RS Revision Topic Notes

What is Abortion?

The extermination of the feotus

KEY FACTS

• Abortion was legalised in 1967
• it was legalised to prevent back street abortions
• an abortion can take place over a 6 month period (24 weeks)
• most abortions are performed in the 12-14 week period of pregnancy
• A woman must have consent from 2 registered doctors before an abortion
• only a registered can perform an abortion
• no constraints= abortion is granted on demand
• 10% of UK women suffer from post traumatic stress as a result of abortion
• 10,000 irish women travel to the UK to have an abortion

• ALWAYS make sure you understand the question 
• ONLY give your own opinion in the ‘a ‘&’_c’ questions
• ALWAYS give God a Capital ‘G’ ONLY answer one of the questions (e.g. 1 or 2 a, b, c, d)

Roman Catholic Views                                              

    •Life begins at conception (fertilisation)   •Abortion is utterly and always wrong   •Sanctity of life (life is sacred)   •Absolute morality   •You shall not kill   •God gives life; only God should end life.

Liberal Protestant

•Abortion is not encouraged but sometimes it is the best way out of a bad situation – the lesser of two evils.

•Quality of life •Relative morality •‘Red Letter’ Christians •Jesus does not judge or condemn. •Jesus taught others to do the most loving thing

Euthanasia:

 is normally thought of as providing a gentle and easy death to someone suffering from a painful, terminal disease who has little quality of life.

Facts you need to know;

• Euthanasia is only legalised in SWITZERLAND, BELGUIM, THE NETHERLANDS AND LUXENBURG

Dignitas

• Euthanasia clinic in switzerland- helps people who are terminaly ill to die.
• opened in 1998- has helped 868 people end their lives

• Any UK citizen who accompanies a relative to Dignitas risks prosecution on their return to the UK for the crime of assisted suicide.

Morality is concerned with right and wrong behaviour. Most people have some belief and understanding of what is considered to be right and wrong.

• A moral action is one that is thought to be right.
• An immoral action is one that is thought to be wrong
• An amoral action is one that shows no understanding of the difference.

Absolute Morality

•This is when a person believes that there is a right course of action in a moral dilemma that is true in all situations, regardless of culture, religion, time or age. For example, it is always wrong to kill.

When something is always either right or wrong whatever the circumstances.

Relative Morality

•This is when a person has strong beliefs or principles but they believe that different courses of action might be needed in different situations. For example, ‘it is actually wrong to kill, but sometimes it might be necessary for a particular reason’, (eg, in self-defence).

When something is right or wrong depending on the circumstances of the situation.

Jodie’s medical condition

Mary’s medical condition

Limbs moving, heart and lungs normal

Dependent on Jodie’s heart and lungs have failed

Weakening heart with 6 weeks to live if conjoined

Dependent on Jodie for blood and oxygen

Normal mental awareness

One eye opened, paralysed.

Able to survive if separated from Mary

Will die if separated from Jodie

God is believed to be be:

• All-knowing= Omni-scient
• All-powerful= Omni-potent
• All-good and loving = Omni-benevolent

The moral argument for suffering is that if GOD is all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving then why does he allow it to happen.

Types of Suffering:

Moral Evil: Crime, ****, War, Terrorist Attacks,

Natural Evil: Earthquakes, Floods, Tsunamis

Both: Lung Cancer

• In the existence of the Devil who tempts people to do wrong.

• God gave people free will and suffering happens when they disobey God’s will and give in to the ways of the Devil.
• Jesus on the cross shows that suffering and death will end in heaven, because he came back to life.
• The heaven-bound help those who suffer, and will experience this