Term
| When did the UK law become that abortion is only allowed if two doctors agree? |
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Definition
| 1967, and then a review in 1990 |
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Term
| Abortion is only allowed if two doctors agree that...? |
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Definition
• the mother’s life is at risk
• the mother’s physical or mental health is at risk
• the child is very likely to be born severely handicapped
• there would be a serious effect on other children in the family. |
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Term
| Why is abortion a conteversial issue? |
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Definition
• Many people believe that life begins when the foetus is able to live outside the mother. Therefore abortion is not taking life.
• Many non-religious people believe that a woman should have the right to do what she wants with her own body. They might argue that an unwanted foetus is no different from an unwanted tumour. |
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Term
| Why do Roman Catholic Christians teach that abortion is wrong? |
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Definition
• Life belongs to God, so only God has the right to end a pregnancy.
• Life begins at conception so abortion is taking life and this is banned in the Ten Commandments.
• They should follow the teaching of the Catholic Catechism that all abortion is murder.
• Counselling, help and adoption are alternatives to abortion for women made pregnant as a result of rape so that good can come out of evil in a new life. |
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Term
| What are Liberal Protestants views on abortion? |
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Definition
• Life does not begin at conception.
• Jesus’ command to love your neighbour (agape) means Christians must remove suffering, which abortion does.
• The sanctity of life can be broken in such things war, so why not in a just abortion?
• Abortion may be the lesser of two evils. |
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Term
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Definition
| The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. |
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Term
| Why do people want euthanasia to remain illegal? |
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Definition
• There is always likely to be doubt as to whether it is what the person really wants.
• There is also the problem as to whether the disease will end the life; a cure might be found for the disease.
• It is the job of doctors to save lives, not end them. Would patients trust doctors who kill their patients?
• People might change their mind, but then it would be too late.
• Who would check that it was only people who really wanted and needed euthanasia who died? |
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Term
| Why do some people want euthanasia to be legalised? |
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Definition
• Discoveries in medicine mean that people who would have died are being kept alive, often in agony, and should have the right to die.
• Doctors have the right to switch off life-support machines if they think the patient has no chance of recovering, and allow people who have been in a coma for years to die. So euthanasia is already legal.
• People have a right to commit suicide, so why not give them the right to ask doctors to assist their suicide if they are too weak to do it alone?
• Just as doctors can now switch off life-support machines, so judges have said that doctors can stop treatment. |
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Term
| What do Roman Catholic Christians think about euthanasia? |
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Definition
The believe that it is wrong, they believe this because
• They believe in the sanctity of life. Life is created by God and so it is up to God, not humans, when people die.
• They regard euthanasia as murder, which is forbidden in the Ten Commandments.
• The Bible forbids suicide.
• There may be a divine purpose to our suffering. |
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Term
| Why do some Christians allow euthanasia? |
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Definition
• Medical advances mean it is hard to know what God’s wishes about someone’s death are. God may want someone to die but doctors are keeping them alive.
• The teaching of Jesus on loving your neighbour (agape) can be used to justify assisting suicide, because it might be the most loving thing to do.
• It is a basic human right to have control over your body and what people do to it.
• They do not regard suicide as a sin. |
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Term
| Should the media be allowed to criticise different religions beliefs about life and death? |
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Definition
Some religious believers believe that criticising what religious leaders say about matters of life and death is close to the crime of blasphemy. Also, it can cause riots in countries with strong religious beliefs.
If religious leaders use the media to make statements about matters of life and death (as they do on things like stem-cell research), they must be prepared for the media to criticise those statements. Life and death issues are so important to everyone that people want to know what is the right view. This could not be done if religions were allowed to put forward views that no one could criticise. |
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Term
| Why would a near death experience lead someone to believe in life after death? |
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Definition
| If you experience a near death experience and something happens (seeing people who are dead, seeing a bright light or feeling a holy presence) it could lead to you believing in life after death. |
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Term
| What evidence is there for a spirit world? |
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Definition
| People claim to be able to talk to spirits or to feel their presence and have to try and help them to 'pass on'. Many people also believe in ghosts but many believe that there are rational solutions to everything. A non-believer might say that mediums aren't specific enough to be telling the truth and just convince you that you know them. |
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Term
| Reincarnation - could it make you believe in life after death? |
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Definition
Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists believe in reincarnation and have collected much evidence for this happening. Many non-religious people claim to remember previous lives through past-life regression therapy.
If reincarnation is true, then there is life after death. |
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Term
| What do Christian believe happens to us after we die? |
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Definition
Resurrection of the body
Immortality of the soul |
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Term
| Contreception - Roman Catholic view |
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Definition
•The Pope has condemned all forms of artificial contraception because they are unnatural and sex was given by God for procreation and so should always allow for the possibility of conception.
•Contraception has allowed promiscuity and the spread of STIs.
•The purpose of sex and marriage is to have children. |
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Term
| Contreception - Church Of England view |
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Definition
•There is nothing in the Bible that that forbids contraception.
•The Bible teaches that there is more to sex than reproduction (Psalms).
•Christians should use contraception to make responsible choices about family size. |
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