Scientific Development In Medical Ethics Flashcards
What is Euthanasia
- it is the deliberate act of ending someone’s life to relieve them suffering
2 ways of classifying it:
1) voluntary / involuntary
2) passive/ active
Christian teachings about Euthanasia
Most Christians believe euthanasia is wrong as:
- life is precious and sacred because it was created by God.
- it is deliberate killing and murder is forbidden by the 10 commandments
- Christians have a duty to care for those who are suffering
The Catholic Church:
- deliberate killing is always morally unacceptable
- life is a gift from God and so has unqualified value
- life is always preferable to death
The Church of England:
- it recognises the importance of personal autonomy but also that this puts an unwelcome burden on someone else
- to end the life of a human implies that their life no longer has meaning which goes against the principle of the sanctity of life.
- society should offer care instead
Quakers
- some believe that people who are suffering greatly should be allowed
- others believe that they should care for one another and support each others pain so it is not needed.
Non-religious Attitudes to euthanasia
- a doctors duty is to preserve life not to end it
- medical advances mean cures for illness are more likely
-it is not murder because murder is committed through anger and hatred whereas this is performed out of live and compassion as if stops a person suffering.
- a persons life is their own and they should have the right to self-determination.
- Christians would argue, that a persons life is not their own as it was created by God and in,t God has the right to take it away.
Rights of foetus
- Christianity teaches that life begins at conception, and that the egg is a god-given life, with the same rights as other humans
- some people believe a foetus’ rights should increase as it develops
- others believe the end of the pregnancy and the birth of the baby that marks the point at which it has rights
Attitudes to abortion within society
Abortion - the deliberate termination of a pregnancy
Pro-life - moment of conception marks the beginning of new life, and so abortion is always wrong
Pro-choice - a woman should have an absolute right to decide if she continues with her pregnancy
Others believe abortion is acceptable in some circumstances
Christian attitudes towards abortion
Christian teachings:
- the sanctity of life means they have concerns about abortion
- no Christian church believes abortion should be encouraged and most agree that it should only be used in the most serious circumstances
Catholic Church:
- never acceptable
- only acceptable if it is to save the life of the mother as the intention behind this is to care for the woman’s life and not to end the pregnancy
- the foetus has a right to life from the moment of conception
“Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception; abortion and infanticide are the most abominable of crimes”
The Church of England:
- generally opposed
- some believe that in some situations it can be justified
- alternatives to abortion should be available and the parents should be supported
“The Church of England combines strong opposition to abortion with a recognition that there can be conditions under which it may be morally preferable to any alternative”
“You shall not kill by abortion the fruit of thy womb” The Didache
Genetic manipulation
Genetic manipulation- making changes to an organisms genome by adding DNA or isolating it to produce particular characteristics
Roman Catholic Church is opposed to therapeutic cloning. the deliberate destruction of embryos after stem cells have been removed is wrong
The Church of England realises that an embryo could be seen as a human being, but is not one yet.
