AbortionOverview

Personhood: When is a foetus a person?

Rights of the Foetus depend upon when life begins:

1.Foetus not considered a life until actually born

2.Life begins at point of conception

3.Life begins then foetus achieves viability – point of survival on own.

Law

• 1991 abortion limit law changed to 24 weeks

• Because babies born at 24 weeks are viable and can survive

• Therefore foetus should be given legal protection if it possible to survive outside womb

• Medical science has moved on since then so pressure to lower to 20weeks

When does life begin?

At conception:• Catholic Church• attractive view as it is clear cut and marks a definite

moment when foetus deserves same rights as a human person

After conception:• Law says 24 weeks• Some make a distinction between potential life and

actual life• Heart begins to beat• Signs of brain activityAt Birth:• Anything after birth is murder

Sanctity of life/Personhood

• Christianity holds that all life is sacred.

• Implies reverence and respect

• Not all living cells are human e.g. cancer cells

• Question is: what is needed to make a person if not growing cells: brain, feelings, looks human?

Pro Choice: - supporters

• Campaigns for legalised abortion usually characterises itself as pro choice.

• Foetus is part of woman’s body

• Until 24 weeks child is unviable (cannot survive without mother)

• Not considered an independent life

• It is a potential life

Sanctity of life: Pro - Life

• We are created in image of God – imago dei – so humans are set apart from animals and have a ‘spark’ of divinity within them

• Church of England: express overriding compassion for the needs of the mother, especially if there is a threat to her mental or physical health.

Values all human life equally Clearly states that all killing is wrong (inline with 10

commandments)X Charles Darwin challenged ‘imago dei’ with natural selectionX Kant saw no reason to link vital signs (heart beat, brain waves)

to valuing lifeX Peter Singer to treat human life over animal life is ‘speciesism’

– ought to value all life not just humanX sanctity of life cannot cope with conflicts of duty – which life is

more sacred –mother or foetus?

Against

Life gift from God

Humans do not have right to make decision

God gives life only God can take away

Life begins at conception so murder

To abort due to disability = denies value of lives of countless disabled people.

Who is to decide whether a person will enjoy a good quality of life?

Where is the line drawn?

Right to a child

• IVF: In vitro fertilisation

• Taking eggs and sperm into a laboratory dish to help fertilisation – test tube babies

Ethical issues surrounding IVF

1.Do we all have a right to a child through IVF?

2.Is a child a gift from God and not a right?

Ethical views on IVF

• AIH – artificial insemination by husband• AID – donor• IVF – test tube

• Spare embryos used for experimentation• Screening for imperfect embryos = imperfections

weeded out – will this lead to choosing desirable traits

• IVF exploited for designer babies?• older woman past child bearing age using IVF• IVF not very successful

Natural Law

• Many problems with IVF• Masturbation in order to receive the

sperm used – not following natural function.

• IVF results in destruction of embryos – First primary precept (protect innocent life)

• Reproduction is a natural process and should not be tampered with.

Utilitarianism

• IVF has a low success rate which would affect the happiness of the couple

• Would the money that the health service use be better spent saving lives – would this maximise happiness?

• Is it ethical to spend money on assisting IVF with growing population problems and poverty – happiness of one couple over the pain of many?

Kant

• Is the destruction of so many embryos in order to create one life justified?

• Using an embryo to cure another sibling: is this using that embryo as a means to an end?

• Can we universalise the use of IVF for infertile couples?

Religious Ethics

• Catholic Church: technology and doctors dominate in creating new life.

• Destruction of human embryos not permitted• Freezing embryos and surrogacy also frowned upon.• Does not disapprove of experimentation that may help

overcome embryos disease• Protestant Church: Paul Ramsay opposes AID as

reproduction should remain within marriage• Joseph Fletcher – Situation Ethics – person centred,

love/ agape – love for a new child/ family, help infertile couples.

Discuss the view that only a religious ethic can provide an acceptable basis for medical ethics.

IntroductionExplain religion you have studiedMention some of the distinctive things about its ethics, e.g.

Biblical guidance, religious leadership, sanctity of life, justice, agape, mercy…

Explain that there is not one single ethical approach in Christianity

Abortion:Natural Law approachSanctity of lifeAgapeForgivenessPersonhoodviability

Discuss the view that only a religious ethic can provide an acceptable basis for medical ethics.

Euthanasia:MercyJusticeSanctity of lifeNatural Law and doctrine of double effectAgapeGolden RuleJesus relative NT ethics: ‘Love thy neighbour’

Then look at the problemsNo consistent answerDifferent interpretations: e.g. Agape shown to the mother or

the foetus?Sometimes too inflexible? Too dogmatic? Medical staff have

to make practical decisions, e.g. how to use money bestAssumptions about life after death cannot be proven, so is

this a sound basis?Cannot impose religious ethic on medicine- people affected

may not be religious, or may be of a different religion

Discuss the view that only a religious ethic can provide an acceptable basis for medical ethics.

• Suggest an alternative basis?

– Kant? - Utilitarianism?

• What might Christian ethics offer that these do not?

– More flexibility than Kant? More room for emotion/ compassion/ love?

– More cautious about the sanctity of life than Utilitarianism?

– Bernard Williams, “Utilitarianism finds the decision to kill too easy to make”

• Conclusions?

– Not the best basis

– But with some valuable ethical principles to offer- agape/ compassion/ sanctity of life

– Treating people as individuals with needs and emotions, not as statistics

– Charles Curran: limitations in using Bible, reader needs to be aware of historical and cultural differences. Biblical writings are ‘culture bound’ e.g. sex/ages