1. Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life. (Medical Ethics)

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1. Religious Attitudes toMatters of
Life.(Medical Ethics)

• Learning Objective To examine the key issues of
  this topic to prepare for the G.C.S.E.
  examination.

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Key areas of the topic (What do I NEED to KNOW ?)

• Sanctity of life and when does life begin?
• Different types of Fertility treatment.
• Thinking about the Medicine.
• (These have come about due to the advances in
  treating fertility.)
• Embryo research.
• Stem Cell research.
• Genetic Engineering.
• Cloning.
• Transplants and Transfusions.
• Religious attitudes to Fertility treatment,
  Advances in medicine (Genetics), transplants
  and maintaining life.
• Christian Beliefs and Teaching
• Sikh Beliefs and Teaching
• Maintaining life and testing on humans.

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Mystery Question .When is a Frog a Frog ?

• Look at the three pictures below and choose which
  picture you believe is a frog! Give reasons for
  your answer !

Picture A

Picture C

Picture B

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One of the main Question at the heart of matters
of Life is when does Human life begin ?
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Rather than there only being three possible
stages at which life could be said to begin as
with Abortion within this topic Matters of Life
there are actually FIVE !

• At conception. (Sperm meets egg!)
  
  
• 2. At the Blastocyst stage.
• Stage at which implanted in
• the womb (Positive test !)
• 3. When the heart beats (12 weeks)
• 4. When Viability is reached.
• 5. At Birth.

Your view of when life begins is important as it
will affect which medical advancements you will
find acceptable and which ones you will NOT!
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What is the Sanctity of Life ?
Life is sacred to God and a precious gift,
deserving respect.
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Sanctity of Life

• Life is a sacred gift of God that should be
  treated with respect and not destroyed.
• Christian quote For it was you who formed my
  inward parts you knit me together in my mothers
  womb. (Psalm 13913)
• Sikh Quote God is the creator. He himself is
  invisible but he is ever visible through his
  nature.

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What are the different types of Fertility
Treatment?

1. (Artificial Insemination with Husbands Sperm)
2. (Artificial Insemination with Donors Sperm)
3. (In Vitro Fertilisation Test tube baby)
4. ( 2 Types arelated to surrogate and bno
   biological link.)

1. AIH
2. AID
3. IVF
4. Surrogacy

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The Human Fertilization and Embryology Act 1990.

• Concerning surrogacy it said
• The child MUST be genetically related to at least
  one of the commissioning couple
• The surrogate mother cannot be forced to give up
  her child at the end of the pregnancy
• The commissioning couple must both be over 18 and
  married to each other
• No money other than expenses to be paid in
  respect of the surrogacy arrangement.

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How well did you know those Acts?

• The 1985 Surrogacy Act said
• It is a criminal offence to advertise surrogacy
  in any way
• It is illegal for payments to be made to a
  company or agency who assisted in the surrogacy
  arrangements. However, it did not ban payment to
  the surrogate mother.

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Christian Beliefs on Fertility Treatments.

• ALL Christians believe God is the creator of all
  life.(Sanctity of Life but disagree when life
  begins!!!)
• Roman Catholics are opposed to AID, IVF and
  Surrogacy as life begins at conception!!!
• The Church of England accept AIH and IVF but not
  AID as these are technology that do not interfere
  with the sanctity of the marriage!
• Many Christians believe embryo research threatens
  the sanctity of human life (Catholics Thou Shalt
  not Kill ! Exodus Ch20)
• Other Christians who believe life begins at a
  later stage in pregnancy support embryo research
  providing safeguards are in place. (for some
  members of the Church of England and Methodists)

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Sikh Beliefs on Fertility Treatment.

• Sikhs believe God is the creator of all life and
  each person has a spark of God within them.
• IVF and AIH are permitted but not AID or
  surrogacy procreation should be between a man
  and wife.
• Most Sikhs believe life begins at conception so
  producing embryos for research is wrong but spare
  embryos from IVF treatment may be used.
• What are the implications for reincarnation and
  Mukhti?

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What are Transplants and transfusions ?

• Most people have absolutely no worries at all
  about this. They support both. In effect these
  procedures dont take life, dont mess with the
  living, and do help others. But, what are they?

What is a Transfusion? This is usually about
blood and blood products (like plasma or
platelets). If someone has lost a lot of blood
during an operation or due to an accident they
may need to replace it or they will die, this is
what transfusions are all about.
What is a Transplant? Organ transplantation
happens because the organ in someones body is
failing, has failed, or is so damaged that it
needs replacing. Most organs are donated by the
dead, who carried a consent form or whose
families have agreed that their bodies can be
used to help others.
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Christian Beliefs on transfusions and
transplants.

• ALL Christians believe God is the creator of all
  life.(Sanctity of Life but disagree when life
  begins!!!)
• Organ , blood and tissue donation is acceptable
  to most Christians as it is seen as showing love
  for others. The Golden rule Love your neighbour
  as your self Jesus.
• Pope Benedict XVI called it a free act of good
  will, and he himself has agreed to be a donor
  after his death.
• It is not allowed by Jehovahs Witnesses Life is
  in the blood Leviticus Ch17.

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Sikh Beliefs on transfusions and transplants

• Blood transfusions and organ donation are
  acceptable within the Sikh religion it is seen as
  an act of kindness. SEWA- Selfless service for
  others as an offering to God.
• What are the implications for reincarnation and
  Mukhti? Good deeds are rewarded in heaven.
• Sikhs believe the body is just waste after death
  , it can be used to help others.

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What is Embryo research ?

• Scientists try to learn more about the
  development of embryos, and also to learn more
  about disease, especially genetic diseases. The
  hope is that this research will help to find
  cures. It is impossible to study embryos when
  they are in the womb, so the only way is to use
  spare embryos from fertility treatment or to
  create embryos just for research.
• (Embryo research is only allowed on embryos
  younger than fourteen days.)

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What is stem-cell research ?

• Stem cells are cells that can develop into any
  part of the human body- they have the ability to
  become anything. They are being used to grow
  organs like kidneys, and also to help repair
  parts of the brain in suffers of Parkinson's
  disease.
• (Once the stem cells have been removed embryos
  die)

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What is Genetic Engineering ?

• Scientists have worked on gene research and
  can modify the genetic make-up of cells to
  successfully treat hundreds of genetic disorders
  and diseases. This is called Human genetic
  engineering.
• Everyone has DNA- it is what makes each of us
  unique. This programming is made up of 100,000
  genes. Some of these genes are dangerous or even
  fatal- they make us susceptible to disease, or
  even to being born with a disease.

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What is cloning ?

• Cloning is making an identical copy of an
  organism
• This is asexual reproduction- in other words
  creating a human foetus from one person, using an
  egg and cells. The foetus is an exact replica of
  the human it was cloned from. Dolly the sheep was
  the most famous example of cloning- it is illegal
  to clone humans.

Identical twins are clones in nature!
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Cloning by Nuclear Replacement.
Fertilised Egg Cell

• Take a recently fertilised egg cell.
• Take out the nucleus.
• Replace it with your choice of nucleus.
• Then jump start the cell with a small electrical
  charge or a chemical kick start.
• Your cell will now develop into whoever or
  whatever you took the implanted nucleus from.

Nucleus from Another person

• But
• Should we do this with humans?
• Which humans should have clones made?

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Hollywood Cloning

• In films they make clones that are exact copies
  of the person they are cloning
• E.g. The Sixth Day, Multiplicity, Star wars
• In real life clones are born as babies and grow
  at the normal rate.
• So a clone of you would be a baby and would have
  to grow up to be a teenager by which time you
  will be in your late twenties.
• Will the clone be a copy of you if it has to live
  a life?
• Will it be another you or will it be like a
  younger sibling?

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The Genie is out of the Bottle !!

• We can do most of the things in this PowerPoint
  already.
• We have cloned frogs, pigs, sheep and cows.
• We could clone extinct animals next or
• We could clone humans.
• Most scientists believe that we should limit
  cloning to therapeutic cloning and not clone
  humans fully. However there are unscrupulous
  Scientists out there.

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Arguments for and againstCloning Humans

• Against
• It is playing God and interfering with nature.
• It denies the sanctity of life.
• The clone may not have a soul.
• Experiments with human cloning will result in
  malformed clones, as happened before the
  successful cloning of Dolly the sheep.

• For
• It is just an extension of IVF and therefore no
  more playing God than other fertility
  treatments.
• It cannot be proven that a soul exists.
• Changing a single two-cell form of life into two
  one-cell forms of life is not murder.
• It might help to improve the human race and speed
  up the process of evolution.

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Christian views on Advances in Medicine
(Genetic Engineering, Cloning and Embryo
research).

• Many Christians are worried that genetic
  engineering may result in irreversible changes to
  Gods creation.
• Roman Catholics believe there are lines we cannot
  cross without becoming destroyers of creation, so
  are against all of these technologies. (Sanctity
  of Life, Life begins at conception and is
  playing God)
• Some Christians would argue that human genetic
  engineering can be used in a positive way to make
  the world more just and to help everyone have
  good health.
• Methodists accept genetic engineering if it is
  used as a means of healing diseases.
• Most Christians are against cloning humans.
• Some Christians argue that if cloning was
  carefully controlled then there might be benefits
  to the human race.

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Sikh views on Genetic engineering, Cloning and
Embryo research.

• Sikhs do not agree with experiments on live
  embryos as life begins at conception.
• Genetic Engineering to cure or prevent diseases
  or defects is not opposed, but not to alter the
  body God created!
• There is no guidance given on the issue of
  cloning. Some Sikhs can see the benefits
  cloning could be used to provide organs for
  transplant, but most Sikhs are uncertain as to
  the right approach to take.

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Christian and Sikh Quotes

• Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 2013 wast
  Embryos.
• For you created my inmost being you knit me
  together in my mothers womb.
• Ps. 13913.
• 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. (Catholic Truth Society, 1985)
• He is the giver of life to all. (Adi Granth)
• By Divine Law are beings created Others by His
  Law are whistled around in cycles of births and
  deaths. (Japji Sahib)

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Section B Religious Responses to Contemporary
IssuesB2 Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life

• (a)(i) What is transplant surgery?
• Target Definition of the technical term
• When someone elses organs are put into a
  patient.
• Credit ideas linked to xenotransplantation and
  embryonic stem cells. Do not credit transplanting
  blood (i.e. transfusion).
• (1 mark) AO1
• (ii) Explain two reasons why some religious
  people are in favour of transplant surgery.
• Target Understanding of why some religious
  people support transplant surgery
• It can save life / act of giving / God has
  inspired the development of it so we should use
  it / sanctity of life / stewardship of our body
  after death, etc.
• Allow 1 mark maximum for each of 2 reasons given
  with a further 1 mark for development of each
  reason. (4 marks) AO1

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B2 Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life

• (b) What is the difference between fertility
  treatment and surrogacy?
• Target Identification of difference between
  fertility treatment and surrogacy
• Fertility treatment
• A scientific method of making a woman pregnant
  which does not involve sex.
• Surrogacy
• Womans egg fertilised by another womans
  partner. Resultant baby handed over at birth to
  father and wife / partner.
• Comparison
• Main difference therefore is over who keeps the
  resultant baby surrogacy usually uses fertility
  treatment.
• Allow maximum 2 marks for 2 accurate definitions
  that imply the difference or for difference
  accurately explained.
• (2 marks) AO1

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B2 Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life

• (c) Explain religious attitudes to cloning. You
  should refer to beliefs and teachings from either
  two religions or two Christian denominations in
  your answer.
• Target Explanation of how beliefs and teachings
  affect attitudes to cloning
• Levels of Response (for each of two religions or
  Christian denominations 2 x 4 marks)

• Maximum Level 2 for no specific religious beliefs
  and teachings.
• Possible benefits of therapeutic cloning in
  providing organs for transplant / could lead to
  the improvement of the human race which God would
  approve of / using cloning
• techniques commercially for food purposes /
  nightmare scenario of cloned tyrants,
• dictators, etc. / we have no right to do this
  only God has this right / clones will not
• possess a soul and therefore perhaps no hope of
  God / designer babies could be born, etc. /
  Playing God / unnatural / link to idea of being
  sacred / unknown consequences of actions /
  commercial exploitation / those cloned embryos or
  zygotes that die will have been murdered / merely
  an extension of IVF / the cells that are disposed
  of have potential for life but cannot be said to
  be viable. Ideas of stewardship (khalifals) and
  dominion related to animals.

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B2 Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life

• (c) Explain religious attitudes to cloning. You
  should refer to beliefs and teachings from either
  two religions or two Christian denominations in
  your answer.
• Target Explanation of how beliefs and teachings
  affect attitudes to cloning
• Levels of Response (for each of two religions or
  Christian denominations 2 x 4 marks) (8 marks)
  AO2

• Sikhism God is creator / cycle of birth, death
  and rebirth denies possibility of human
  interference / cloning can be seen as an
  extension of IVF treatment and so make it
  possible for couples to have possibility of
  children / also, cloning can be seen as another
  way of helping people who are sick / motives are
  also important greed and selfishness are not
  part of Sikh way of life.
• Christianity God is creator and sustainer of life
  / each person conceived and born is unique and
  part of Gods plan / intention to do good or harm
  is important / destruction of unwanted genetic
  material is murder and therefore a sin / Bible
  teaches that each person is known by God in the
  womb / teachings about love suggest that we
  should do all possible to help those who are
  suffering / the Bible teaches that human beings
  were given the ability to share in the creative
  work of God / to be able to recreate replicas of
  different organs will be sign of Gods love for
  those whose own organs are damaged.

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B2 Religious Attitudes to Matters of Life

• (d) Everyone has the right to be a parent.
• Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer
  showing you have thought aboutmore than one point
  of view. Refer to religious arguments in your
  answer.
• Target Evaluation of the right to be a parent A
  well-argued response, with
• evidence of reasoned consideration of two
  different points of view and clear
• reference to religion. (5 marks) AO3
• Agree
• Basic human right / religions give a
  responsibility to have children / having children
  is one
• of the purposes of marriage Sikhism and
  Christianity / God inspires scientists to develop
  new artificial techniques of conception to
  reinforce this right / children have a
  responsibility to support their parents
• when elderly / we were created with the ability
  to have children / children are a sign of Gods
  favour / same sex couples.
• Other views
• Rights have to be earned and some (paedophiles,
  rapists, etc.) forfeit that right / caring
• for children is more important than having
  children / infertile couples are infertile for a
• reason (e.g. Zechariah and Elizabeth) / children
  are a gift from God, not a right / same sex
  couples.