Year 10 - Religious education
Christianity and the issue of abortion
Matters of life and death
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will focus firstly on the relationship between religion and science - looking at ideas of creation. They will examine how religions view the world - examining concepts such as stewardship. Finally they will examine how religions speak about the sanctity of life.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain different ethical arguments about abortion, including pro-choice and pro-life perspectives.
Key Notes
- Abortion is defined as the deliberate ending of a pregnancy.
- In the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act legalised abortion under certain conditions.
- Pro-choice arguments support a woman's right to choose, emphasising her autonomy in making decisions about her own body.
- Many humanists believe a woman has the right to choose abortion.
- Pro-life arguments oppose abortion, focusing on the intrinsic value and right to life of the foetus.
Vocabulary To Learn
- abortion: the deliberate ending of a pregnancy
- foetus: the developing human from around eight weeks of pregnancy until birth
- intrinsic (value): something is valuable just because it exists, regardless of its usefulness
- pro-choice: generally support a woman's right to choose to have an abortion
- pro-life: generally opposed to abortion and in favour of the life of the foetus
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Abortion debates are always clearly pro-life vs. pro-choice.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Abortion is defined as the deliberate ending of a pregnancy. In the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act legalised abortion under certain conditions.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'abortion'
the deliberate ending of a pregnancy.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Abortion debates are always clearly pro-life vs. pro-choice. Correction: Many positions are more nuanced e.g. some people who identify as pro-life accept abortion in certain circumstances, and some who are pro-choice may personally oppose abortion but support the legal right to choose.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Christian beliefs about life after death Study Guide
- Christian responses to abortion Study Guide
- Christian responses to euthanasia Study Guide
- Christian responses to issues in the natural world Study Guide
- Christian responses to non-religious accounts Study Guide
- Christianity and the issue of euthanasia Study Guide
- Christianity and the origins and value of the universe Study Guide
- The sanctity of life in Christianity Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 10 Religious education guide library.