Title: Abortion

LO: Identify the history/current Abortion

Law in New Zealand- Explain some of the

Church’s opinions on this issue

Bioethiethicscs

Does an unborn BabyBaby have rights?

Human Life begins at the momentmoment of conception.

Bioethiethicscs

A mother can legally abort her child at XX weeks pregnant… when her baby

…is completely formed with a beating heart and fully functioning organs…can suck its thumb

ABORTION > In New Zealand the Father & Baby have No Rights

Background• A brief history of abortion laws in New

Zealand• 1803• Before the 19th century in England, common law

held that an abortion was permissible if carried out before quickening (fetal movements) i.e. about 18-20 weeks. However, in 1803, an act was passed to classify abortion as a felony.

• 1861• The English 1861 Offences Against the Person

Act revised penalties and made it an offence not only for the woman to procure her own an abortion but for anyone else who attempted to procure an abortion.

• 1866• New Zealand adopted the English law, an exact

replica of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act.

• 1893• New Zealand passed the Criminal Code Act,

which reduced the penalty for the woman to a maximum of seven years' imprisonment and life for others.

• 1961• The Crimes Act was revised in 1961 with no

changes to the section on abortion. A more liberal law was passed in the United Kingdom in 1967 which allowed socio-economic circumstances to be taken into account, but New Zealand did not follow suit.

• 1969-71• Court cases in Australia gave a more liberal

interpretation to state laws which varied from one state to another. New Zealand women with means could now obtain a legal abortion in these two States of Australia (Victoria and New South Wales).

• May 1974• Reflecting changes in medical and public opinion, the

Auckland Medical Aid Centre opened to carry out abortions in a private facility. In September 1974 the clinic was raided and police siezed 500 files.

• August 1974• The Hospitals Amendment Bill (Wall Bill) was

introduced in an attempt to restrict abortions to public hospitals.

• August-December 1977• National introduced the Contraception, Sterilisation,

and Abortion Bill. • July 1978• The new legislation proved unworkable. Many women

had to travel to Australia for an abortion. Due to public outrage, the Abortion Supervisory Committee recommended changes to the Crimes Act.

What about now?

•Let’s take a look at the hand out to see what current NZ law is in regards to Abortion.

How does this relate to other countries?

Is this a child?

What is the actual growth process?

Video Clip…up to 3:45…

Growth Process•Heartbeat @ 18 days

• Brain waves @ 40 days• Eye, Ear, Respiratory

System @ around 4 weeks

Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) Pope John Paul

• He wanted to: * reaffirm the dignity of every human person, created and loved by God * renew the commitment of the Church to the "defence of the world's poor, those who are threatened and despised, and whose human rights are violated."(EV#5) * invite people of good will to reflect on the "extraordinary increase and gravity of threats to the life of individuals and peoples, especially where life is weak and defenceless." (EV#3) * appeal to every person, in the name of God, to respect, protect, love and serve life, every human life." (EV#5)

• An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church.

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a5.htm

• Abortion • 2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a

human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.72 • Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.73 My frame was not hidden from you, when I

was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.74 • 2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and

remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: • You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.75 God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble

mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.76

• 2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,"77 "by the very commission of the offense,"78 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.79 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.

• 2273 The inalienable right to life of every innocent human individual is a constitutive element of a civil society and its legislation: • "The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and the political authority. These human rights

depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin. Among such fundamental rights one should mention in this regard every human being's right to life and physical integrity from the moment of conception until death."80 "The moment a positive law deprives a category of human beings of the protection which civil legislation ought to accord them, the state is denying the equality of all before the law. When the state does not place its power at the service of the rights of each citizen, and in particular of the more vulnerable, the very foundations of a state based on law are undermined. . . . As a consequence of the respect and protection which must be ensured for the unborn child from the moment of conception, the law must provide appropriate penal sanctions for every deliberate violation of the child's rights."81

• 2274 Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being

Abortion Stats

• http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/health/abortion/AbortionStatistics_HOTPDec08.aspx

Why Abortion is wrong:

• THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT

• You shall not kill.54

• You have heard that it was said to the men of old, "You shall not kill: and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment." But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment.55

• "Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains for ever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being."56

Church’s Teaching

• Abortion

• 2270 Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.72

• Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.73

• My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth.74

• 2271 Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law:

• You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.75 God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.76

• Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

• Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo and the human foetus and is directed toward its safe guarding or healing as an individual. . . . It is gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent of a death sentence."82

A must read:

• http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a5.htm