible quotes, and other Christian documents, to support these views





• Create an information source to show the different Christian views about abortion.

• E Grade – Use the sheets we’ve just read to help you create a poster about what Christians believe about abortion (double page spread). You should include a definition of what abortion is, at least two Bible quotes and what Roman Catholics think about abortion.

• C Grade – Use the information sheets to create a poster about the different Christian views about abortion. You need to include differences between the Church of England’s beliefs and Roman Catholic beliefs. You should include a clear definition of what abortion is, at least four Bible quotes that could be used to oppose abortion and at least one that could be used to support it.

• A Grade – Same as C grade but must also include what the Doctrine of Double Effect is and a good example, as well as an example of what a famous Christian believes.





What sympathy do you have for the viewpoints of the boy and girl in the poems?

In what ways might the relationship between the couple change a) if the girl has the abortion b) if

she doesn’t? To Him

You said that you’d support meIt seems you’ve changed your mind?

You said you wouldn’t leave me-it’s not just me you’ve left behind.

-You said we’d stay together-You said we’d see it through

-There’s a child alive inside me-God, tell me what to do.

To Her

Can’t you see I’m in a cornerIt’s not what we agreed.

It’s surely not a babyWhen it’s still only a seed.

Just give me time to weigh thingsAm I ready for a wife?

Can I live in peace while knowingI’ve sacrificed a life?

Homework“It’s a mother’s right to decide about abortion.” Do

you agree? (8)

1-2 marks: 1 point of view with evidence/example. Make a connection between religion & people’s lives

3-4 marks: 2 points of view with evidence/example which includes religious teachings

5-6 marks: As above...many examples/evidence/teachings and key terms

7-8 marks: As above...using specialist language extensively...discuss the implications for the individual and the rest

of society

abortion- religious views

Education