good moral conduct application

• Sanctity of life


  The idea that all life is sacred and holy, with intrinsic worth and value because it has been created by God
• Sanctity of life is a religious concept that is absolutist - it cannot change or be flexible because God has created life</b>
• Jeremiah: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you'
• Imago Dei


  The doctrine that humans are made in the image of God
• The sanctity of life principle implies that murder or taking life is wrong, as it belongs to God who gives and takes life
• The Ten Commandments reflect the belief in the sanctity of life, with the commandment 'do not kill'
• The Catholic Church teaches that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from conception
• Strong version of sanctity of life

  All humans have an absolute right to life that must never be taken away, so abortion and euthanasia are always wrong
• Weak version of sanctity of life


  All human life is sacred, but in exceptional circumstances life-saving/preserving treatment may be omitted or withdrawn; the fetus is seen as a potential rather than actual person
• Quality of life


  A secular, subjective concept about one's level of health, contentment, fulfillment and happiness
• Sanctity of life is

  Religious and absolutist, whereas quality of life is secular and subjective
• The strong version of sanctity of life promotes respect and protection for all human life, provides clear answers on issues like abortion, and is true to Biblical teaching
• A weakness of the strong sanctity of life principle is that it is too fixed and rigid to be practical in real-world medical ethics situations
• There is no ambiguity, no uncertainty, so it can provide people with very clear Concrete Solutions and answers
• It is true to Biblical teaching such as Jeremiah
• The Bible is the infallible inerrant word of God
• What a Christian is believing, doing and thinking must be in alignment with Holy Scripture
• Moral decision making, particularly in medical ethics, is a complex issue
• The principle of sanctity of life is too fixed and rigid to be practical
• The weaker version of the principle of sanctity of life is more suitable and practical as it recognizes moral decision making is complex and considers exceptional circumstances
• A weakness of the principle of sanctity of life is that it depends on belief in God
• Belief in God is declining in the UK, so the principle will only appeal to those who believe we have been created by God
• The principle of sanctity of life ignores modern science which states that humans are evolved animals
• The principle of sanctity of life promotes an anthropocentric view of the world which devalues animals
• The strong version of the principle of sanctity of life may be seen as too rigid
• The strong version of the principle of sanctity of life can be seen as unloving and lacking in compassion
• Embryo research is used to understand more about genetic conditions and causes of infertility
• Embryos can be sourced from Surplus IVF embryos that are donated with consent, or created using stem cell therapeutic cloning
• Licenses for embryo research are only granted if the research is absolutely essential
• Embryo research is permitted up to 14 days after which the embryo must be destroyed
• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is only allowed for medical conditions, not for sex selection
• The Catholic Church teaches that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception
• The Catholic Church says it is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological materials
• The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is a moral evil because life begins at conception
• The Church of England teaches that embryo research can be morally acceptable if strict controls are in place
• The Church of England sees embryo research as an extension of Jesus's Healing Ministry and a responsible use of God-given gifts
• The Church of England allows abortion in exceptional circumstances such as to preserve the mother's life or in cases of rape or severe fetal abnormality
• Just War Theory is a set of rules for fighting in a war believed to be justified and acceptable to God
• Just War Theory was developed by Augustine and Aquinas, though the early church was largely pacifist
• The Catholic Church teaches that there are strict conditions when war can be justified (just ad bellum) and how it should be fought (just in bello)