1. Ethics

2. Irish Catholics Bishops, Pastoral letter on Conscience. In every action I say something about the kind of person I wish to be and the kind of values I choose to live by. In every action I say something about how I regard people – as people whose dignity is equal to my own, or as beings I may use or manipulate. Take a few minutes to think about this statement.

3. What is ethics? Ethics is concerned with working out what is right or wrong, good or bad behaviour when responding to a particular issue, circumstance or situation.

4. Ethics involves developing the ability to think about right and wrong responses to personal, community and global issues and being able to  Assess influences on our response  Analyse information.

5. Morality refers to the “code” we hold about what is right and wrong. This is influenced by family, religion, social background, political circumstances, culture, friends. Morality

6. What does ethical mean?  Behaving according to our moral code.  Being able to think about, assess and analyse information and influences around us.

7.  Science asks Can we?  Law asks May we?  Morality asks Should we? Curtis Harris.

8. Bio Ethics: definition  Our attempt to know and understand how we are to live and what we are to do (or not do), to be (or not be)…..

9. Particularly in regard to…  Guiding moral choices in a medical and biological context and in providing principles by which conflicts in the decision making process may be resolved. E. Dunn

10. Another definition:  A prism through which we look so as to separate out the various issues relating to health care and other issues surrounding life and death, science, history, tradition of Church teaching, culture, social sciences.  It is interdisciplinary by nature

11. What does it mean to be human? Rahner: the human person is an open ended mystery that can only find completion in God.

12. What is your image of God?

13. What does it mean to be made in God’s image?

14. Moral Decision Making  We are part of a community and any action we take, positive or negative, affects others. Being part of community brings responsibilities.  In other words; yes, you are created in the image and likeness of God. Yes, you are precious and God knows every hair on your head, but you are one part of a whole. Your actions affect others!

15. Faith and reason are the two wings of a bird! John Paul II

16. Sacredness of Life  A principled approach to Bio-ethics

17. 1. Autonomy Personal responsibility 2. Non-maleficience: Hypocratic oath, do no harm, balance of benefits. 3. Beneficence: a positive expression of 2. an obligation to advance health care, a responsibility to help others. 4. Justice: the fair allocation of health resources.

18. Abortion Statistics: Year ended December 2012  In the year ended December 2012:  14,745 abortions were performed in New Zealand, the lowest number since 1995 (13,652).  The general abortion rate was 16.1 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, down from 17.3 per 1,000 in 2011.  Women aged 20–24 years had the highest abortion rate (29 abortions per 1,000 women aged 20–24 years).  The median age of women having an abortion was 25 years.  Most abortions (62 percent) were a woman's first abortion.  55 percent of abortions were performed before the 10th week of the pregnancy.

19. Four Catholic Principles that can be added. 1. Sacredness of life 2. The innate dignity of the human person. 3. Truth telling- shows respect for self and others. Good relationships are based on trust. 4. Common good as opposed to individual rights, requires co-operation. 5. Preferential option for the poor.

20. About abortion statistics Abortion is defined as foetal loss excluding stillbirths. Induced abortions are those initiated voluntarily with the intention of terminating a pregnancy. All other abortions are called spontaneous abortions (miscarriages), even if an external cause is involved, such as injury or high fever. All abortion statistics and derived abortion rates included in this release are based on legally induced abortions registered in New Zealand.

21. In New Zealand the grounds on which an abortion is permitted are described in the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 and in section 187A of the Crimes Act 1961. In any year, 98– 99 percent of all abortions are performed because of serious danger to the mental health of the woman. No information is available on spontaneous abortions. Statistics New Zealand produces and disseminates induced abortion statistics on behalf of the Abortion Supervisory Committee.