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In this piece of coursework, I will explain the issue of abortion. I will show the Catholic Church's point of view about this issue and also, other opinions and ideas will be expressed. What does abortion mean to you? When people talk about abortion, they are talking about ending the life of an unborn child or expelling the foetus from the mother's uterus before the pregnancy reaches 'full term' and the growing embryo has had a chance to live. However, when talking about abortion, they may also mean a 'miscarriage' or 'spontaneous abortion'. This is when the abortion unfortunately happens naturally without the parents or doctors having any choice. Having said this, I think that in today's society, when abortion is mentioned, they mean a deliberate abortion, known as a 'procured abortion'. If a woman wants a 'procured abortion' to take place she has to talk her reasons through with a doctor and it must happen within the first twenty four weeks of the development of the foetus, and is against the law after this time, because if it was born at this time, it could survive. A woman may choose to have an abortion for a number of reasons, for example if the pregnancy was brought about by rape, if the child is going to be born severely handicapped, if the life or health of the mother is at risk or if the mother is too young or if she is not in a good relationship. Some people think that some reasons, like those above, for instance, are acceptable for a woman to abort the foetus, however some would say that everyone or everything should have the chance of developing and the right to live a life. Some people believe that it is entirely up to the woman carrying the baby as it is her right, her life, her body and therefore it should be her choice whether to have an abortion or not. But others think this serious issue should be discussed with both doctors and the father of the developing child, before a decision is made. During the course of making a decision, a doctor does not always have to agree that the mother has a good enough reason to have an abortion, for example if a woman does not feel that the time is right for a baby. Many young girls have an abortion if they feel they are not ready to be mothers as they have to cope with school and other worries. In this instance doctors would agree that a child would cause depression and anxiety to the mother. People may also have abortions if they feel they do not have the money to support a baby. There are many different reasons why a woman may want to terminate the pregnancy, should anyone judge their reason or choice? There are several biblical church teachings which could be raised in a discussion on the issue of abortion. A question that Christians may need to think about to answer is 'does God consider the foetus as a "real" person or not?' The Christian Churches believe that abortion should only be used in the most serious circumstances and therefore should not be encouraged at all.
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