Religious Studies: Abortion Coursework - page 3
Keywords: Religious Studies: Abortion Coursework GCSE Religious Studies Education RS RE R.E. R.S.
By slashwk on 23/11/2006 17:34:37
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 3 of 9 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
the child and has already made His plan for them before the child is even in the womb, therefore it would be a breach of God’s plan to prevent the birth via abortion, or even the use of contraception. This view of the child’s life being sacrosanct is also highlighted elsewhere in the Bible:
‘If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth, for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise’ Exodus 21:22-25
I interpret this passage to indicate that if the child is born prematurely and it lives as normal, the offender must be fined for the troubles of the mother (due to her anxiety over the matter), however, if the baby is born with disability or injury the offender must be punished severely for the atrocity he has committed against the baby, as it is considered an entire human life, even in the womb.
On the other hand, St Augustine (354-430CE) believed that the human soul could not be encapsulated in an unformed body. He used Aristotle’s teaching of ‘delayed ensoulment’ to justify this belief, and concluded that abortion was not murder as no soul could be destroyed due to the fact that it wasn’t present in the premature foetus. This view is not accepted in recent times for the reason that it is supported by an undeveloped understanding of science.
Separate Churches also have various teachings and interpretations on the subject of abortion which have been influenced by the Bible. None of the Churches openly encourage abortion; however, some do believe it is acceptable in some circumstances.
The Roman Catholic Church believes that abortion, in any circumstance, is a serious sin. It is understood that life begins from conception and that from that point onwards the ‘Sanctity of Life’ principle applies and one and all should give it their protection. Pope Paul VI stressed this fact in the ‘Humanae Vitae’:
‘Human life is sacred…all men must recognise that fact’ Humanae Vitae, 1968
In the book ‘Didache’, which is only included in the Roman Catholic version of the Bible, a specific teaching regarding abortion is illustrated:
‘You shall not kill by abortion the fruit
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