Early Life SHENAL, LUKE AND ANEEK

Key terms  Viability: when the baby can survive outside the womb- early as 24(debatable) weeks  Abortion: the deliberate termination of a pregnancy usually before the foetus is 24 weeks and viable  Sanctity of life: all life is sacred and special, life should not be destroyed  Quality of life: what someone’s life is like and how the baby’s life is going to end up  Pro-life: emphasises the rights of the unborn child  Pro-choice: emphasises the rights of the women's rights to choose what happens

When does life begin?  At Conception?  Point of Viability?  When it is born?  When it has a heart that beats?

The Abortion Act  By law, life begins when the baby is born. The Abortion Act does not allow abortions to happen beyond 24 weeks. Many people think that when the foetus looks like a baby, it should be treated like one- whether it is fully formed or not.  But the main question in this topic is- When does life really begin?  The law in the UK begins by saying that abortion is illegal but it does say that there are some exceptions. An abortion can be only carried out if two registered doctors agree that:  If the women's health is in danger- mental or physical  The foetus will be born with physical or mental disabilities  The mental or physical health of existing children will be put at risk

Reasons for Abortion  Quality of Life argument: if a child will suffer when born, is it not more humane to have an abortion instead?  Disability: if a child is likely to be severely disabled, and will suffer as a result, is an abortion not a better option?  Poverty: if the parents will not be able to provide food for the child, more suffering will occur if it is born as opposed to if it is aborted

 A key issue is whose rights/opinions are most important when considering an abortion  The mother  The father  Doctors  Grandparents (especially if the mother is young)  Religious leaders Rights and Abortion

Alternatives to Abortion  Keep the child  Could involve a risk to the mother’s health/livelihood  Fostering – someone else looks after the baby temporarily  Adoption – someone else looks after the baby permanently and they become the legal parent.  Self-esteem of the child?

The R in FARP (religious)  Hinduism- Hindus believe that abortion is wrong. Hindu scriptures tell us that: all life is sacred and special so it must be respected. Those who carry out abortions are amongst the worst of sinners.  Christianity- Christians believe that abortion is morally wrong. Some call it a necessary evil. The bible tell us that: life is sacred, all humans were made in the image of God and it is wrong to kill.  Buddhism- Buddhists texts do not mention abortion but most do not favour abortion as it is seen as taking a life. Buddhism tell us: the first precept guides us to help others, not harm them and to reduce suffering. They also believe that life begins at conception.

The Pro-life and Pro-choice arguments  Pro life – arguments that support the foetus’ right to life and are in favour of protecting the foetus to ensure its birth (disagrees with abortion)  Pro choice – arguments that support the women’s right to decide what happens to her body and supports her right to choose (agrees with abortion)

Pressure groups  ProLife.org.uk  Set up to “secure the right to life of all human beings”  Educates people that life should always be respected, and that the right to life is the most important all human rights.  They often focus to campaign against abortion through the media and public education

Pressure groups  Abortion Rights(the national pro-choice campaign)  Set up to extend and protect women’s right to choose whether or not to continue with a pregnancy  They campaign against the restrictions in the law on abortion,doctors blocking abortion requests and campaign towards the option of accessing more safe and legal abortions

Pro Life arguments (against abortion)  Sanctity of life; All life is sacred and must be protected....  God created life and gave us stewardship over this world, humans have to protect life...  Abortion is murder of another human as life begins at conception. Murder is wrong.....  Quality of life cannot be predicted for sure.....  Therefore abortion is wrong

Pro- Choice arguments (for abortion)  If we banned abortions, women would still have them in an unsafe way. We must protect women....  For some foetuses it would be cruel to allow them to be born...  It is the women’s body she has the right to decide whether or not she should go through with an abortion  Life begins at viability – therefore it is not life and the women’s choice is more important  Therefore abortion should/can be carried out or/and not banned

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