Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life Revision Sheet 1.
Why is life so special?
Sanctity of life = belief that life is a sacred and precious gift given by God.
Fertility Treatment: The choice to have a child.
Stages of Human Development
Conception = the moment the ovum is fertilised by the sperm. Zygote = the just fertilized ovum.
Blastocyst = the stage after five to seven days of cell division. Embryo = fertilized ovum at about 12-14
days when implanted into the wall of the womb. Foetus = fertilized ovum at about 11 weeks when the
organs have developed.
Types of Fertility Treatment.
AIH = Artificial Insemination with the husband’s sperm, when artificial methods are used to put
husband’s sperm into the woman.
AID = when the mother’s egg is fertilized with a donor’s sperm because the male partner is infertile, or if
a single woman wishes to have a child.
IVF = In Vitro Fertilization, where the egg and sperm are collected from the man and woman and put
together to achieve fertilization in a glass dish. Hence the term ‘test tube’ babies.
Surrogacy = when a woman has a baby for another woman. She may become pregnant by sperm
donation from either the father or another man. Regulated by the Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985.
Fertility Treatment and the law.
Human Fertilization and Embryology Act 1990 = set out regulations on Embryo research, the storage
of eggs, sperm and embryos as well as surrogacy.
Thinking about the Medicine.
Cloning = the production of genetically identical individuals. Two types: Embryo cloning = removal of one
or more cells from an embryo and encouraging the cells to develop into a separate embryo. This has
happened with several types of animals. Therapeutic cloning = taking the DNA out of an embryo and
replacing it with DNA from another individual. The embryo is killed in the process, but the stem cells may
then be grown into a replacement heart, liver, skin etc. It would mean perfectly matched replacement organs
could become available to those who are seriously ill. No danger of the body rejecting the transplant because
the organ’s DNA would match the patient’s DNA.
Embryo Research = In the UK only allowed before 14days. To learn more about disease and find cures.
Genetic Engineering = a science whose aims include the control of hereditary defects by modification or
elimination of certain genes.
Stem Cell Research = Every Embryo contains stem cells. Stem cells can be developed into any part of the
human body. They are being used to grow organs like kidneys or repair parts of the brain in suffers of
Parkinson’s disease. The moral issue is the Embryos die once the stem cells are removed.
When does life begin?
Issues on genetic engineering and cloning.
This is an important question with many answers.
Our response to this question has a bearing on
whether we think artificial methods of conceiving
are acceptable as well as our reaction to genetic
engineering, cloning and embryo research. So be
clear on your view and on the different religious
views on this question e.g. Conception, 12 weeks
(heart starts to beat) Viability (24 weeks) or
Birth.
Against cloning.
It is ‘playing God’ and interfering in nature.
It denies the ‘sanctity of life’.
If a soul enters the body at conception, then a
cloned embryo may not have a soul.
4. If life starts at conception then the many cloned
zygotes, which die as a result of cloning are lost
human beings – it is murder.
5. Experiments will result in malformed clones, as
happened before ‘Dolly’ the sheep.
Many governments, including the UK, have banned
human cloning as morally and ethically unacceptable.
Is it right for humans to alter human genes? Is it ‘playing
God’ to start altering aspects of human make-up? If life
begins at conception is it right to first alter an embryo and
then have it killed? Cloning might result in ‘designer
babies’ as parents could choose the sex of their babies.
These issues have led to a number of arguments both for
and against cloning.
For cloning.
1.
1.
2.
3.
2.
3.
4.
Cloning is just an
extension of IVF, it is no
more ‘playing God’ than
any other fertility
treatment.
No one can prove that a
soul exists.
Discarding the unwanted
cells is not murder, true
life has not begun.
Cloning may help to
improve the human race
and speed up evolution.
Transplants and
Blood Transfusions.
Transplant operations
save or improve the
lives of thousands of
people each year, as
organs such as the
heart, kidneys and liver
are replaced.
Blood transfusions are
common after people
have lost blood in
accidents or in
operations.
Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life Revision Sheet 2.
Sikh and Christian Attitudes to Matters of Life.
changes to God’s sacred creation. Others see
Christian Beliefs.
God’s work as on-going and genetic engineering
Christians believe God is the creator of life and
is man’s contribution to curing diseases in the
that humans have a special relationship with
future.
God.
Most Christians are opposed to human cloning
‘Then God said, “And now we will make human
because it takes away individuality. However,
beings; they will be like us and resemble us.”’
Genesis 1:26.
some Christians believe that if therapeutic
All Christians believe in the Sanctity of life.
cloning was carefully controlled then there might
Fertility Treatment and Surrogacy.
be benefits to the human race in curing fatal
Christians see children as a gift from God. One
diseases.
of the purposes of Christian marriage is to
provide a stable and loving environment for the
Sikh Beliefs.
raising of a family. Not all Christians hold the
Sikhs believe God is the creator of all life. In
same views on fertility treatment.
each person there is the ‘divine spark’ (the soul).
1.The R.C. Church does not support the creation of
This soul is part of God and will return to God
spare embryos, which are either thrown away or used
on release from the wheel of rebirth. Man has no
for experimentation. They believe life begins when
control over this.
the egg is fertilized, so it is killing human life. Also
they do not agree with AID, IVF and surrogacy. They
believe every person has a right to have two
biological parents.
2. Other Christians including Methodists, Baptists,
Anglicans and the Salvation Army, accept AIH and
IVF, but not AID. They argue that AIH and IVF are
all right because the parents are married and how the
pregnancy began is not important.
3. Christians do not support AID or IVF, where
donated sperm or ova are used, because it is like a
third person in the marriage (adultery).
4. Surrogacy is considered to be wrong for similar
reasons.
Embryology, transplant surgery and blood
transfusions.
Many Christians believe embryo research
threatens the sanctity of life. They also oppose
the idea of freezing embryos for later use, even if
they can be used to help those suffering with
Parkinson’s disease or diabetes.
‘The human embryo has the right to proper respect.
Test tube babies are real babies not simple embryos
to be manipulated, frozen or left to die.’
The R.C. Truth Society, 1985.
Other Christians support research provided it
does not take place after the embryo is 14 days
old.
Most Christian denominations support organ,
blood and tissue donation and see it as an act of
charity. Jehovah’s Witnesses will not accept
blood transfusions based on Leviticus 17:10-11.
Genetic Engineering and Cloning.
Christians are divided over Genetic Engineering
– some believe that it is making dangerous
‘By Divine Law are beings created;…
Others by His Law are whistled around in cycles of
births and deaths.’ Japji 2.
Fertility Treatment and Surrogacy.
Tradition rather than Sikh religious teachings
encourage married couples to have children. A
son is wanted to carry on the family name and
care for the parents in their old age. Fertility
treatments such as AIH and IVF are permitted
but AID and surrogacy are not allowed.
Embryology, transplant surgery and blood
transfusions.
To most Sikhs the embryo is a person from
conception so the production of embryos for
scientific research is not allowed but spare
embryos from IVF treatment may be used. A
small number of Sikhs believe life really begins
at 120 days.
Blood transfusions and organ transplants are
acceptable within the Sikh religion and seen as
an act of kindness. The selling of organs is seen
as totally unethical.
Genetic Engineering and Cloning.
Gene therapy to cure or prevent diseases is not
opposed. However, the issue of cloning is very
complex. Obviously there is no guidance directly
relevant to the issue in either the Sikh holy book
or the Reht Maryada (Sikh code of conduct).
Sikhs are therefore divided, they see that cloning
could be used to provide organs for transplant,
but used in the wrong way it could be very
destructive. They believe it should not be totally
ruled out.