sanctity of life (key beliefs) Flashcards
catholic beliefs about the sanctity of life
Catholics believe each person is unique because God made them. The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred (sanctity of life) and
that everyone has a right to life which should be protected and valued at every stage. The Catholic Church is against abortion in all circumstances. The Catholic Church teaches that life begins at conception. Abortion is therefore seen as murder, a great moral evil
Liberal Christian beliefs about sanctity of life
Liberal Christians agree that life is sacred and humans are created in God’s image. Abortion is not a good thing, but sometimes it is ‘the lesser of two evils’. There are some situations where abortion might be the best course of action such as if the pregnancy is the
result of rape, continuing the pregnancy might be dangerous to the woman’s physical or mental health then abortion should be allowed.
Jewish beliefs about the sanctity of life
God is the creator of all life and humans are made in the image of God. This teaching comes from the book of Genesis in the Torah (Jewish written law). The Ten Commandments, make it clear that taking life is wrong: “Do not kill”. Abortion is not specifically mentioned in the Torah but Exodus does imply that the life of an unborn child is of equal worth to the life of the mother. In cases such as abortion ‘pikuach nefesh’ might apply.
Humanists beliefs about the sanctity of life
Humanists reject any belief in the sanctity of life. Human life does have value but it does not belong to God and humans were not created in the image of God. In terms of abortion, Humanists value happiness and personal choice. In making a decision they would look at the evidence, consequences and rights and wishes of everyone involved. Life is not sacred but is worthy of the highest respect. Generally they would take a pro-choice stance and argue that quality of life is more important than sanctity of life.
