Christian Beliefs about Life and Death » Sanctity of Life and Abortion: Christian Views

The sanctity of life for Christians

The lesson The Sanctity of Life and Abortion explained that "sanctity of life" means life is holy and precious, and that abortion is the ending of a pregnancy. It also covered the law and non-religious views. Here we look at what Christians teach and why they do not all agree.

Key terms:

• Conception: the moment when a sperm and an egg join and a new life begins to grow.
• Catholic Church: the largest Christian Church, led by the Pope and the bishops.
• Church of England: the Church that is the established Church in England. The monarch is its Supreme Governor and the Archbishop of Canterbury is its senior bishop.
• Lesser evil: a choice that is still seen as wrong or sad, but that is judged less harmful than the other choices.
• Compassion (recap from Euthanasia, Assisted Dying and the Law): deep concern for people who are suffering, along with a wish to help.

Christians believe that life is a gift from God. God made the world and every person in it, so human life does not belong to us in the way a phone or a bike does. It belongs first to God. Most Christians also say that human life has a particular value, more than any other living thing, because of what the Bible says about people.

• Genesis 1:27 says human beings are made in the image of God (the Imago Dei from the lesson Creation, Stewardship and Imago Dei). Christians say this gives every person dignity, whatever their age, health or ability.
• 1 Corinthians 6:19 says the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Christians use this to say the body should be treated with respect.

Life before birth in the Bible

The Bible does not mention abortion directly. Christians instead look at what it says about life in the womb and about the commandment "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13).

Many Christians use these verses to argue that an unborn child is already a person who matters to God. Other Christians accept that the verses show God's care, but say they do not settle exactly when a life becomes a full person, or what should be done in a very difficult situation.

The Catholic Church and abortion

The Catholic Church teaches that human life begins at conception. From that moment, it says, the unborn child is a human being with the right to life, made in the image of God. So the Catholic Church teaches that abortion is always wrong, because it deliberately ends an innocent human life.

Catholic teaching also says that the unborn child should be protected and cared for, and that mothers in difficulty should be given help and support. Catholics point out that the Church runs support for pregnant women and supports adoption as an alternative.

There is one point that is often misunderstood. Catholic teaching does not call it abortion when a treatment is given to save the mother's life, such as treating a serious illness, and the unborn child dies as an unintended result. The aim is to save the mother, not to end the pregnancy. This is a medical decision made with great care.

Many Orthodox Christians also teach that life begins at conception and that abortion is wrong, though they stress care and forgiveness for those who face the decision.

The Church of England and abortion

The Church of England also teaches that life is a gift from God and that the unborn child must be treated with respect. It is strongly opposed to abortion. However, it accepts that in some tragic and difficult cases, abortion may be the lesser evil. Examples often given are when the mother's life or health is at serious risk.

So the Church of England does not say "never" in the way the Catholic Church does. It says abortion should be seen as a serious matter, allowed only in strictly limited circumstances. It also asks Christians to care for women who have faced the choice, whatever they decide.

Other Christians: compassion and the mother's situation

Some Christians, often described as more liberal, put more weight on compassion and on the situation of the mother. They point to Jesus' teaching, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful" (Luke 6:36), and to the way he cared for people who were suffering or judged by others.

They may say that a woman's circumstances matter a great deal. Examples include a pregnancy caused by rape, a risk to the mother's health, a baby who is expected to have a very serious condition, or a girl too young to cope. Some of these Christians still believe life is sacred. They say that in a broken world, the loving choice is sometimes between two hard options, and that the woman should not be condemned.

Pro-life and pro-choice Christians

Remember, "pro-life" and "pro-choice" are labels used in the lesson The Sanctity of Life and Abortion. Within Christianity, the great majority of the Churches, including the Catholic, Orthodox and Church of England, lean pro-life, though they differ on exceptions. Pro-choice Christians are a smaller group, but they exist, and most of them are not in favour of abortion for casual reasons.

Christians of every view often agree on one thing: the decision should never be taken lightly, and people who face it deserve support, not judgement.

Exam-style question

(a) Identify three Christian beliefs about the sanctity of life. [3 marks, AO1]

(b) Choose one religion. Outline two reasons why this religion is against abortion. [4 marks, AO1]

(c) Explain why there are different attitudes to abortion among Christians. [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]

(d) "Abortion is never the right choice." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks, AO1 and AO2]

Recap

• Christians believe life is a gift from God and that human life has particular value because people are made in God's image.
• The Bible does not mention abortion, but Christians use Psalm 139:13, Jeremiah 1:5 and Exodus 20:13.
• The Catholic Church teaches life begins at conception and abortion is always wrong.
• The Church of England is strongly opposed to abortion but allows limited exceptions as a lesser evil.
• Some Christians put compassion and the mother's situation first. There are pro-life and pro-choice Christians.