[Part 4]- Theme B- Religion and life Flashcards
What is abortion?
- the termination of a pregnancy/of a potential child.
- the deliberate removal of a foetus from the womb, to end a pregnancy
Give religious views about eating meat
Christian (FOR): God gave us dominion over animals as in the Bible it states in Genesis 9:3 ‘everything that lives and moves around will be food for you’. Therefore we should be able to eat meat because God has allowed us to do so (and this is a robust argument because the Bible is the word of God, so Christians would take it very seriously).
Christian (FOR): Another reason why Christians may support eating meat, is because Jesus (the founder of Christianity) ate fish as he fed the five thousand, so if a founder of a religion eats, it should be acceptable to eat meat.
Christian (AGAINST): A Christian may be against eating because they are stewards of God’s Earth, as in the Bible (a source of authority and the word of God) states in Proverbs 21:4 that ‘The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it’. Therefore we should not eat meat because God has loaned the world to us and we shouldn’t be harming the animals that he has made.
Christian (AGAINST): A Christian may also be against eating meat because animals should be treated kindly as in Psalm 24:1 it states ‘the righteous care for the needs of their animals’. Therefore we should not eat meat because harming animals for food is not treating them with kindness.
Buddhist (FOR): In some scriptures there is evidence that the Buddha and his monks ate meat, so it should be acceptable for a Buddhist to eat meat as one of the key founders of Buddhism eats meat.
Buddhist (AGAINST): eating meat breaks the first moral precept because it is causing harm to animals.
Buddhist (AGAINST): Buddhists are taught to be showing karuna (actively showing compassion) and eating meat contradicts this because it doesn’t show compassion, it instead creates an atmosphere of fear.
What are the conditions necessary for an abortion to take place?
- two doctors must agree that an abortion would cause less damage to a woman’s physics and mental health, if the pregnancy contuined
- it must be necessary to save the woman’s life
- it will prevent fatal permanent injury to the mental and physical health of the woman.
- there is a very high risk that if the child was born, it would have mental or physical abnormalities
- the pregnancy would have a negative impact on existing children
What are some Christian and Buddhist attitudes to abortion?
Christian (FOR): In some cases, such as rape or if the child would have a poor quality of life Christians may say that abortion would be the most loving thing to do. And a Christian may support abortion because because the Bible teaches ‘love thy neighbour’. Therefore, abortion would be the most loving thing to do.
[This is a strong argument because the Bible is the word of God, so Christians would take it seriously]
Christian (AGAINST): Because many Christians believe that life starts at conception and they would be against abortion. as in the Bible it states ‘before you were in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart’. They would argue that abortion is wrong because it breaks the ‘sanctity of life’- life is all sacred and God-given, so only God has the right to take it.
Christians (AGAINST): Because many Christians believe that life starts at conception, they might also argue that it breaks the Ten Commandments ‘thou shalt not murder’
Buddhist (FOR): Some Buddhists would also support abortion in some cases because they are taught to show karuna. (compassion). For example, if the child had a poor quality of life, abortion may be the most compassionate thing to do.
Buddhist (AGAINST): Some Buddhists would also be against abortion because it can be seen as a form of killing, which would break the first moral precept.
What are some secular attitudes to abortion?
Pro-life:
- its possible for people for disabled children to have a good quality of life, so they should be allowed to live.
- unwanted children can be adopted into families
- people who choose abortion can suffer from mental health issues (such as depression) and can also suffer from guilt.
Pro-choice:
- the mother’s life is more important
- the mother is the one who has to: carry the baby, give birth to it and raise it, so she should have the right to choose if she wants to carry on with her pregnancy
- Abortion isn’t murder because life begins at birth, not at conception
- it’s cruel to let a severely disabled person live because they will have a poor quality of life.
Unsure: someone who does not necessarily agree or disagree with abortion, but is more focused about the length of time that abortion should go up to.
What does pro-choice mean?
Someone who believes the woman has the right to choose what she wants for her body, and for the developing foetus.
What does pro-life mean?
The belief that abortion is the wrong, and the foetus has more rights than the mother.
