Medical Ethics

Abortion: The termination of a pregnacy. The medical process of ending a pregnancy.

Prolife: Against Abortion.

Prochoice: For Abortion.

Age of viability: The age when a foetus can be survive independantly outside the womb. 

Ensoulment: The point at which embryo is invested with soul.

Euthanasia: The deliberate ending of a life in order to end suffering.

Voluntary Euthanasia: When someone makes the decision  that they want to die.

Involuntary Euthanasia: When the person is unconsious and unable to say whether they want to live or die and another person decides they should die on their behalf.

Active Euthanasia: When the death of a person is brought around by a particular act.

Passive Euthanasia: When a treatment is withdrawn. e.g. Removing feeding tubes.

Arguments against abortion

• Terminating a possible life.
• Every Embryo/foetus has a possibility of living.
• Nature should be left alone.
• You can put the baby for adoption.
• There are governmental copanies and scemes helping those who aren't able to pay all the bills.
• The baby has a whole future ahead of it, while the mother has already lived.

Arguments for abotion

• It wouldn't be viable of surviving without the mother anyway.
• The mother may not be able to afford to bring up the child.
• The mother might have health issues.
• The mother's life goes above the baby's life, because the baby might not survive.
• The woman is the one who is carrying the baby, so it should be her choice.
• Population increase
• ****.

Reasons for legalising abortion in 1967:

• Population rise
• Increasing Women's rights
• ****
• More contraception --> More unplanned pregnancies
• Young pregnancies
• Developments in Science
• Backstreet abortions --> Dngerous/ Health problems --> Death

UK abortion rules:

• Mental health of mother
• Physical health of mother - Not able to have a child.
• ****
• <24 weeks
• 2 dactors agree

200,000 abortions a year on the UK and 4000 underaged abortions in the UK.

For abortion: "But better off are those who haven't seen the injustice that goes on in this world." Genesis 1:27 -"People are made in the inmage of God, that God has a plan for every individual and that god is the moment of spark from the moment of contraception."

• God has given you the ability to make a moral choice.
• Principle of Agape --> Selfless love.
• Do to others what you would let them do to you.

Against abortion: "Though shalt not kill" "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb." It is God's responsibility to give and take life.

• Life is created by god-->Life is holy-->Humans have no right to take it away>Sancity of life
• Church of England- Abortion is only permittable under: ****; to save the mother's life; baby is severly disabled.
• Roman catholics- Abortion is only parmittable under: Ectopic Pregnancy.
• "The Lord gives and the lord taketh away."
  

Secular For:

• It is the right of each human being to choose the manner and time of their death.
• If a person is suffering unbearable pain, they may judge life as not worth living.
• Euthanasia avoids long draw out deaths which are not dignified.
• It is very expensive to treat old and terminally ill patients. Should money be spent on those with a chance of living. 

Secular against:

• A doctor's diagnosis could be wrong or a cure my be found for the disease.
• Allowing euthanasia would compromise a doctor-patient's trust. A doctor should save lives.
• Is it possibleto know if a person is absolutely sure that they want to end their life.
• If we allow euthanasia, how long until people are preassured into it.

Euthanasia is legal in:

Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Colombia.

Christian for:

• If death is imminent, with-hold of treatment or pain relief for quick death is acceptable.
  
• Doctors should act in accordance with the wishes of a patient. God gives us freewill.

Christian against:

• Catholic church- Euthanasia is wrong because it is against the sancity of life.

"We are stewarts, not owners, of the life God has entrusted to us. It is not ours to dispose of."

• Evangelical Christians- Euthanasia is wrong. We should do everything we can to extend life."

Palliative care- Christian alternative to Euthanasia. Pain relieved through drugs; talk through fears of dieing; personal care offered; calmer patients; patients cared for by staff&volunteers.

"If one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him, For God's temple is sacred and you are that temple." - Against Euthanasia- "Thou must not kill."

"I was thirsty and you ave me something to drink... I was sick and you looked after me..." -Supports Euthanasia- Fulfilling the wishes of each another. 

"Love thy neighbour." -Both- Selfless love.

"Take up your cross" - Against Euthanasia- Face your suffering as Jesus did.

Fertility treatment: Fertility treatment is used for those couples or indiviaduals who cannot concieve a child naturally.

Christian views: Spare embryos chucked away- Murder. AID- Adultery. Book of Samuel-"Hannah hadno children because God closed her womb."

AIH: Aritficial insemination by husband.  AID: Aritficial insemination by donner.