Religious Attitudes To Medical Ethics Flashcards
What is Fertility Treatment?
What is IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation)?
- medical procedure to assist an infertile couple to have a child.
- scientific method of a women becoming pregnant outside of the womb.
What is Artificial Insemination?
What is AIH (by Husband)?
What is AID (by Donor)?
- sperm is medically inserted into the egg cell to assist pregnancy.
- woman is made pregnant by the sperm of her husband (not through sex).
- women is made pregnant by the sperm of a donor (not through sex).
Arguments for and against fertility treatment. (3)/(3)
FOR =
- if it is the only way of having a baby.
- everybody has the right to be a parent.
- God has given people the intelligence to develop technology so it should be used.
AGAINST =
- not natural (against God).
- wrong people become parents.
- sperm from another man could be seen as adultery.
What is Surrogacy?
What is Traditional Surrogacy?
- arrangement in which a women carries and delivers a child for another couple.
- where the surrogate mother’s egg is fertilised by sperm from the intended father via IVF.
Why are some religious believers against surrogacy? (3)
- conception is not natural via IVF or AI.
- inability to have children may be God choice.
- potential harmful effect on child as it grows up and finds out.
Religious attitudes towards transplant surgery? (3)
- Muslims and Jews = reluctant to be organ donors as they don’t want to be buried / cremated incomplete.
- Christianity = allowed because it enables life to be saved.
- most agree because they believe in Sanctity of Life and Value of Life.
What is Human Genetic Engineering?
What is Embryology?
- the modification of gene make-up to change features of a human.
- the study of human embryos.
Why scientists in favour of human genetic engineering? (2)
- enable chance to find ways of curing human diseases caused by faulty genes.
- ability to select healthy, disease-free embryos to implant in potential mother’s womb.
Why do some religious believers think Human Genetic Engineering is wrong? (2)
- it is encouraging scientists to take the on role of God the creator.
- concerns about what happens to the unused embryos (life begins at conception - regarded as murder).
Religious attitudes about Genetic Engineering. (3) (3)
Buddhism =
- intention behind deed is important (must have right intention).
- acceptable as it helps to save / improve life.
- against the destruction of embryos (“not to kill a living thing”).
Christianity =
- many oppose because it devalues life (Sanctity of Life).
- scientists shouldn’t take the role of creator.
- against the destruction of embryos (“you shall not murder”).
What are the advantages and disadvantages of cloning? (3)/(3)
ADVANTAGES =
- helps with embryonic research which could help sick / infertile people.
- improves people’s Quality of Life.
- people have a right to choose (free will given by God).
DISADVANTAGES =
- against nature and against the way God created us.
- against disposal of many leftover embryos / seen as individuals (“you shall not murder”).
- cloned person may not have a soul.
What is Cloning?
Scientific method in which animals or plants can be created and have the exact genetic make-up as the original.
Views on medial experiments on humans. (2)
- acceptable to make sure new drugs are safe.
- things occasionally do go wrong although usually safe.
What does religion say about matters of life? (6)
- if life starts at conception, human genetic engineering and embryology is seen as taking life.
- embryos should be treated with dignity and respect as they hold the potential for human life.
- leads to development which will benefit to human race.
- Buddhists = right intention.
- Sikhs/Hindus = good karma.
- Jews/Christians = helping other (compassion).
