RELIGION AND LIFE

YEAR 12 GENERAL
Term 2
NAME:

TEACHER:

TOPIC SEVEN
CURRENT ISSUES
Assessment Outline

DESCRIPTION DATE
Task 1: Explanation based on the following content:
• The relationship between important life events and the search for
Tm 1 Wk 4
meaning and purpose

Task 2: Source analysis based on the following content

• An overview of a religion’s structure and/or leadership
Tm 1 Wk 6
• Different ways people choose to follow a religious way of life

Task 3: Investigation based on the following content:

• An overview of an important event or issue in the history of a religion
Tm 2 Wk 1
(Written in-class report.)

Task 4: A task set by the SCSA based on the following content from Unit 3
• How a religious belief or teaching can play a role in the lives of people
and/or society Tm 2 Wk
• How individuals or groups respond to the presence of religion in a society 5/6

Task 5: Research and written report based on the following content:

• The key features of a current issue in society to which a religion seeks to
Tm 2 Wk
respond 11
• The response of a religion to a current issue in society

Task 6: Source Analysis based on the following content:

• How a religious practice, ritual, celebration or event can play a role in the Tm 3 Wk 3
lives of people

Task 7: Research and multimedia presentation based on the following content:

• Examples of how the lives of people are influenced and shaped by
religion
Tm 3 Wk 6
• How religion plays a part in the life of a significant religious person, past
or present
• How a religion interacted with an important event or issue from the past
Task 8: Short written responses and Source Analysis on the following content:
• Reasons for and against the involvement of religion in society
• A comparison of societal and religious views on a current issue in society
• Why a religion responds in a particular way to a current social issue Tm 3 Wk
• An example of the role religious leaders and/or structures play in 10
developing or supporting the expression of a religious belief, teaching or
practice

Weightings:
• Externally Set Task: 15%
• Investigation: 25%
• Explanation: 30%
• Source Analysis: 30%

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RELIGION AND LIFE
YEAR 12 GENERAL

TOPIC SEVEN
CURRENT ISSUES IN SOCIETY

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 Year 12 Religion and Life General Unit 3 Content

The nature of religion

The search for meaning
• the relationship between important life events and the search for meaning and
purpose
• different ways people choose to follow a religious way of life

Religious belief and practice

• how a religious belief or teaching can play a role in the lives of people and/or
society
• an overview of a religion’s structure and/or leadership

The influence of religion

The place of religion in society
• how individuals or groups respond to the presence of religion in a society

Religion in historical contexts

• an overview of an important event or issue in the history of a religion

Current issues for religion

• the key features of a current issue in society to which a religion seeks to
respond
• the response of a religion to a current issue in society

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 Tune In

Discuss the meaning of each of the following syllabus points. These will direct your learning
in this topic.

the key features of a current issue in society to which a religion seeks to respond

the response of a religion to a current issue in society

Note key words and reword syllabus point.

Name some current issues we have in our society today that the
Church might respond to:

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Current issues in society

In all societies there are current issues that concern individuals and communities.
Such issues and concern about them may be local, regional, national or global.
Some current issues have the potential to be important for religions in general,
particular religions and those who belong to a religion. Sometimes such issues are a
matter of concern because they impact upon the beliefs, practices and/or lifestyle of
a religion and its followers. Sometimes a religion will respond to issues in society
because it is concerned about the well-being of society.

Knowing what a current issue is about and how and why a religion might respond to
particular issues is an important part of Religion and Life. In this unit you will need to
focus on the key features of one current issue and the response of a religion to this
issue.

A careful selection of an issue to focus on is important, as it is not uncommon for

students to become lost in the detail or emotion of current social issues – after all
you too are affected by such issues.

Further, in order to understand the issue as well as the response of a religion to the
issue, it is important to have an objective study of both the issue and the response of
a religion.

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 Current Issue
Life before birth: Abortion

This topic is an explanation based on the current issue of ABORTION. Over the
journey of your learning in this topic you should be able to answer the following focus
questions:
• What current issues in society do religious seek to respond to?
• What are the key features of one such issue?
• How does a religion respond to this current issue?

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Abortion A medical procedure to terminate a pregnancy,
normally before a the foetus can survive
independently.
Consciousness The state of being aware and responsive to one’s
surroundings. **
Embryo The earliest stages of the unborn human organism,
normally within the uterus, that results from
conception. The term is usually applied to such
cellular organisms up to eight weeks after conception.
Thereafter they are called a foetus.
Ensoulment A term traditionally used in relation to the ethical
teaching of Augustine and Aquinas, to describe the
process by which an embryo comes to possess a
soul, and may be thought to hold greater moral
significance.
Foetus The unborn baby within the womb of the uterus. The
term is normally applied from eight weeks after
conception to birth.
Human Rights The entitlement of human beings to be treated with
equality, justice and repsect, defined most fully in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Personhood The term is usually, deployed to describe the
condition of a human foetus or embryo which has
developed (or acquired) the characteristics of human
personality. Ethical debates are focussed on the
stage of human development at which these features
are acquired.
Sanctity of Life A belief that human life is sacred and that, therefore,
no person has a right to take his or her own life or the
life of another person whether it is an unborn foetus
or a fully alive human being.
Quality of Life A human condition in which a person enjoys a degree
of physical, intellectual and emotional well-being, the
absence of which through severe illness or disability
is sometimes used as an argument in favour of
euthanasia and abortion.
Viability The ability to live and grow independently. **

Terminology: WJEC Religious Studies – A2 Glossary- RS3 ETH Religion and Ethics
** Oxford Dictionary

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“Although it’s legal in many countries, its morality is disputed”. – Bowie, R.

Abortion:
Derivitive of the Latin ‘Aboriri’ —to miscarry.

The act of giving premature birth with loss of the

foetus, especially in the period before a live birth
is possible; (the procuring of) induced
termination of pregnancy to destroy a foetus.
- Dewar

Key characteristics requires you to explain the issue i.e. includes

defining the issues (the what) then consider the who, when,
where and why…

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 Current Issue: Abortion
AUSTRALIAN STATISTICS ON ABORTION – SOURCE ONE

Read the article on abortion statistics

https://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/australian_abortion_statistics/
Complete the below PMI (plus, minus, interesting) chart on the information you have
discovered.

How To complete your chart

Step 1. Consider the Plus Points
Record all of the positive things you can think of. Don’t critique yourself, simply spill out
all the positive points.

Step 2. Consider the Minus Points

Record all of the negative things you can think of. Don’t critique yourself, simply spill out
all the negative points

Step 3. Consider the Interesting Points of the Situation.

Record all the interesting points that you can think of. Rather than positive or negative,
they are simply points of interest that you should direct your attention to.

Step 4. Make Your conclusion

Now make your judgement because you’ve scanned and organised three important aspects:
the positives, the negatives, and the interesting.

PLUS MINUS INTERESTING

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Source 2
RESEARCH ACTIVITY: Access the website
https://www.childrenbychoice.org.au/factsandfigures/australianabortionlawandp
ractice
Summarise the Law and required context for abortion to be legal in each Australian
state. What the differences between the Australian states?

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Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice: Is Abortion Murder?: Watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am7alPZW5fw .
Summarise the arguments presented below:

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THE ARGUMENTS: PRO-LIFE vs PRO-CHOICE

Sources 3, 4 & 5
Watch the video and read the extract and info graphic below to complete
the table on the Prolife vs Prochoice arguments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVwD0DUxRmU

Dewar, G., (2009), AS & A Level Religious Studies: Philosophy and Ethics Through
Diagrams, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Source 5

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Identify the arguments for pro-life and pro-choice as listed in the sources above

PRO - CHOICE PRO – LIFE

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SOURCE 6 (https://www.fpa.org.uk/sites/default/files/abortion-knowing-
the-facts.pdf [accessed 22-4-20]

What is the common trend in these reasonings?

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Based on your readings so far, in your opinion
would it be morally OK for a woman to have an
abortion?

Move to one side of the room or the other

depending on your opinion.

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The debate matters because it is a matter of potential human life
and death.

Quiz Time – The biological development of the child.

These are the biological developments of the Child in the womb.

Pencil in where you believe each stage is achieved in the table on the
next page. You may want to cross off each one you have used.

Has a complete Is implanted in Has genetic

Needs Protecting skeleton the womb identity

Hear Starts Has its own Needs Food

Needs Warmth beating blood cells

Teeth Buds Eye colour

Form Sex Determined Has finger prints decided

Smaller than a Can wrinkle its Adult Height Finger nails

grain of salt forehead and Established begin to grow
frown
Can Swallow All organs work Recognises
(not lungs) 5.5cm long Sound

Can breather by Sensitive to Sneezes when

itself (once born) touch Feels Pain nose is touched.

Opens Eyes Movements felt

by mother

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Development of foetus Development Period
Conception
Conception
Conception
Conception
Conception
Conception
Conception
Conception
5
7
5
8
9
12
20
12
16
20
12
16
20
10
20
20
20
16
20
14
24
24
20

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 Your teacher will not give you the answers – correct your sheet.
Now complete and discuss the table below…..
Biological Development Development Period/ Reason for your Answer….
Weeks
Life Begins……?

Is Alive?

Is a person?

Can you make connections between

Australian laws and the biological
developments?

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 Developmental Stages of Pregnancy
SOURCE 7: Refer to PDF document in SEQTA for detailed development
and below..

Accessed on 23-4-20 from http://www.caseforlife.com/prenatalphotos.html

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 What Happens in an Abortion???
See the summary and watch the videos on the abortion procedures:
The Abortion Pill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91gxrgm57HY
First Trimester Surgery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKv5ABgqPTw
Second Trimester Surgery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgw4X7Dw_3k or go to:
https://www.abortionprocedures.com/

REFLECTION: Considering what you now know about the developmental

stages of pregnancy and the procedures, reflect on your thoughts about
abortion. Has your opinion changed? Why or why not? Write a reflection.
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When does life begin?
Science agrees on this point: Life The unborn child responds
begins at conception.1 Here are five to sensory input as early as
vital signs of life in the womb to seven weeks (gestational
consider:2 age). All of the organ
systems of the developing
1. Heartbeat: Modern technology human demonstrate
function simultaneously
can detect the baby's heart 18 with the appearance of the
days after conception — about 4 anatomical structure. By
days after most women miss a 10 weeks, the human
period and begin to suspect they embryo has well-developed
are pregnant. It can be seen to organ systems and most of
the anatomy can be named
beat by day 22. Between with the same nomenclature
conception and birth, the heart that we use in adults. The
beats approximately 54 million brain has been growing
times! rapidly and will continue to
develop as the baby grows,
2. Brain waves: By 6 weeks and 2
moves, and experiences the
days from sensory input of the
conception, signals from the environment surrounding it.
brain can be detected. There is no point in
3. Independent movement: development in which the
structure exists without
Although a pregnant woman does function.
not feel movement for at least
another 8-10 weeks, the embryo "Q&A with the Scholars:
begins to spontaneously move The Science of Fetal Pain,"
Dr. Sheila Page, DO
between 5-6 weeks.
4. Senses: By 8 weeks and 2 days,
touching the embryo will elicit squinting, jaw movement,
grasping motions, and toe pointing.
5. Breathing: The embryo can hiccup by 7 weeks. The
diaphragm muscle is completely formed by 8 weeks and
intermittent breathing motions begin.
https://www.lifemattersww.org/Need-Help/Questions-about-abortion/When-Does-Life-Begin

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Watch YouTube video on When Does Life begin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ia5O57nZbw

Summarise the main arguments and discuss:

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 Source 8: Scientific Case
http://www.caseforlife.com/evidence.html

The facts of science are clear: From the earliest stages of development, the
unborn are distinct, living, and whole human beings. Therefore, every
"successful" abortion ends the life of a living human being.

The Medical Community Speaks

In its 1859 Report on Criminal Abortion, the American Medical Association (AMA)
understood that "the independent and actual existence of the child before birth as a living
being" was a scientific truth. Nothing has changed since that time. For the past 150 years
doctors have known that life begins at conception.

Consider the following quotations from medical experts in the field of embryology.

"It is the penetration of the ovum by a spermatozoan and resultant mingling of the nuclear
material that each brings to the union that constitutes the culmination of the process of
fertilization and marks the initiation of the life of a new individual." (Bradley M. Patten,
Human Embryology, 3rd ed., New York: McGraw Hill, 1968, page 43.)

"Every time a sperm cell and ovum unite a new being is created which is alive and will
continue to live unless its death is brought about by some specific condition." (E. L. Potter
and J. M. Craig, Pathology of the Fetus and the Infant, 3rd ed., Chicago: Year Book Medical
Publishers, 1975, page vii.)

Dr. Watson A. Bowes of the University of Colorado Medical School speaks clearly, when he
says, "The beginning of a single human life is from a biological point of view a simple and
straightforward matter - the beginning is conception." (Subcommittee on Separation of
Powers to Senate Judiciary Committee S-158, Report, 97th Congress, 1st Session, 1981.)

A 1981 U.S. Senate report states, "Physicians, biologists, and other scientists agree that
conception marks the beginning of the life of a human being - a being that is alive and is a
member of the human species. There is overwhelming agreement on this point in countless
medical, biological, and scientific writings." (Subcommittee on Separation of Powers, Ibid.)

Prior to advocating abortion, former Planned Parenthood President Dr. Alan Guttmacher
was perplexed that anyone would question these basic scientific facts. "This all seems so
simple and evident that it is difficult to picture a time when it wasn't part of the common
knowledge," he wrote in his book Life in the Making. (A. Guttmacher, Life in the Making:
The Story of Human Procreation, New York: Viking Press, 1933, p. 3.)

In short, a human life begins at the completion of the conception process.

Any Ol' Cell Will Do?

Nonetheless, Ronald Bailey of Reason magazine insists that we gain no real knowledge
from these scientific facts. Bailey argues that embryonic human beings are biologically

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human only in the sense that every cell in the body carries the full genetic code, meaning
that each of our somatic (bodily) cells has as much potential for development as any human
embryo. Put simply, Bailey would have us believe that there is no difference in kind
between a human embryo and each of our cells.

This is bad biology. Bailey is making the rather elementary mistake of confusing parts with
wholes. The difference in kind between each of our cells and a human embryo is clear: An
individual cell’s functions are subordinated to the survival of the larger organism of which it
is merely a part. The human embryo, however, is already a whole human entity. Robert
George and Patrick Lee say it well. It makes no sense to say that you were once a sperm or
somatic cell. However, the facts of science make clear that you were once a human embryo.
“Somatic cells are not, and embryonic human beings are, distinct, self-integrating organisms
capable of directing their own maturation as members of the human species.”

Dr. Maureen Condic points out that embryos are living human beings "precisely because
they possess the single defining feature of human life that is lost in the moment of death -
the ability to function as a coordinated organism rather than merely as a group of living
cells." Condic, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Utah,
explains the important distinction between individual parts and whole human embryos
overlooked by Bailey:

"The critical difference between a collection of cells and a living organism is the ability of
an organism to act in a coordinated manner for the continued health and maintenance of the
body as a whole. It is precisely this ability that breaks down at the moment of death,
however death might occur. Dead bodies may have plenty of live cells, but their cells no
longer function together in a coordinated manner."
From conception forward, human embryos clearly function as whole organisms. “Embryos
are not merely collections of human cells, but living creatures with all the properties that
define any organism as distinct from a group of cells; embryos are capable of growing,
maturing, maintaining a physiologic balance between various organ systems, adapting to
changing circumstances, and repairing injury. Mere groups of human cells do nothing like
this under any circumstances.”

Moment of Conception

Philosopher David Boonin discounts the pro-lifer’s claim that the newly conceived zygote is
a distinct, living, and whole human organism. How can this be, he argues, when we don’t
know the precise moment during the conception process at which the new zygotic human
being comes into existence? Here Boonin is both right and wrong. True, we don’t know
exactly when during the conception process that the zygote comes to be. Some
embryologists argue that it happens when the sperm penetrates the ovum while others point
to syngamy, when the maternal and parental chromosomes crossover and form a diploid set.
But as Beckwith points out, although Boonin raises an important epistemological question
(When do we know that sperm and egg cease to be and a new organism arises?), he’s
mistaken that his skepticism successfully undermines the pro-lifers strongly supported
ontological claim that the zygote is distinct, living, and whole human being. “It may be that
one cannot, with confidence, pick out the precise point at which a new being comes into
existence between the time at which the sperm initially penetrates the ovum and a complete
and living zygote is present. But how does it follow from this acknowledgment of
agnosticism that one cannot say that zygote X is a human being?” Boonin, writes Beckwith,

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“commits the fallacy of the beard: Just because I cannot say when stubble ends and a beard
begins, does not mean I cannot distinguish between a clean-shaven face and a bearded one.”

Summarise what is the article stating about the beginning of life

in relation to a foetus.
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Source 9: Moral personhood
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/philosophical/moralperson.shtml

One of the first issues that need clarifying when thinking about abortion is the idea of what
we mean when we talk about 'human life.'

When people talk about 'human life' they may mean:

• a member of the biological human species - having the human genetic code

But they may mean something very different:

• a being that possesses certain human characteristics in addition to the human genetic
code
o characteristics often suggested might be the ability to think, to imagine, to
communicate
o but the lists of characteristics put forward may be designed to limit the
definition of human in the way the speaker wants
• a being that is a 'moral person', i.e. one that has rights, and probably duties too

And the time at which a foetus gets the right to life because it's achieved the relevant list of
characteristics can vary from the moment of conception to the time the baby is born.

(In fact for some philosophers, very young babies don't really qualify as having earned the
right to life by possessing the right characteristics. Fortunately for young children, these
philosophers concede that young babies do have the right to life as a result of tradition and
law instead.)

Does it matter?

Yes of course it does, because without getting the point sorted out people can find themselves
arguing about completely different things, even though they're both using words like 'human
being'.

But it may not matter in terms of pure moral philosophy, since there are cases when most
people agree that even if the foetus is a person, abortion may be morally justified.

And some philosophers have argued that abortion can be morally justified even where there
is no risk to the physical or mental health of the mother.

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Moral Personhood:

Summarise the main points of the article:

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SOURCE 10: When Does Life Begin?

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Dewar, G., (2009), AS & A Level Religious Studies: Philosophy and Ethics Through
Diagrams, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Make Notes on when Life begins….

Define ‘Embryo’…….

Define ‘Foetus’……….

Please take special account to the ‘viability’ argument presented…..

Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine……

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 SOURCE 11: Only One Issue

The abortion controversy is not a debate between those who are pro-choice and those who
are anti-choice. It's not about privacy or trusting women. To the contrary, the debate turns
on one key question.

What is the Unborn?

Pro-life advocates contend that elective abortion unjustly takes the life of a defenseless
human being. This simplifies the abortion controversy by focusing on just one question: Is
the unborn a member of the human family? If so, killing him or her to benefit others is a
serious moral wrong. It treats the distinct human being, with his or her own intrinsic worth, as
nothing more than a disposable instrument. Conversely, if the unborn are not human, elective
abortion requires no more justification than having a tooth pulled. As Gregory Koukl points
out, "If the unborn are not human, no justification for elective abortion in necessary. But if
the unborn are human, no justification for elective abortion is adequate." (Koukl, Precious
Unborn Human Persons, p. 7)

This is not to say that abortion is easy for most women. To the contrary, a decision to have
one may be psychologically complex and perhaps even agonizing for some. But the topic
today is not psychology, but morality: Can we know what's right even if our emotions are
conflicted?

Everyone agrees that abortion kills something that's alive. After all, dead things don't grow!
But whether it's right to take the life of any living being depends entirely on the question:
What kind of being is it?

Some people want to ignore that question altogether. They simply assume the unborn are not
human beings like you and me.

Here's how to clarify things: Whenever you hear an argument for elective abortion, ask
yourself if this particular justification would also work to justify killing toddlers or other
humans. If not, the argument assumes the unborn are not fully human, like toddlers. But
again, that's the issue, isn't it?

"Women have a right to make their own private decisions."

Imagine that a woman has a two-year-old in front of her. May she kill him or her as long as
the killing is done in the privacy of the bedroom? Of course not. Why not? Because the child
is a human being. If the unborn are also human, they should not be killed in the name of
privacy any more than we'd kill a toddler for that same reason.

Of course, abortion advocates respond that killing a toddler and killing a fetus are two
different things, like comparing apples with oranges. But that's the issue isn't it? Are the
unborn human beings, like toddlers? That's the one issue that matters. We can't escape it.

"But many poor women cannot afford to raise another child."

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When human beings get expensive, may we kill them? Suppose a large family collectively
decides to quietly dispose of its three youngest children to help ease the family budget.
Would this be okay?

Abortion advocates agree it's wrong to kill the children, but insist that aborting a fetus is not
the same as killing a child. Ah, but that's the issue: Is unjustly killing a fetus morally the same
as unjustly killing a two-year old? So, once again, the issue is the same: What is the unborn?

"A woman should not be forced to bring an unwanted child into the world."

Abortion advocates sometimes argue that killing the fetus is the more humane thing to do.
"Who wants to be part of a family that rejects you? Everyone has a right to be wanted." And
if you aren't wanted, may we kill you? Suppose a toddler is unwanted and we have good
reason to think that by the time he's five, he'll also be abused and neglected. Should we kill
him now to spare him future trouble?

The answer is obviously no, but it brings us back to the one issue that matters: What is the
unborn?

"No woman should be forced to raise a child with physical disabilities."

Suppose that you have in front of you a small boy who is mentally disabled. He's not very
bright, cannot speak or understand much of what is said, and looks strange from head to toe.
Would it be morally permissible to kill him because of his condition?

Abortion advocates agree that we cannot destroy him, that we should treat him with the same
care we provide all disabled human beings. But again, this raises a prior question: If the
disabled unborn are human, like the disabled toddler, should we kill them for not meeting our
standard of perfection? Thus, the issue that matters most in the abortion debate isn't
disability. It's "What is the unborn?"

"Every woman has a right to decide what is right and wrong for herself."

Would you force your morality on an abusive mother who was physically mistreating her
two-year-old? You better. No human being should be abused.

You see the issue is not about forcing morality; it's not about privacy; it's not about economic
hardship; it's not about physical disabilities; it's not about unwantedness. The issue is reduced
to one question: What is the unborn?

Evaluate and discuss the statements highlighted. How would you reason for
and/or against?

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 SOURCE 12: THE 5-MINUTE PRO-LIFER
Making the Case for Life…Like It’s Never Been Heard Before

Issue #1 - How to Defend Your Pro-Life Views in 5 Minutes or Less

By Scott Klusendorf [Life Training Institute: www.prolifetraining.com]

Suppose that you have just five minutes to graciously defend your pro-life beliefs with
friends or classmates. Can you do it with rational arguments? What should you say? And
how can you simplify the abortion issue for those who think it’s hopelessly complex?
Here’s how to succeed in three easy steps:

1) Clarify the issue. Pro-life advocates contend that elective abortion unjustly takes the
life of a defenceless human being. This simplifies the abortion controversy by focusing
public attention on just one question: Is the unborn a member of the human family? If so,
killing him or her to benefit others is a serious moral wrong. It treats the distinct human
being, with his or her own inherent moral worth, as nothing more than a disposable
instrument. Conversely, if the unborn are not human, killing them for any reason requires
no more justification than having a tooth pulled.
In other words, arguments based on “choice” or “privacy” miss the point entirely. Would
anyone that you know support a mother killing her toddler in the name of “choice and
who decides?” Clearly, if the unborn are human, like toddlers, we shouldn’t kill them in
the name of choice any more than we would a toddler. Again, this debate is about just
one question: What is the unborn?
At this point, some may object that your comparisons are not fair—that killing a fetus is
morally different than killing a toddler. Ah, but that’s the issue, isn’t it? Are the unborn,
like toddlers, members of the human family? That is the one issue that matters.
Remind your critics that you are vigorously “pro-choice” when it comes to women
choosing a number of moral goods. You support a woman’s right to choose her own
doctor, to choose her own husband, to choose her own job, and to choose her own
religion, to name a few. These are among the many choices that you fully support for
women. But some choices are wrong, like killing innocent human beings simply because
they are in the way and cannot defend themselves.1 No, we shouldn’t be allowed to
choose that.
Lesson Plan: Abortion – For Christian schools and home schools in Canada ARPA Canada
2) Defend your pro-life position with science and philosophy. Scientifically, we know
that from the earliest stages of development, the unborn are distinct, living, and whole
human beings. Leading embryology books confirm this.2 Prior to his abortion advocacy,
former Planned Parenthood President Dr. Alan Guttmacher was perplexed that anyone,
much less a medical doctor, would question this. "This all seems so simple and evident
that it is difficult to picture a time when it wasn't part of the common knowledge," he
wrote in his book Life in the Making.3
Philosophically, we can say that embryos are less developed than newborns (or, for that
matter, toddlers) but this difference is not morally significant in the way abortion
advocates need it to be.
Consider the claim that the immediate capacity for self-awareness bestows value on
human beings. Notice that this is not an argument, but an arbitrary assertion. Why is
some development needed? And why is this particular degree of development (i.e.,
higher brain function) decisive rather than another? These are questions that abortion
advocates do not adequately address.
Put simply, there is no morally significant difference between the embryo you once were

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and the adult you are today. Differences of size, level of development, environment, and
degree of dependency are not relevant such that we can say that you had no rights as an
embryo but you do have rights today. Think of the acronym SLED as a helpful reminder
of these non-essential differences: 4
Size: True, embryos are smaller than newborns and adults, but why is that relevant? Do
we really want to say that large people are more human than small ones? Men are
generally larger than women, but that doesn’t mean that they deserve more rights. Size
doesn’t equal value.

Level of development: True, embryos and fetuses are less developed than you and I. But
again, why is this relevant? Four year-old girls are less developed than 14 year-old ones.
Should older children have more rights than their younger siblings? Some people say that
self-awareness makes one human. But if that is true, newborns do not qualify as valuable
human beings. Six-week old infants lack the immediate capacity for performing human
mental functions, as do the reversibly comatose, the sleeping, and those with Alzheimer’s
disease.

Environment: Where you are has no bearing on who you are. Does your value change
when you cross the street or roll over in bed? If not, how can a journey of eight inches
down the birth-canal suddenly change the essential nature of the unborn from non-human
to human? If the unborn are not already human, merely changing their location can’t
make them valuable.
Lesson Plan: Abortion – For Christian schools and home schools in Canada ARPA Canada
Degree of Dependency: If viability makes us human, then all those who depend on
insulin or kidney medication are not valuable and we may kill them. Conjoined twins
who share blood type and bodily systems also have no right to life.
In short, it’s far more reasonable to argue that although humans differ immensely with
respect to talents, accomplishments, and degrees of development, they are nonetheless
equal because they share a common human nature.

3) Challenge your listeners to be intellectually honest. Ask the tough questions. When
critics say that birth makes the unborn human, ask, “How does a mere change of location
from inside the womb to outside the womb change the essential nature of the unborn?” If
they say that brain development or higher consciousness makes us human, ask if they
would agree with Joseph Fletcher that those with an IQ below 20 or perhaps 40 should be
declared non-persons? If not, why not? True, some people will ignore the scientific and
philosophic case you present for the pro-life view and argue for abortion based on self-
interest.
That is the lazy way out. Remind your critics that if we care about truth, we will
courageously follow the facts wherever they lead, no matter what the cost to our own
self-interests.

Summarise the SLED acronym and create an informative poster.

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 Why and How do Catholics Respond?
Every teaching developed by the Magisterium to guide and provide for the growing holiness of
believers find their origins in the word of God in the Bible. It is the beliefs and teachings of the
Catholic Church that drives all action.

Watch the video about What the Bible Says About Abortion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTYDyQZtu7w&t=296s

Take notes below

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 Why do Catholics Respond?
Church Teachings of Morality

The Church looks at objective morality (natural law and God’s law), whereas society today
views the moral decision making in our conscience to be subjective. This objective
morality can be found in the direct teachings of the Church which are derivative of
interpreted scripture. Here are some examples from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm )

• "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF"

• ARTICLE 5: THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT “You shall not kill”

• 54 You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not kill: and
whoever kills shall be liable to judgment." But I say to you that everyone who is
angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.55

• 2258 "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action
of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its
sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can
under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent
human being."56

• 2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of
conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be
recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of
every innocent being to life.72

• 2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every
procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct
abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely
contrary to the moral law:

• God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life,
and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be
protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and
infanticide are abominable crimes.

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Select two (2) teachings (they can be from the list on the last page OR click on
the link and choose another) and summarise them into your own words.

a) What does it teach you about injustices?

b) What does it tell you to do?
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 Catholic Social Teachings
Go to the CST http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-
believe/catholic-social-teaching/seven-themes-of-catholic-social-teaching.cfm

Which of these does abortion violate and why? Explain your answer and
discuss.
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 How do Catholics Respond?

Practical Response:

There are several counselling and support services provided by the Catholic
Church for the support of mother’s who find themselves in an unplanned pregnancy
and for those who have already procured an abortion.

Task: Research the Practical Catholic Response.

1. Access the following website:

http://www.perthcatholic.org.au/Organisations__Services-Healthcare-
Health_Services-Post_Abortion_Grief_Counselling_Services.htm

2. Choose just one service provider.

3. Provide an overview of the services and mission of the agency.

4. Provide examples of their work in relation to the issue of abortion.

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Intellectual Response:

Encyclicals and writings:

e.g. Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life) by John Paul II (1995)

A Papal Encyclical is the name given to a letter written by a Pope to a particular audience
of Bishops. This audience of Bishops may be all of the Bishops in a specific country or all
of the Bishops in all countries throughout the world. An encyclical is nothing more than a
circular letter.

Summary of statements on Abortion extracted from Evangelium Vitae:

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/abortion/catholic-teaching/abortion-evangelium-vitae-
march-25-1999

Pope Francis: Strong statements on the ‘sanctity life’ position and Pastoral Care for the
Soul and welcoming the parishioners back-

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-francis-yest-to-life-conference-speech.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-27/pope-says-abortion-is-never-ok-and-equates-it-to-hiring-a-
hitman/11151772

https://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/11/21/pope-to-grant-right-to-forgive-abortion

Pope Francis on Abortion: https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/pope-francis-abortion-never-the-answer/

Read two (2) of the articles above and summarise the main points:

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Now that you have a good understanding about the elements of the syllabus point,
it is time to put it together!!

Describe how and why the Catholic Church responds to a current issue of abortion
in society.

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