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Abortion and Christianity Essay

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Abortion and Christianity

Abortion is the “premature expulsion of the foetus from the womb”, before it has reached the full term of 40 weeks. Sometimes this happens naturally, through no choice of the parents, and this is called a miscarriage, or spontaneous abortion. However, when people talk about abortion, they usually mean a “procured abortion” which is when the parents choose to have the foetus removed by an operation. This usually happens very early on in the pregnancy, the latest legal time for aborting a baby being 24 weeks. There are several reasons why a woman may choose to have an abortion. The woman may not be in a serious relationship when she becomes pregnant, or the father may …show more content…

There is also counselling for pregnant mothers, so they may feel more able to cope with a child.

(ii) What biblical and Church teachings might be used in a discussion about abortion?

There are two extreme views on abortion. Many people, especially Christians, believe that the life of the foetus must be preserved at all costs. Others think that the mother has a right to decide whether or not to have the child she is carrying. The Bible does not say much directly about abortion, but you can still refer to the Bible when discussing abortion. It states many times the sanctity of life, and this could be used when discussing abortion. In Exodus, Chapter 20, the Bible states “You shall not kill”. This means it is wrong to take all human life, even if it is an unborn baby, therefore having an abortion is a mortal sin. This view is held by Roman Catholics, and also the Celtic Orthodox Church. According to Father Raphael, a Celtic Orthodox priest, abortion is breaking one of the Ten Commandments and therefore “…a mortal sin. Even worse: it is at the instigation of a child’s mother, the one person above all whom a child should be able to rely upon for loving care.” This debate often leads to a discussion on when life really begins. Roman Catholics believe that life begins at conception,

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