Religious Studies B - AQA - GCSE - Early Life

1. Abortion
2. Foetus
3. Womb
4. Embryo
5. Conception
6. Quality of life
7. Santity of life

1. "The law should make it harder to have an abortion." Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer.
2. "A woman should have an abortion if she knows that her baby will have a poor quality of life." Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer, showing that you have thought about more than one point of view. Refer to religious arguments in your answer.
3. Explain why some religious believers are against abortion. Refer to religious teaching in your answer.

1. Christianity
   1. Corinthians 3:16-17
      1. "Your body is a temple of God... Surely you know that God's spirit lives within you.
   2. Psalm 139:13-16
      1. "You [God] formed my inner most parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb... In your book were written all days of my life, before I even had them.
2. Islam
   1. Sura 7:189
      1. "He [Allah] is the one who has created you from a single soul."
      2. "Do not take life... which Allah made sacred... except for just cause."
3. "All life comes from God and thus should be protected."
4. "Life is special and precious and should be cherished."
5. "God is in charge of life. Only he should decide when it starts and ends.
6. God has plans for everyone's lives. We all have a purpose and value.

Attachments:

• Religious Studies B - AQA - GCSE - Matters of Life

1. Religious views on when life begins
   1. Catholic Christians - Life begins at conception.
   2. Protestant Christians - Divided.
   3. Muslim - Life begins at conception but becomes a full human life at four months (receives its life from Allah).

1. Severe Disability - A child could be born with a handicap that causes them to live in extreme pain or makes them unable to communicate or care for themselves.
2. Unwanted Children - This can happen when the pregnancy was unplanned (failing contraception or rape). Some think it will not be cared for by the parents if this happens.
3. Poverty - The parents of the child may not be able to financially support them. This includes food and housing. It could cause others in the family (siblings or parents) to suffer.

1. Continuing the pregnancy could endanger the mother's life.
   1. Aborting kills the unborn foetus.
   2. The mother has lived her life, the foetus has not.
2. The mother is too young.
   1. The child could be adopted when born.
3. The mother cannot financially cope.
   1. She should have been more careful with regard to contraception.
4. The pregnancy is a result of rape. The child may not be wanted.
   1. The child has done nothing wrong - still a human life.
5. The child is going to be born with a severe disability.
   1. This suggests that people with disabilities don't deserve to be alive.

1. Abortion legal in UK since 1967. Legal up until 28th week at this stage.
   1. Done to prevent women having them illegally.
2. It is the woman's right to choose to have an abortion.
3. Since 1990, abortions can take place up until 24th week. The law views the foetus as a human life.
4. An abortion must be approved by two doctors.