Sanctity of Life

This unit looks at different medical procedures and how these link in with the Sanctity of life debate.

Abortion

Pro- life or Pro-choice?

Alternatives to Abortion

  • There are other alternatives e.g. fostering, adoptions or contacting Pro-life organisations for help like LIFE.
  • Other organisations can offer support and counselling as well as helping out with baby-sitting and financial issues.

Religious views on Abortion

Christianity (General) / Roman Catholic / Islam
Allow Abortion in cases of Rape or mental illness or severe disability of the child / Totally against Abortion in ALL cases (including rape) / Only allowed generally to save the mothers life
It can be considered the lesser of two evils / Goes against the commandment, ‘Thou shall not kill’ / The later the abortion the worse it is considered
‘Treat others as you want to be treated’. This sums up the Christian viewpoint. In cases of rape etc...the more loving thing to do is have an abortion / God created life and only God can end it. / Muslims believe ensoulment (soul goes into the baby) does not occur until 16 weeks.
Only allow double effect. This is if the mother needs medical treatment to live and the baby could die as a result. They will allow this. / For the first 16 weeks the mother has more rights than the foetus. This is due to their belief on ensoulment

Issues about Medical Ethics

For many modern medical issues such as plastic surgery, blood transfusions, testing drugs, genetic engineering, cloning and organ donation there are no clear religious teachings. However, there are key teachings that Christians and Muslims can apply to the situation. They could……

Search Sacred texts for beliefs that you can relate to the issue / Analyse the intentions of the procedure – is it for the greater good? / Think about the ultimate principles of a religion and how this fits in
Discuss the matter with other believers and leaders in their religion / Consider the effects on themselves and others and on society as a whole / Pray about the issues and seek guidance directly from God

How do doctors make ethical decisions?

Main ways:

Hippocratic Oathaffects every decision a doctor makes

The long term effects on the patient have to be considered in every case

A doctor is expected to take account of someone’s beliefs. Example: Jehovah witnesses and blood transfusions

Effect on family should be taken into account

What are the dilemmas faced by scientific advancements?

Some surgery and medical treatments are just cosmetic and not life-saving, so are they really necessary?

New drugs need to be tested before they can be used safely, but how is it best to do this?

There are times when thinking or talking about donating organs raises lots of issues

Should you save a patient if you have the means to do so, if they request for a doctor not to?

Should genetic engineering be used to screen against diseases and destroy embryos, or does everyone have the right to life?

Should cloning be allowed, or it against God?

Does the decision made regarding medical ethics depend on the situation?

Religious believers will apply the principles of their decision to a particular situation

The role of utilitarianism – The greatest good for the greatest number

Some things are always wrong in some people’s opinion regardless of the situation. For example: Some people are always against Euthanasia

The role of conscience

Fertility Treatments

Christian viewpoints on Fertility Treatments (IVF)

For / Against
  • Because it brings happiness to people who would otherwise have no children.
/
  • Some Christians would say that only God creates life. The RCC would say that all fertility treatment is wrong.

  • They might say that life comes from God; therefore anything that creates new life has too been good.
/
  • That the creation of a life should be a natural process (No test tubes)
  • If you use a third party in making the baby it’s considered adultery.
  • Money could be better spent on helping the poor around the world.

  • In Genesis God tells Adam and Eve to ‘Be fruitful and multiply’
/
  • Children are gift from God; we don’t have the ‘Right’ to children. It may be God’s plan for us NOT to have children

  • They might consider the ‘Golden Rule’ and think how they would like to be treated if they where desperate to have a child.
/
  • AIH is wrong as it involves a third person and this is like Adultery.
  • One of the problems caused by IVF is that several eggs are fertilised to maximise the chances of pregnancy. This creates ‘spare’ embryos, which then have to be destroyed. This is seen as murder.

What is the Muslim View on Fertility Treatment?

  • Many accept AIH and IVF because the egg and sperm are from the husband and wife.
  • They allow IVF regardless of the spare embryos, as they do not believe the embryo is not viable life (ensoulment happens later).
  • Qur’an warns that the semen or sperm should not be destroyed or wasted.
  • It is considered important to know who the natural parents are.
  • Do not agree with AID, because it involved a third person and is like adultery.

Organ Transplantation

Religious views on Organ donation

What is the Christian View?

•Throughout his life Jesus taught people to love one another and he proved his love for the world upon the cross.

•It seems in keeping with this that Christians consider organ donation as a genuine act of love and a way of following Jesus’ example.

•Christians feel it to be a generous and loving thing to do!

•Sacrifice and helping others are important themes in the bible.

•It is not a rule for Christians that their organs have to be donated - however it is generally seen as a loving thing to do!

•Jehovah’s witnesses – agree with organ transplantation, but all blood must be drained from the organ before it is transplanted as they DONOT agree with blood transfusions, as they see it as cannibalism!

What is the Muslim View?

  • In 1996 the Muslim Law (Shariah) Council UK issued a fatwa (religious opinion) on organ donation. The council resolved that:

‘The council supports organ transplantation as a means of alleviating pain or saving life’.

•Muslims may carry donor cards

•Normally, violating the human body, whether living or dead, is forbidden in Islam as Muslims believe they need their bodies on Judgement day– but the Shariah believes this can be overruled when saving another person’s life.

•However there are also a significant number of Muslim scholars who believe that organ donation is not permissible.

•Both viewpoints take their evidence from the Qur’an and therefore individual Muslims should make a decision according to their understanding of the Shariah or seek advice from their local Imam or scholar.

Euthanasia

The word Euthanasia comes from two Greek words meaning Easy Death. It is when someone is assisted in ending their own lives.

Active Euthanasia – this is when someone does something to end someone’s life (Give an injection or a poison).

Passive Euthanasia – this is when someone stops doing something to keep someone alive (Turn off a life support machine or disconnect a feeding tube).

For / Against
  • Dignity in death
  • A personal choice
  • Humane
  • Hard to watch a loved one suffer
  • Freewill – Adam and Eve
  • Golden rule – ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’. Loving thing to do.
  • A loving God would not want someone to suffer
  • Unbearable pain
  • No quality of life
  • A personal choice – Free will
  • It ‘s humane to allow someone to avoid unbearable pain
  • Gives people dignity in death
  • Our conscience may support it
/ •Gives doctors too much power
•God chooses moment of death – we should not play God.
•Against the sanctity of life – weakens peoples respect for human life
•Slippery slope. Where could it lead to?
•Pain medication has improved/Hospice care
•Against the 10 commandments
•Suffering is part of everyone's life– Jesus suffered on the cross

Christian bible passages/teaching you can refer to in this unit

Muslim Qur’an/teachings that you can refer to for this unit

Key word Box – Write in your key words from this unit

Key Revision Questions

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