SOR TASK 2

Christian Ethics on Abortion

• Uniting Church

  • Does not take a definitive stance "for" or "against" abortion.

  • Values the life of an unborn human while demonstrating compassion, non-judgment, and support for women experiencing difficult pregnancies.

  • Affirms the moral agency, dignity, and wellbeing of women. Decisions made are based on medical advice and not coercion.

  • Quote: "The Uniting Church has long held that abortion should not be a criminal matter, and that women must have the right to make decisions about their reproductive health without fear, stigma or punishment."
    — Uniting Church in Australia, 2020 Synod of Victoria and Tasmania

• Eastern Orthodox Church

  • Teaches that human life is sacred from conception, thus viewing abortion as morally wrong.

  • This belief is grounded in Scripture, early Church teachings, and the Church Fathers' consistent teachings condemning abortion as incompatible with Christian faith.

  • In dire situations where the mother’s life is at risk, pastoral leniency is allowed, but abortion is still seen as a grave moral tragedy rather than a neutral option.

  • Quote: "The Church has always considered the destruction of human life in the mother’s womb as a grave sin against God and against human society."
    — Bases of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church

  • Quote: "Human life is sacred from conception until natural death."
    — Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States (Statement on Human Life & Dignity)

• Catholic Church

  • Abortion is strictly prohibited as every human has the right to life.

  • Quote from Pope Francis: "Every child who … is condemned unjustly to being aborted bears the face of Jesus Christ"

  • Maintains that the inalienable right to life of every innocent human is essential to civil society and legislation, beginning from conception.
    — Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC, 2273)

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

• Uniting Church

  • Supports IVF as a morally responsible medical technology that respects the dignity of all involved, approached through ethical reflection.

  • Rejects coercion or stigma associated with unnatural reproductive methods, differing from traditional Catholic and Orthodox views.

  • Quote: "We recognize assisted reproductive technologies as part of compassionate healthcare, enabling people to form families in ways that honor their agency, relationships and hopes."
    — Uniting Church in Australia, Synod Vic/Tas, 2021

• Eastern Orthodox Church

  • Approaches IVF with caution and does not generally support it when it separates procreation from the marital act or involves creating, freezing, or destroying embryos.

  • Holds the belief that human life begins at conception, viewing embryos as full human persons deserving dignity.

  • Common IVF practices like discarding unused embryos, selective implantation, or third-party donors are seen as morally problematic.

  • While showing compassion for infertility, the Church emphasizes that a desire for children does not justify methods compromising the sanctity of life or marriage.

  • Scripture:

  • Psalm 139:13–14: "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb."

  • Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you."

Euthanasia

• Uniting Church

  • Some parts denote non-support for legalizing euthanasia; will not perform euthanasia directly.

  • However, acknowledges individuals may make conscience-based decisions, recommending compassion and pastoral care.

  • Quote: "Within the Church there is a diversity of faithful Christian understandings and responses… to voluntary assisted dying."
    — Uniting Church Synod of WA

  • Quote: "Life is a gift of God, and all human life… is precious to and has dignity before God."
    — Uniting Church Synod of WA

• Eastern Orthodox Church

  • Teaches euthanasia is morally wrong as human life is sacred and belongs to God from conception until natural death.

  • Intentionally ending life, even to relieve suffering, is seen as a form of killing, incompatible with Orthodox Christian teachings.

  • Instead, emphasizes compassionate care such as pain management, emotional support, prayer, and presence for the dying, while opposing actions that hasten death.

  • Suffering is not seen as meaningless but approached with dignity, love, and trust in God.

  • Quote: "The Orthodox Church…rejects euthanasia; it considers it a special case of murder if done without the knowledge and consent of the patient, and suicide if it is requested by the patient."
    — Fr. Stanley Harakas

  • Attributes suffering to a rejection of belief in future life and a moral responsibility for actions in life.

Organ Donation

• Uniting Church

  • Generally supports ethical decisions enhancing love, dignity, and flourishing of others.

  • There is no strict doctrine on organ donation, but teachings affirm that each person is "deeply loved by God", supporting organ donation as an altruistic act reflecting Christian compassion.

  • Quote: "Each person is made in God’s image and is deeply loved by God."
    — Uniting Church in Australia

• Eastern Orthodox Church

  • Teaches that human life is sacred and the human body is God’s gift, created in His image and destined for resurrection.

  • Approaches organ donation with respect and requires certainty of death alongside dignity preservation of the body.

  • Generally supports organ donation as an act of agape (self-giving love) if it can save or greatly improve another's life.

  • This is rooted in Scripture and teachings emphasizing neighborly love and sacrificial care.

  • Firmly rejects coercion or commercialization of organs as violations of human dignity, viewing organ donation as a voluntary decision informed by conscience and prayer.

  • Scripture: "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." — John 15:13 (supports organ donation as a form of self-sacrificial love).

  • Scripture: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you?" — 1 Corinthians 6:19 (emphasizing respect for dignity in donation).

Summary on Catholic Church Positions

• Euthanasia:

  • Teaches euthanasia undermines human dignity and compassion.

  • Strongly opposes euthanasia and voluntary assisted dying but may allow the withdrawal of treatment when death is imminent.

  • Quote from 1980 Declaration on Euthanasia: "When inevitable death is imminent… it is permitted in conscience to take the decision to refuse forms of treatment that would only secure a precarious and burdensome prolongation of life."

  • Quote from Pope Francis: "You don’t play with life, neither at the beginning nor at the end. It is not played with."

• Abortion:

  • Strictly prohibits abortion; emphasizes that every human has the right to life.

  • Quote from Pope Francis: "Every child who … is condemned unjustly to being aborted bears the face of Jesus Christ."

  • Affirms inalienable right to life beginning at conception (CCC, 2273).

• Organ Donation:

  • Viewed as an honorable, charitable act of self-giving, promoted as part of a "culture of life."

  • Considered a show of solidarity, both from living and deceased donors.

  • Quote from Pope Francis: "The donation of organs, performed in an ethically acceptable manner, offers a chance of health and even of life itself to the sick who sometimes have no other hope."
    — (Evangelium Vitae, No. 86)

• IVF:

  • Officially opposed by the Catholic Church due to the separation of conception from the marital act, treating children as products instead of gifts.

  • Often leads to destruction or freezing of embryos, considered human life by the Church.

  • Emphasizes the right of the child to be a result of a specific act of conjugal love (CCC 2378).

  • Quote from Vatican declaration (March 2024): "The Catholic Church cannot condone procedures such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) that result in a loss of life at a massive scale."

  • Quote: "IVF breaching this bond and these rights and instead views human beings as products or property."

• More on IVF:

  • Quote from same statement (March 2024): "…many embryos are never transferred to a mother’s womb, but are destroyed or indefinitely frozen."

Judaism Exam Points

• Fackenheim’s Theology:

  • Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World):

  • Ethical responsibility stemming from Holocaust survival; mandate to repair the world through ethical acts.

• Bioethical Dilemma/Practice Links:

  • Abortion / Euthanasia: Orthodox limits abortion to saving the mother, opposes euthanasia; Conservative/context-sensitive views; Reform permits more ethical discretion.

  • Sanctity of Life / B’tzelem Elohim: Life's sacredness drives ethical actions to protect dignity and respect.

Implications and Analytical Frameworks

• Covenantal Responsibility / Ethical Duty:

  • Organ Donation / Medical Ethics: Humans are partners with God; ethical action underscores covenantal obligations and family responsibilities.

  • Orthodox allowances within halakhic limits, Conservative and Reform encourage ethical organ donation.

• Framework for Writing Essays:

  • Choose focused or broad perspectives:

  • Single-topic essay (vertical): Pick one row - titles, principles, dilemmas and implications from theology.

  • Full three-topic essay (horizontal): Combine various rows for comprehensive analysis in your conclusion.

  • Note connections across topics for depth (e.g., Tikkun Olam with Sanctity of Life).

• Key Memorization Lines:

  • Tikkun Olam → Ethical decision-making about life post-Holocaust reflects responsibility to repair the world.

  • Sanctity of Life → Emphasis on protecting life parallels ethical actions reflecting divine creation.

  • Covenantal Responsibility → Ethical action is rooted in divine partnership compelling both individual and societal values.

  • Marriage as a covenantal act emphasizes familial responsibility and ethical upbringing of children.