AQA Early Life

Religion and Early Life

The Miracle of Life

People believe babies are miracles as they bring so much love and joy into people's lives and some people find it harder than others to conceive 

Religious people believe that life is a blessing because it is a gift from God and children are not a 'right' or something they deserve. However, Buddhists wouldn't agree with this as they don't believe in a God so don't see children as a gift.

Christians, Jews and Muslims believe that life is sacred and holy because it is God-Given Sanctity of Life. Life is precious, should be valued and cherished and not destroyed. God gave life and is the only one who can take it away. Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs believe life should be respected as valuing life creates good Karma and ending it creates bad Karma

When does life begin? Once a person is alive they have human rights

• Conception, sperm meets the egg and the DNA needed to make the individual unique is fixed (Roman Catholics)
• Development of the backbone or spinal cord which houses the nervous system, 3rd week
• Heart starts beating, 4th week (Some Christians)
• When the foetus is viable, can survive outside the womb, usually 22 weeks
• Buddhists believe there is no moment when life begins because they belive in the cucle of life, death and rebirth
• Muslims believe that there is potential life from conception but that a foetus receives a soul at 120 day and this is when life begins

Quality of Life: A measure of fulfilment

In the case of a child, this can be physical and mental welbeing of the child and the family circumstances it will be born into (Family, Love, Friends, Home, Health, Not live in poverty, Food)

A child may not be wanted if:

• The pregnancy is unplanned, the parents are young or not together and unprepared financially and mentally. This can cause many problems for the mother such as stress
• The child is born with a severe disability that the family cannot afford to treat and the parents have to see their child suffer
• The family are living in poverty

Abortion and the Law: the deliberate termination of a pregnancy before the foetus is 24 weeks and viable.

Before the 1967 abortion act, abortions were illegal. This lead to many illegal and dangerous abortions. Time limits were placed…