Beginning of life - responses Flashcards
Sanctity of life, treatment & use of embryos, abortion (19 cards)
Why do Christians believe in sanctity of life?
They believe that humans were created in Imago a Dei (image of God)
Why do Muslims believe in sanctity of life?
They believe humans are God’s pinnacle creation
What’s quote of Quran 17:33
“Don’t take a life which God has made sacred”
What are 2 quotes from 5:32
“Whoever takes an innocent soul, it’s as if they’ve killed the whole of humanity”
“Whoever saves a life, it’s as if they’ve saved the whole of humanity”
When do many Christians believe life begins?
At conception when the sperm and egg fuse, because embryos are humans filled with potential.
some Christian theologians, such as Augustine and Aquinas, believe life doesn’t begin until day 40 and 80.
What are differing Muslim views on beginning of life
Many Muslims believe life begins 120 days after conception since there’s strong implications of this in Hadith (speech of prophet) and Quran. However, others believe the soul is given at conception or at 40 days, depending on the school of thought followed.
What’s Sahih al-Bukhari 3036
“Each of one you is constituted in the womb of the mother for forty days, and then becomes a clot of thick blood for similar period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then God sends an angel to write down his deeds, livelihood, the date of his death and whether he will be blessed or wretched. Then the soul is breathed into him.”
What May humanists believe about beginning of life
They may use science to determine when life is given, for example: some may believe it starts when the heart starts beating, when primitive streak is formed or when they first breathe.
They may look at the law for guidance on when life begins.
They may also use their own logic to when they think is most reasonable to believe that life begins. For example: when the baby is born and takes its first breath.
Roman Catholic response to abortion
Many Christians believe abortion goes against the sanctity of life, since it’s consists the killing of a potential child. One main exception would be that if pregnancy endangers the woman’s life.
However, other christians believe that since Jesus says in Matthew 22, “God is love”, Christians should show compassion to the woman by allowing her to have abortion which is safe rather than leaving her with no option but to get an unsafe abortion or raise a child she can’t afford to have mentally or socially.
Islamic response to abortion
Generally, abortion is seen as haraam (impermissible) in Islam as it involves taking a life. However, there are few exceptions regarding circumstances and different Islamic school of thoughts. There are 4 main school of thoughts in Islam:
- Maliki
- Shafi
-hanbali
- hanafi
Ensoulment is believed to happen at 120 days by the hanafi and shafi schools, whilst the Maliki and hanbali school of thoughts believe it to happen at 40 days.
Circumstances which may permit abortion is if the mother’s life is in danger.
What are Islamic school of thoughts ?
They represent different interpretations of the Islamic law, based on the method and teachings of their respective founders which are Islamic scholars who look for different interpretations in the Qur’an, hadeeth or general Islamic principles which can be applied to different circumstances.
These school of thoughts vary from country to country and there is no right school of thought, as each of these provide different views with their interpretations and justifications.
Utilitarian view on abortion
Utilitarians use the greatest happiness principle to making moral decisions, so views on abortion would differ based on the circumstance, and the individual.
The greatest happiness principle consist of making choices that benefit the maximum amount of people and that cause the least amount of people to the least amount of people.
Therefore, the pleasure and pain of the mother, society, future potential child would be taken to account when making a decision on abortion.
Reproductive uses of embryos - religious responses
Roman Catholic
Although having children is highly regarded in a marriage, it should not go against God’s rules. The Roman Catholic Church views IVF as unacceptable morally because it removes the procreation from marriage and leads to destruction of humans filled with potential in labs.
Islamic
- reproductive uses of embryos are generally accepted in Islam as long as specific guidelines are followed. For example: during IVF the sperm and the egg should be that of the wife and husband in a married couple. No other gametes should be used as this would be seen as zina (adultery).
Research uses of embryos - non-religious responses
Humanism
- humanists value science when it comes to making moral decisions, so would support the use of embryos to advanced science as long as it’s in line with the law
Utilitarianism
- utilitarians would look at the benefits which would come from research and the possible pleasure that could arise from research embryos.
Reproductive uses of embryos - non-religious responses
Humanism
- humanists would believe that it’s up to the individual whether they would like to have a child artificially. If couple are not able to have children naturally, it would not be wrong to seek artificial methods in order to achieve happiness in life as it is the only one they have
Utilitarianism
- utilitarians would believe that if having a child artificially would lead to pleasure for the parents, and family, then it should be regarded as morally acceptable as no pain is being caused. However, the potential pain could come with having failed attempts or miscarriages.
Therapeutic uses of embryos - non-religious responses
Humanism
- humanists would support therapeutic uses of embryos as they lead to the treatment of people, and so removal of suffering which can lead to happiness and flourishing for the person to live a good quality of the only life they have
Utilitarianism
- utilitarians would decide whether the therapy would create more pleasure or pain. For example: the family of the sick and the patient themselves would no longer be in pain. However, the methods of therapy, such as saviour siblings, may lead to suffering of the sibling and further issues in the future.
Research uses of embryos - religious responses
Roman Catholic
- Roman Catholics value human life, so the destruction of an embryo with a social after the 14 days would violate the sanctity of life and therefore, many Roman Catholics would not view this as an acceptable use.
Islamic
- Many Muslims don’t believe that the embryo has a soul until the 40th or 120th day depending on the Islamic school of thought. Both of these instances are well past the 14 day limit of research, so may imply that it would be acceptable to research these embryos.
However, some Muslims have a similar view to Roman Catholics that ensoulment begins at conception and therefore, the embryo already has a soul on the fourteenth day, which would make this use of the embryo unethical.
- Islam encourages the development of science and research as knowledge is given extreme importance in Islam
Therapeutic uses of embryos - religious responses
Roman catholic
- Roman Catholics may not see therapeutic uses as morally acceptable despite its potential benefits as it involves the destruction of an embryo, which is believed to have a soul from conception
Islamic
- In Islam, the development of medicine and therapy is valued as it has the potential to save lives through cure. Therefore, since the day of ensoulment in Islam is later than the deadline for the destruction of embryos, many Muslims would believe therapeutic uses of embryos to be morally acceptable
Therapeutic/ research uses of embryos in Islam - hadith reported by Jabir
Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every disease has a cure. If a cure is applied to the disease, it is relieved by the permission of Allah Almighty.”
This implies that the therapeutic and research uses of embryos is encouraged in Islam due to the fact that the prophet said that every disease has a cure, which would motivate Muslim scientists to find the cure to diseases through research and applying this trough therapeutic means of embryos
