AOS 2 Unit 2 - Religion & Ethics Flashcards
What is required for an issue to be considered an “ethical issue”?
There must be a problem that requires a person/organisation to choose between alternatives that are ethical or unethical
Definition of abortion
The termination of pregnancy - Removal or expelling a foetus or embryo from the uterus before viability (the ability to live outside the uterus from 23-27 weeks old)
Alternatives to abortion
Adoption, foster care, raising the child
Five moral arguments about abortion
- A living being doesn’t have to be a person to have rights
- On what moral grounds does the mother alone decide on the foetus’ right to live?
- The foetus is not a part of the mother’s body
- Killing the baby after birth is murder, but is acceptable before birth
- Abortion might not always be moral
Misunderstandings surrounding abortion
Women who get it are lazy, young or irresponsible. Lots of people who seek an abortion have had their contraception fail or are victims of family violence and sexual assault
Abortion will become a “popular option” if it becomes accessible. Women don’t want to get abortions and they don’t take it lightly
Victorian laws regarding abortion
A woman can access abortion up to a gestational limit of 24 weeks. After that, two doctors must sign that an abortion is appropriate in the circumstances
Are the laws or religious teachings on abortion morally absolute?
Laws still allow for some exceptions after a stated amount of weeks. In Catholicism, abortion is absolutely unacceptable in all circumstances
Right to live principle
Belief that a human being has the right to live and should not be killed by another person, from the moment of conception to natural death (includes human status before birth)
Pro-life perspective
Government should preserve all life, regardless of intent, viability, or quality-of-life concerns. Does not allow for abortion, euthanasia/assisted suicide, death penalty, or war (with limited exceptions)
Pro-choice perspective
Government should keep all choices legal, including but not limited to celibacy/abstinence, contraception, emergency contraception, and childbirth. No “pro-abortion”
Grey area to when life begins
Does it start at conception, implantation, viability outside the womb (24 weeks), or birth? Is a foetus a person or just a clump of cells? Should a foetus with a potential disability/illness be aborted? A “potential person” is difficult to define
Why is it controversial when life begins?
An individual’s position concerning the moral, cultural, social, religious, and legal issues surrounding abortion makes it hard to simply say “yes” or “no”
Some people desire abortion because of conditions surrounding the conception of the child, family issues, values, and potential illnesses and social pressures.
The procedure itself is controversial - in underdeveloped nations, there are many illegal and unsafe procedures being performed due to lack of government support and poverty
Birth date of the Buddha
560BCE
Founder of Buddhism
Siddhartha Gautama
Number of followers of Buddhism
600 million around the world
