Religious and non-religious attitudes to abortion, the sanctity of life and the quality of life, and when life begins.

What this dot point is asking

Edexcel wants you to explain religious and non-religious attitudes to abortion, how they rest on the sanctity of life and the quality of life, the question of when life begins, and the use of ethical theories such as situation ethics. Treat this topic factually and sensitively. It is one of the most important Evaluate issues in the matters of life and death theme.

What abortion is and why it is debated

People draw the line for "when life begins" in different places: at conception (when egg and sperm join), at ensoulment (when the soul is believed to enter, which some Muslim traditions place around 120 days), at viability (when a baby could survive outside the womb), or at birth. Where someone draws this line strongly affects their view of abortion. The debate also weighs the sanctity of life (the unborn child is sacred) against the quality of life (the wellbeing of the child and mother), which is why it produces such divergent views.

Religious attitudes to abortion

The strongest anti-abortion view holds that the sanctity of life applies from conception, so abortion is the taking of an innocent human life and is wrong; supporters cite "before I formed you in the womb I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5), which suggests God knows and values each life before birth. A more permissive religious view accepts abortion as the lesser of two evils in hard cases: to save the mother's life (where the mother's life is also sacred), after rape, or where the child would suffer a serious, fatal condition. In Islam, while abortion is generally regarded as wrong, many scholars allow it to save the mother's life, and some allow it in early pregnancy for serious reasons. So religious attitudes range from total opposition to compassionate acceptance in specific circumstances.

Non-religious views and ethical theories

Non-religious people, including Humanists, generally focus on the quality of life and the rights and choices of the woman rather than the sanctity of life. Many support a woman's right to choose, especially early in pregnancy, weighing the wellbeing of the mother, the circumstances of the pregnancy, and the likely quality of life of the child. Situation ethics, used by some Christians, judges each case by what is the most loving outcome, which can support abortion in difficult situations such as rape or serious disability.

For the exam, attribute views carefully, define the key terms (sanctity of life, quality of life, conception, ensoulment), and treat the issue with sensitivity. Link abortion to the sanctity of life and to euthanasia, since both weigh the sacredness of life against compassion and quality of life. A strong Evaluate answer on "abortion is always wrong" weighs the sanctity of the unborn life against compassion in hard cases, considers when life begins, and reaches a justified conclusion rather than simply asserting one side.