Christian and Hindu beliefs on Abortion

The Church of England encourages people to think through the issue of abortion General Synod, the Church's governing body, says that 'The Church of England combines strong opposition to abortion' They see abortion as a great moral evil as the foetus has the right to live and develop, and man has terminated that life They believe that there are too many abortions due to the Abortion Act of 1967 The Church of England has not attempted to deal with every issue associated with abortion

The Roman Catholic Church says that deliberately causing an abortion is a great moral wrong Their belief is based on doctrine law and God's written word The foetus has had potential since it was formed The Church has condemned abortion since the 2nd century AD They have several pro-life groups which challenge the legalisation of abortion The Church itself plays an important role in abortion debates

Pope John Paul II took a very strong line on abortion, describing it as murder It is 'interfering in the mystery of human life, rejecting divine law and moral principles' as well as 'attacking the family' It is seen as gravely immoral (euthanasia and abortion) This view has very clear social and political implications

However, some Catholics (pro-choice Catholics) disagree with the Vatican line on abortion They say that the foetus becomes a person between 40-80 days after conception Church has affirmed the right and the responsibility of each Catholic to follow his or her conscience on moral matters The Church has not declared that its teachings on sexual or reproductive issues is infallible Still don't regard abortion as morally good

Hindu medical ethics stem from the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) The Hindu way is to choose the action which will do least harm to all involved (the foetus, the mother, the father and society) Hinduism is generally opposed to abortion except when it is necessary to save the mother's life

Abortion is practiced in Hindu culture in India, because the religious ban on abortion is sometimes overruled by the cultural preference for sons. This is called 'female foeticide'

The doctrine of reincarnation can be used to make a strong case against abortion If a foetus is aborted, the soul within it suffers a major karmic setback It is deprived of the opportunities its existence would have given it to earn good karma Abortion hinders a soul's spiritual progress Reincarnation can indicate that abortion be permitted Abortion only deprives the soul of one of many births

Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa (non-violence). All life is sacred because all creatures are manifestations of the Supreme Being

Classical Hindu view

Reincarnation debate

Vatican view

Contrasting view

Church of England viewpoint

Roman Catholics

The Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church both firmly condemn abortion and fight to prevent further legalisation

Both Christian religions see abortion as a great moral evil.

Classical Hindu texts are strongly opposed to abortion - some compare to the killing of a priest, some consider it to be worse than killing one's parents and some say that a woman would lose her caste is she aborts her child Abortion is seen as a breach of the duty to produce children - public duty The soul and the matter which form the foetus are formed from conception

A foetus is a person, rather than something developing into a person It contains a reborn soul and should be treated appropriately. By the ninth month the foetus has achieved very substantial awareness The soul remembers its past lives during the last month the foetus spends in the womb (these memories are destroyed during birth)

Christianity

Catholicism

Hinduism