Sanctity of life: life is
sacred because it is
God-given
"All human life is sacred" Pope
Paul VI Humanae Vitae
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1
Abortion: the deliberate termination (ending) of a pregnancy,
usually before the foetus is twenty-four weeks old.
2 doctors must agree
point of viability must be reached (24 weeks)
Serious harm to mother or baby is otherwise inevitable.
alternatives
adoption
acceptance of the single mother
temporarily implementing foster carers
social and financial support
counselling for all involved
"Before I was born the Lord called me" Isiah 49:1
"Before I formed you in the womb I
knew you, before you were born I
set you apart" Jeremiah 1:5
Pro-choice: slogan used for the view that women should have the
right to chose whether or not to have an abortion
mental health incapabilities
poverty an financial incapability
rise in backstreet abortions
serious harm to mother or baby
freedom of will
Pro-life: slogan used for the view that supports the right to life of the foetus
"you shall not murder" exodus 20:13
human life is sacred
from the moment of
conception it is a
human being
there is no definite time of validation
the embryo can feel pain
personal and
emotional distress
after an abortion
"Because every foetus has significance, the abortion decision must neither be
taken lightly nor made under duress" The Methodist Council of Great Britain
"This choice is personal; the law does not impose abortion on anyone who does not want one or
want to perform one. " British Humanist Association, A Humanist discussion about Abortion 2007
Euthanasia: inducing a painless death, with compassion, to ease suffering. From the greek meaning
'Good Death'. Some Christians believe it is 'mercy killing' while others see it as taking a life.
Quality of life: a measure of fulfilment
Voluntary euthanasia: when a terminally ill person asks a doctor or a friend to help them die
peacefully and with dignity. It can be called 'mercy killing' or 'assisted suicide'
"Intentional euthanasia, whatever its forms or motives, is murder. It is gravely contrary to the dignity
of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his creator." Catechism 2324
'playing God'
"The salvation Army believes that euthanasia and assisted suicide undermine human dignity" The Salvation Army
murder
"There is a real possibility that terminally ill people may feel pressured to ask for an early
death to avoid feeling a burden to their family or the health system." Church of England
mental assessment?
Active Euthanasia: the ending of a life by a deliberate action
injection
give pills
Passive Euthanasia: allowing a terminally ill or incurably ill person to die by withdrawing or
withholding medical treatment that would only prolong the suffering and have no real benefit.
withdrawing
food &
water
turning off life
support
machine
not giving
medical
treatment
"Whose life is it anyway?" Sue Rodrigues
Hospices: special places to which people go to die with dignity
Dame Cicely Saunders
1967- Hospice movement
emphasises
compassionate
care with
expert pain
relief
emphasises
healing, if not
physically
then spiritually
emphasises valuing
the person and every
moment of their life
The use of medical
technology
Artificial insemination (AI): sperm medically
inserted into the vagina to assist pregnancy
Artificial insemination by
donor (AID): Artificial
insemination using a
donor's sperm
Artificial
insemination by
husband (AIH):
Artificial
insemination using
the husband's
sperm
"Be fruitful and
increase in number"
Genesis 1:28
In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF): sperm
and egg joined in test-tube or petri
dish, then inserted into the womb.
otherwise known as test-tube babies (TTB)
Surrogacy: a form of fertility treatment in which a woman's egg is fertilised
artificially by another woman's partner or an embryo from another couple is
created through IVF and then implanted into the 'host' woman. The woman
carries the baby throughout the pregnancy and gives it to the couple after birth
surrogate mother: a woman who has a baby for another
woman
cloning: the scientific method by which animals or
plants can be created which have exactly the
same genetic make-up as the original, because
the DNA of the original has been used
reproductive
cloning: the use of
cloning techniques
to produce a baby
therapeutic cloning: another term for
stem cell cloning
Embryo: fertilised ovum at about
12-14 days when implanted into
the wall of the womb
Designer babies: babies
with gender and
characteristics chosen
by their parents
"Right from the start, this
child did not have the
right to its own birth"
Josephine Quintavalle,
anti-abortion campaigner
Personal responsibility
Human sexuality: how people express
themselves as sexual beings
Age of consent: the legal
age for sex to be treated as
an agreement (currently 16 in
the UK)
Heterosexual: to be attracted to a
person of the opposite sex
Homosexual: to be attracted to a person
of the same sex
do not lie with a man as one lies
with a woman; that is detestable"
leviticus 18:22
Chastity: sexual
purity. not having sex
before marriage
sex outside marriage: sex between people
who are not married, includes adultery, sex
before marriage or casual sex.
"you shall not commit
adultery" Genesis 20:14
contraception: `the artificial and
chemical methods used to prevent
pregnancy taking place
the morning after pill
condoms & femidoms
the contraceptive pill
the coil
injection
testosterone supplements
drugs
stimulant
caffeine
tobacco
depressant
alchohol
solvents
analgesics
heroin
opium
hallucinogens
LSD
cannabis
types of use
experimentation
trying it out once or twice.
casual
when it is easily available
dependant, problematic and chaotic use
life becomes focussed on the drug and when they will get the next fix
recreational
parties!
regular
on most days
"avoid every kind of evil" 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Social responsibility
Marriage: a legal union between a man and a woman.
"Love is as strong as death" song of songs 8:6
welcome
declaration
vows
exchange of rings
proclamations
prayers
readings
signing of the register
Marriage ceremony: the ceremony in
which a man and a woman marry.
Cohabitation: a couple living together and having a sexual relationship without being married to one another
sinful
"marriage is central to the stability and health of human society"
Civil partnership: legal registration and
recognition of a same-sex partnership
same-sex marriage in the UK became legal in 2014
Marital breakdown: when a husband and wife no longer get on with
each other, leading to the end of the marriage by divorce or separation
loss of early romance
immaturity
substance abuse
domestic violence
infertility
children
death
infertility
finance
finances/employment
ill health
"marriage provides the proper context for sexual
relationships and the bringing up of children… around
which other relationships grow" church of england
Divorce: legal ending of a marriage
Remarriage: when people who have
been married before marry again
Prejudice: unfairly judging someone before the facts are known
sex
sexuality
race
religion
disability
Discrimination: to act on your prejudices.
inequality
ignorance
Samaritans: a group of people in biblical times
considered by some jews to have abandoned
the jewish faith through marrying foreigners and
taking on foreign religious beliefs.
what it means to be a follower of the Lord
"love thy neighbour"
being a christian demands action, not just beliefs
become involved
Desmonnd Tutu
Oct 7 1931
opponent of apartheid government in South Africa in 80s
Nobel peace prize 1984
Gandhi peace prize 2007
"we are the rainbow people of God. we
are unstoppable" 1993
Global concerns
stewardship: the belief that believers
have a duty to look after the
environment on behalf of God
Pollution: the contamination of
something, especially the
environment
Natural resources: resources
that are part of the environment
Natural habitats: the places where species
of plants or animals live in the wild
Climate change: changes to the climate, believed
by some scientists to be irreparably damaging, that
have been caused by human lifestyles
recycling: reusing materials in the interests of
environmental conservation
Earth summits: meetings of international leaders
aimed at reaching an agreement that will reduce
environmental pollution and climate change
justice: bringing about what is right and
fair, according to the law or making up a
wrong that has been committed
Less economically developed country
(LEDC): a phrase used in place of 'third
world countries' or 'developing nation'
World poverty: the idea that the majority of the world's population
actually live in conditions of extreme need or hardship
Charity: (i) voluntarily giving help to those in need
(ii) an organisation set up to help those in need
(iii) christian love for the needy
Tearfund
CAFOD
Christian aid
Trocaire
Aid: to help or assist people in need usually by practical assistance and gifts
CAFOD (Catholic Fund for Overseas Development): charity establishment by the Bishops
of England and Wales to bring aid to Less Economically Developed Countries
Emergancy Aid: also known as short-term aid. Help given to communities in a time of disaster crisis
Long-term aid: helping people to help themselves by providing the tools, education and funding for projects
Conflict
just war: a war that christians define as acceptable
last resort
serious threat
chance of success
weapons used proportionally
ultimate goal: restoration of peace
Pacifism: the belief that it is unacceptable to take part in war and any other form of violence
"blessed are the peacemakers, for they will
be called sons of God" matthew 5:9
"'put your sword back in its place' Jesus said to him 'for all
who draw the sword will die by the sword'" matthew 26:52
Quaker: member of the Society of Friends, a tradition that does not have ministers or a written statement of beliefs
Terrorism: when groups use violence, or the threat of violence, to achieve their aims, rather than using a democratic process.
violent
intended to create fear through psychological impact
deliberately targeted at civilians
Nuclear war: a war in which the participants use nuclear weapons
Nuclear proliferation: the increase in the number of states that have the potential to use nuclear weapons
"mankind must put an end to war before war
puts an end to mankind" John F Kennedy
"there is no ethical justification for the weapons of mass destruction- christian, muslim, jewish
or humanist- no more for the suicide bomber" `Canon Dr Paul Oestreicher - Church of england
crime: breaking the law
Retribution: to 'get your own back' on the criminal, based on the
Old Testament teaching of "an eye for an eye". An aim of
punishment aimed at being proportionate to the offence committed
Reform: to change someone's behaviour for the better. An aim of punishment.
Deterrence: to put people off committing further crimes. one of the aims of punishment
Protection: to stop the criminal hurting anyone in society. an aim of punishment
"No-one is totally defined by their sins and failures." church of england
offender: someone who has done wrong
capital punishment: form of punishment in which a prisoner is put to death for the crimes committed
'fits the crime' if you kill a killer, you should also be killed
contradicts human right to life
is life imprisonment more or less humane than execution