ABORTION

THE IMPORTANT JARGON!

Pro-Life arguments say that

Pro-Choice arguments say that

Sanctity of life is the belief that

The Abortion Act, 1967 made abortion

Quality of life means

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act,

1990, meant

What does Christianity say about abortion?

KEY POINT! Like society, which is split over pro-life and
pro-choice abortion positions, so too is the Christian
Church. Not all Christians think the same thing, and so
not all Christians agree or disagree with abortion.

Pope John Paul II of the Roman

Catholic Church said that abortion
was
1.

2.
Why do you think he says this? What
evidence supports his argument?

The only exception to this

Position of the Catholic
Church is when

The Church of England teaches that

abortion
BUT, it also says that abortion can be
justified if
1.
2.
3.
Why do you think the Church of
England allows abortion under these
circumstances?

However, some Christians believe that

So they cant
Because

MATCH UP THE KEY WORDS WITH THEIR

DEFINITIONS
Adoption

British Abortion Law

When a prematurely born baby can

survive. The earliest premature baby
to survive was born at 21 weeks into
a pregnancy.
Becoming the parent(s) of a child
born of someone else.

The law of double effect

When fertilisation of a human ovum

occurs, Roman Catholics believe it
receives its human soul.

Embryo

The development of the spinal cord,

which happens after 14 days.

Viability

An organism at any time before full

development, birth, or hatching.

Abortion

Abortion Act, 1967 made abortion

legal if certain conditions were met,
and the Human Fertilisation and
Embryology Act, 1990, limited
abortions to 24 weeks into a
pregnancy.

Primitive streak

Ensoulment

The premature expulsion of the

foetus from the womb by medical
means.
Catholic belief that abortion is only
allowed if the mothers life is at risk.
This is the only circumstance in
which they will accept abortion.