Religious
Studies B -
AQA - GCSE
- Matters of
Life
All life comes from God.
Life is special
and precious.
Christianity
Corinthians 3 v 16-17
"Surely you know that God's spirit lives within you..."
Psalm 139 v 13-16
"You [God] formed my innermost parts, you
knitted me together in my mother's
womb... in your book were written all the
days of my life, before I even had them."
Islam
Qur'an 7 v 189
"He is the one who has created
you from a single soul."
Qur'an 17 v 33
"Do not take life... which Allah has
made sacred... except for just cause."
Sanctity
God is in
charge of life.
Only He should
decide when it
starts and ends.
God has plans for
all people's lives.
When does human life start?
Birth - When the
human exits the
womb.
24 weeks - UK Law believes this. With
medical aid, the child could survive
independently of its mother.
Conception -
When the
sperm fertilises
the egg and
becomes and
embryo.
14 weeks - When the foetus begins to breathe for itself.
3 weeks - When the heart begins to beat.
9 weeks - When the child can be felt moving in the womb.
2 weeks - When the embryo
attaches itself to the womb.
16 weeks - Muslims believe a child receives its soul from Allah at this age. They believe it becomes a full human life.
Medical Practices that Interfere with Life
Creating Life
IVF
In Vitro Fertilisation
In Vitro means in glass
Egg and sperm collected.
Egg and sperm combined outside of the body.
After a few days of incubation, conception has occurred.
Fertilised eggs (embryos) have been created.
Embryos placed in woman's womb
Embryos placed in woman's womb.
Used when a woman cannot naturally conceive.
Artificial Insemination
By Husband
Husband produces semen samples.
This semen is injected into the woman's vagina when she ovulates
Used when the husband has a low sperm count.
By Donor
Donor produces semen samples.
This semen is injected into the woman's vagina when she ovulates.
Hopefully she becomes pregnant.
Used when the husband has a genetic disease that he could pass on.
Surrogacy
One woman carries a pregnancy on behalf of another woman
The child is brought up by the couple. The surrogate has no involvement in the upbringing.
Used when a woman is infertile. In the UK, it is illegal to pay someone to do it.
Views on "Life-giving" Practices
IVF
For
Genesis 1 v 28
"Go forth and multiply."
Everyone should have the chance to have a baby.
Against
If you are unable to have a child, God did not want you to have one.
Children have been made 'artificially', can grow up feeling abnormal.
The child may not know their biological parents.
AID/AIH
For
If the husband has a disease, it would be unfair to make the child be born with that disease when there is an alternative.
Genesis 1 v 28
"Go forth and multiply."
Against
The donor/husband has to masturbate to get the sample.
AID means it isn't the husband's child.
Children have been made 'artificially', can grow up feeling abnormal.
AID children may not know their biological father.
God is in charge of life, not humans.
Surrogacy
For
If everyone who is taking part wants to do it, this is acceptable.
If having children makes you happy, this would please a benevolent God.
Against
It can be classified as adultery.
If the embryo is successful, the other embryos are destroyed. This is killing God-given life.
Children have been made 'artificially', can grow up feeling abnormal.
A surrogate child may never know its biological mother.
Course of Human Life
Cloning
Creating a genetically
identical human being.
Illegal all throughout the world.
Saviour
Sibling
Stem
Cell
Research
Genetic Engineering
Genes can be removed or replaced in embryos.
This could prevent a child being born with a genetic disease.
Embryology
Designer
Babies
Blood Transfusion
Blood is used from one person to replace blood in another.
Transplantation
An organ in one person's body is replace by the same organ from somebody else.
Donors can be somebody that has died.
Human Experimentation
The testing of medicine of paid human volunteers.
Human-Animal Hybrid Experimentation
An embryo is created by putting human DNA and an animal egg together.
For example, cow eggs have been used for research into cures for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Views on "Life-altering" Practices
Cloning
For
Potentially stops diseases.
Provides organs for transplants.
Against
Potentially abuses God's plans by messing with them.
Trying to be God as He creates life.
Genetic Engineering
For
Doctors improving life.
If God is benevolent, he will approve of stopping suffering.
Against
Potential to abuse this.
Messing with God's human design.
Blood Transfusions
For
It can save sacred lives.
An act of charity.
Against
The blood could be rejected which would cause death.
Messing with God's plans.
Transplantations
For
Can save human lifes.
The donor is willing to donate their body, God gave us free will.
Against
If the donor hasn't agreed, it is theft.
It is disrespectful to mess with a dead body.
Human Experimentation
For
To test on humans is to improve human life.
Testing is done in safe and controlled conditions.
Against
Possibly endangers life.
It could be saying that we know better than our creator.
Human-Animal Hybrid Experimentation
For
Anything should be done to improve life and rid the world of diseases.
It is not creating new species, just embryos.
Against
Embryos are living creatures. Testing on them is destroying life.
Cross-breeding of any type is warped and repugnant.
Moral Issues
Trying to act like God
Link to "-ologies"
Theology
If God exists, He will not
approve of the removal of his
creations. He might also not
approve of his creations being
altered genetically. He may,
however, approve of their life
being extended where possible.
Epistemology
Over time, we have learnt about the
various genetic diseases that humans can
have, and now have the ability to detect
these in the womb. If we have the
knowledge to prevent these diseases but
do not, is this morally acceptable?
Anthropology
Is it right to deny the humans from
experiencing the life that each of us
experiences? They will not be able
to experience life if they are not
born. This can relate to abortions
on the against side and genetic
modification on the for side.
Psychology
Are humans able to
willingly end the
potential life of humans
without damaging their
conscience?