Abortion

Question 1

In the UK, when is an abortion allowed after 24 weeks?

Answer 1

A risk to the mother’s life
Evidence that the baby will be severely handicapped
Risk of serious physical/mental injury to the mother

Question 2

How many abortions took place in the England and Wales in 2013?

Answer 2

200,000

Question 3

When can a woman have a legal abortion in the UK?

Answer 3

If she comes within the Abortion Act 1967 and 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act which allows abortion up to 24 weeks only on certain conditions.
If two doctors:
continuing the pregnancy would pose a risk to the physical/mental health of the mother
physical/metal health of the existing family would suffer after the birth
child is likely to be born mentally/physically handicapped

Question 4

How many pregnancies ended in abortion in the UK in 2004?

Answer 4

Nearly a quarter

Question 5

What does the abortion act allow?

Answer 5

Allowed women to have an abortion if there was “risk of injury to her, or her existing children’s physical or mental health.”

Question 6

Who decides at what stage you cannot have an abortion? How many weeks along?

Answer 6

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (HFEA) 1990 reduced the latest date for abortion in the UK from 27 to 24 weeks
after this time an abortion could only occur if the mother’s life is at risk or there is a substantial risk of foetal abnormality

Question 7

How many unsafe abortions does the World Health Organisation estimate happened between 1995 and 2000?

Answer 7

Around 20 million

Question 8

How many pregnancies in the US end in abortion?

Answer 8

Nearly a quarter

Question 9

What is abortion?

Answer 9

The termination of the foetus in the womb

Question 10

Who defined personhood? What is the criteria?

Answer 10

John Locke
Consciousness (= awareness of self as an independent being) - ability to feel pain and pleasure
Sentience (= able to feel/sense)
The capacity of choice
Reciprocity - to give and take from a relationship

Question 11

What is the quote about abortion leaders and percentages?

Answer 11

“77% of pro-life advocates are men and will never be faced with abortion”

Question 12

What is the biggest problem with abortion?

Answer 12

When does life begin?
Some religions, such as Catholicism, believe that life begins at conception
Some say it begins when the baby is viable (can exist outside of the womb at 24 weeks, hence the legal date)

Question 13

Is it legal in Northern Ireland to have an abortion?

Answer 13

No

It is illegal

Question 14

How many women leave Northern Ireland per year to have an abortion?

Answer 14

5,000 women

Question 15

Case Study: raped Asylum seeker wanting an abortion in Northern Ireland

Answer 15

A raped asylum seeker came to Northern Ireland
She repeatedly asked for an abortion which she would not be given until proven to be suicidal
Baby delivered 3 months premature by a C-section

Question 16

Case Study: Savita Halappnavar

Answer 16

Savita Halappnavar died two years ago after being denied an emergency abortion
The law has now been changed to allow women to have an abortion if they are in danger

Question 17

What is Judith Tomson’s argument (1971)?

Answer 17

Pro-choice
She argues the case of the famous violinist in her article: “A defence of abortion.”
Hypothetically gives the example of if a woman was to wake to find that a famous violinist whose kidney had failed had been plugged into her bloody supply and would continue to be so for 9 months
Said woman would be under no moral obligation to continue with the procedure - this would be done out of compassion, not moral compulsion
Thomson argues that pregnancy is an analogous situation
Women should be able to choose
however, argues women should take reasonable precaution for prevention and should continue with the pregnancy if it is only a minor inconvenience to her

Question 18

What are some pro-choice arguments?

Answer 18

The woman has a right to choose
The quality of life
The Doctrine of Double Effect
Population growth

Question 19

Explain the pro-choice argument: the woman has a right to choose

Answer 19

What happens to her body
What happens to her life
Her future options
Her relationships
Whether to have child
The right of the mother should take Precedence over those of the foetus as long as the foetus is not able to survive outside of the mother’s womb

Question 20

Explain the pro-choice argument: the quality of life

Answer 20

It may be argued that the foetus has the right to a reasonable quality of life, which means a life free from pain and the right to be a wanted child
If these things are not possible then abortion may be the best option

Question 21

Explain the pro-choice argument: the Doctrine of Double Effect

Answer 21

If a woman’s life is in danger, an abortion may save her life
The doctrine of double effect is the principle that whilst an abortion is undesirable, it is carried out to save the mother’s life

Question 22

Explain the pro-choice argument: Population Growth

Answer 22

Some argue that abortion helps to keep the population numbers down

Question 23

What is John Scott’s argument (1999)?

Answer 23

Pro-life
Questions the subjectivity of the quality of life
“Who can presume this?”
He cites Alison Davis, who spoke at the Hyde Park Rally in 1983
She described herself as a ‘happy spina bifida adult’
She is reported as saying: “I can think of few concepts more terrifying than saying that certain people are better off dead, and may therefore be killed for their own good…Most handicapped people are quite contented with the quality of their life.”

Question 24

What are some other pro-life arguments?

Answer 24

Anti-abortion groups, such as LIFE and The Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) claim that the foetus is a human being and has rights

Question 25

Explain the rights anti-abortion groups claim that the foetus has

Answer 25

Not to be killed
To fulfil its potential
For its life to be valued
To be fairly represented by an unbiased third party
They argue that it is wrong to kill a foetus just because it is handicapped, would have a poor Quality of life or because having a baby might affect the mother’s life or career

Question 26

In the Bible, does it clearly say that only God can take a life?

Answer 26

No
Job says: “the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away,”
It does not clearly state that only God can take your life

Question 27

Why is abortion a huge problem within Christianity?

Answer 27

It conflicts with the principle of sanctity of life: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”

Question 28

What does the Bible say about God and the gift of life?

Answer 28

God gives the gift of life to everyone:

“For you created my innermost being; you knit be together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13)

Question 29

What are the Church of England’s views about abortion?

Answer 29

Abortion can be the lesser of two evils: rape, severe disability, if the mother’s life is at risk are the three exceptions
Under these three conditions only is abortion morally legitimate
The Golden Rule

Question 30

What did the Church of England say in 1980 about abortions (that were not of the three exceptions)?

Answer 30

“…we see abortion, the termination of that life by the act of man, as a great moral evil…”

Question 31

What did the Church of England say in 1984 about abortions and the life of the mother?

Answer 31

“the life of the foetus is not absolutely sacrosanct [to be protected at all costs] if it endangers the life of the mother.”

Question 32

What are the Roman Catholic Church’s view about abortion?

Answer 32

Abortion is not allowed
There are special circumstances where abortion is the lesser of two evils such as the mother’s life is at risk
Abortion is a sin and is murder
Sex is for procreation

Question 33

Quote: Humanae Vitae, 1968 about abortion

Answer 33

“You shall not kill by abortion the fruit of the womb. Human life is sacred. All men must recognise that fact.”

Question 34

What are the Quaker’s view about abortion?

Answer 34

They are pacifists
Unsure about where life begins
Believe in personhood
Personal conscious is of greatest importance

Question 35

What are the Baptist Union’s view about abortion?

Answer 35

Believe in agape
Abortion is permissible when it is the lesser of two evils
Most wish the law permitting abortion be lowered to a time as low as possible
It is better to prevent the conditions which lead to abortion

Question 36

What are the Methodist Church’s view about abortion?

Answer 36

“Abortion is always an evil to be avoided if at all possible…However, in an imperfect world there will be circumstances where a termination of pregnancy may be the lesser of two evils.”

Question 37

Why are many he Roman Catholic Church and many Protestant groups opposed to abortion?

Answer 37

Life is sacred gift from God
The Bible forbids the murder of human beings
Life beings at the moment of conception
The unborn child is created in the image of God
Every human being has the right to life

Question 38

Which church permits the Doctrine of Double Effect?

Answer 38

The Catholic Church

Question 39

What is the Doctrine of Double Effect?

Answer 39

If the mother’s life is danger and treatment to save her might harm the foetus, then the treatment is permitted. As long as the harm to the foetus is unintentional it is acceptable

Question 40

What are the three exceptions under which the Catholic Church and the Methodist Church allow?

Answer 40

In the case of rape
In the case of severe handicap
Where the life of the mother is at risk

Question 41

Are some religious believers against contraception? Why?

Answer 41

Yes
It prevents a human life from forming and that, in a sense, is a kind of abortion anyway
The morning after pill has been dubbed the ‘abortion pill’ by some

Question 42

“So God created them in his own image”

Genesis 1:27

Answer 42

Pro-life
Humans are made in God’s likeness
Humans are sacred - should not destroy God’s creation

Question 43

“Thou shall not murder”

Exodus 20:13

Answer 43

Pro-life
One of the 10 Commandments — foundation of Christianity
Murder is a sin and abortion is murder

Question 44

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you”
(Jeremiah 1:5)

Answer 44

Pro-life

God has a plan, even before conception - should not interfere with God’s plan

Question 45

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb”
(Psalm 139:13)

Answer 45

Pro-life
God has a plan, even before conception - should not interfere with God’s plan
Humans are God’s creation - humans should not destroy God’s creation