Religious Studies

Abortion = the artificial ending of a life of a feotus in the womb.

Christianity teaches that abortion in not acceptable, as human life is a sacred gift from God .

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. " Genesis 1:26-27

Christians believe that life begins with conception, therefore abortion is killing.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. " Psalm 139:13

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." Jeremiah 1:5

Abortion has been legal in England, Scotland and Wales since 1967 when The Abortion Act was passed. A new upper time limit of 24 weeks was introduced in 1990 under The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

Abortion is not allowed in Islam unless it's to save the Mothers Life.

One of the reasons that Islam is very opposed to abortion is because, before the time of Muhammad, unwanted female children were often buried alive in Arabia. Islam teaches:

"Do not destroy your offspring for fear of poverty, it is We Who provide for them and for you. Surely, destroying them is a great sin." Surah 17:32

Euthanasia: an easy and gentle death

Assisted suicide: providing a seriously ill person with the means to commit suicide.

Non-voluntary Euthanasia: ending someones life painlessly when they are unable to ask, but if you have a good reason to believe they would want to die, for example, turning off life support.

Voluntary Euthanasia: the situation where someone dying in pain asks another person to end her/his life painlessly

The doctrine of double effect: giving someone a large amount of painkillers to cure their pain but knowing that it will shorten their life. However doctors cannot be blamed for killing the patient because they simply want to relieve their pain.

Christians are against Euthanasia as they believe life is sacred as all life came from God.

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:26-28

They believe that Euthanasia is unacceptable as God is the one who can take life, humans cannot decide when.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted." Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

Although - Catholics + Church of England does not believe that doctors should use any ‘extraordinary treatment’ to keep people alive against the odds.

Islam is totally opossed to Euthanasia. The Qur'an says Allah is the creator of all and everything belongs to him, therefore only he has the right to take it away.

"To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He pleases." Surah 42:50

Muhammad said if you kill yourself you will be sent to hell.

"Anyone who throws themselves down from a rock and commits suicide will be throwing themselves into Hell" Hadith.

instead they should..."seek the help of Allah through steadfastness and Prayer" Surah 2:153-156