matters of life and death

• Sanctity of Life


  Human life is special, sacred and holy because it was created by God
• Psalm 139:13 & 15: '"You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb"'
• Genesis 1:27: '"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them"'
• Taking of life


  A sin against God
• Exodus 20:13: '"You shall not murder"'
• Only God has the right to take life away


  "The Lord gave (life), and now he has taken away" Job
• 1 Corinthians: '"You are God's temple and God's Spirit lives in you"'
• Abortion


  Legal up to 24 weeks if two doctors agree it is acceptable for certain reasons
• Reasons abortion may be legal


  • The woman has been raped
  • The child will be born with a severe disability
  • If the birth of the child will cause severe mental distress to the mother
  • If the birth of the child will affect the health and well-being of existing children
• Arguments for abortion


  • It's a woman's right to choose
  • It prevents the birth of unwanted children
  • The psychological trauma of giving birth could be greater than the trauma of abortion
  • Lesser of two evils - if abortion was illegal there would be illegal "back street" abortions
• Arguments against abortion

  • The foetus is a "potential person" - it has rights as well
  • Each baby is unique and is a potential human being
  • Psychological trauma of abortion is usually greater than giving birth
  • Adoption is much better than abortion
  • Life only begins when a foetus is able to survive independent of its mother
  • Abortion is necessary to prevent population explosions in developing countries
  • Some people use abortion as a form of contraception
• Roman Catholic view on abortion


  They believe life begins at conception, so abortion is a sin and against the sixth commandment
• Casti Combii, 1930: '"Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception"'
• Gaudium et Spes 1965: '"a procured abortion, even if for therapeutic reasons, are absolutely excluded as a licit means of regulating birth"'
• Doctrine of Double Effect


  The only times an abortion is permitted is when the mother has an ectopic pregnancy or is receiving chemotherapy treatment for cancer
• Protestant view on abortion


  Many Protestants use Situation Ethics to decide their view, and may permit abortion in certain situations like risk to the mother or severe disability
• Church of England, 1988: '"In an imperfect world the 'right' to choice is sometimes the lesser of two evils."'
• Foetus in Leviticus 27:6


  A child is only said to have value after the age of one month, thus is not seen as having a separate identity
• Ecclesiastes 4:1-3: '"But better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun"'
• Humanist view on abortion


  A foetus cannot be considered a separate life until it can live outside the mother, a woman should have the right to do what she wants with her own body, quality of life is more important than preservation of life at all costs
• Euthanasia


  Illegal in Britain, can be seen as breaking the Suicide Act 1961 or as manslaughter/murder
• Types of euthanasia


  • Active euthanasia
  • Passive euthanasia
  • Voluntary euthanasia
  • Non-voluntary euthanasia
• Acceptance of passive euthanasia


  Switching off a life support machine if brain death has been determined, not giving extraordinary treatment that could cause distress, giving painkillers that may shorten life
• Roman Catholic and Evangelical view on euthanasia


  Absolute moralists, euthanasia is a 'grave violation of the law of God'
• Acceptance of limited use of euthanasia


  Helping someone end their suffering through assisted suicide could be the most loving thing to do, living wills give people control, God has given us medical knowledge to care for patients
• Hospice movement


  Provides an alternative to euthanasia by relieving physical symptoms, caring for emotional and spiritual well-being, expressing God's love
• Humanist views on euthanasia


  • For legalised euthanasia: people have freewill, it can relieve suffering, it's more compassionate
  • Against legalised euthanasia: doctors should save life not destroy it, it could be abused, people may change their mind
• Life after death


  All Christian churches teach there will be life after death, based on Jesus' resurrection and teachings
• John 11:25-26: '"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."'
• 1 Corinthians 14: '"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith"'
• Non-religious reasons for life after death


  Near death experiences, evidence for a spirit world, evidence of reincarnation
• Arguments against life after death


  • No scientific evidence, different religions have different ideas, it's just a source of comfort, it doesn't make logical sense, it was invented by the ruling classes
• Christian response to arguments against life after death


  The Biblical record of the resurrection can be relied upon, heaven is a spiritual dimension, the mind can survive without the body, Christian beliefs about life after death are not part of social control
• Big Bang theory


  Around 14 billion years ago the universe was made by a massive explosion, as the gases cooled they formed stars and planets
• Evidence for the Big Bang


  • The redshift effect, background radiation, detection of gravitational waves
• Compatibility of Big Bang theory and Christian beliefs


  Some Christians see the Genesis creation accounts as symbolic, the Big Bang does not contradict the creation account
• Pope Francis: '"The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator"'
• Redshift effect


  Light from stars approaching us is at the blue end of the spectrum, light going away is at the red end
• When other galaxies have been studied they are at the red end of the spectrum, which is evidence that the universe is still expanding from the point of the initial Big Bang
• Radio telescopes have discovered background radiation throughout the universe which scientists believe has been left behind by the Big Bang