Medical Ethics

Many Christians believe that babies have a soul from the moment of conception.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." -Jeremiah

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb" - Psalm

Roman Catholics: abortion is a great moral evil. It is not permitted under any circumstances. Abortion is the same as murder.

Church of England: acceptable in exception circumstances.(eg. to save mothers life).

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes" - only God has the right to give and take life

Euthanasia- "Good/easy death"

 In the Bible it's clear that human beings are not meant to choose when they die:

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die"

Roman Catholics:  sees euthanasia as murder 

Church of England: there are very strong arguments that people should not be kept alive at all costs when they are suffering intolerable pain

Suicide: 

Most churches think that suicide is morally wrong. 

The do try to be understanding of a persons reason for wanting to end their life.

Samaritans set up to help those with suicidal thoughts.

Some Christains believe humans have been given control over animals.

“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

·         Christians recognise that humans may benefit from animal experiments.

·         Some people argue that it is important that scientists are allowed to carry out such experiments.

Some people argue that humans and animals are so genetically different that any results from experiment would not be any use for humans.

o    In vitro fertilisation (IVF) – literally fertilisation in glass (test tube baby). Embryos are then placed inside the woman.  More than one egg is fertilised resulting in spare embryos. Many Christians are concerned about these spare embryos.

o    Sperm or egg donor – sometimes one partner can’t produce health sperm or eggs.  Sperm or eggs may be used from someone else. Some Christians think this goes against the idea of marriage being exclusive.

·         Cloning is done by fusing the nucleus of one cell with the unfertilised egg of a donor.

Some see this as ‘playing God’