Life and Death

1. Life and Death A Christian World View

2. Euthenasia

3. Euthenasia

4. Rationale Abortion Euthanasia A burden Usefulness Too young Age Too old Not yet conscious Intelligence No longer conscious A burden In the womb Place of Residence In a nursing home “Does not yet have…” Meaningful life “No longer has…”

6. Genesis 9:5-6“Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. 6 Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.” What does the Bible Say?

7. There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven-- 2 A time to give birth and a time to die(Ecclesiastes 3:1-2) What does the Bible Say?

8. Proverbs 31:4-6 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, 5 For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter.

9. Biblical Accounts of Suicide • Abimelech: Judges 9:50-55 • King Saul: I Samuel 31:4 • Ahithophel: II Samuel 17:23 • Zimri kills himself: I Kings 16:18 • Judas Iscariot: Matthew 27:5, Acts 1:18-20

10. The Supreme Court’s Decision • “ . . . we need not resolve the difficult question of when life begins. When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy, and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus, the judiciary, at this point in the development of man’s knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer.”

11. What does the Bible Say? Job 31:15 Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb?

12. What does the Bible Say? Psalm 139:13-14 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, For I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

13. What does the Bible Say? Psalm 139:15 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

14. What does the Bible Say? Psalm 139:13-17 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

16. Personhood • Is a fetus a person? • What is a person? • ‘Person’ is vague and normative: people have rights • We need criteria for being a person

18. Criteria for Personhood • Biological: genes, appearance, brain activity (Noonan) • Independence (viability) • Consciousness • Self-consciousness • Physical separation • Autonomy: self-concept, plans for future, etc. (Warren)

19. Four weeks • Genetic pattern established since conception • Heart, eyes, nervous system formed

20. Six weeks • Arms and legs formed • Skeleton complete, reflexes active • Brain waves present

21. Seven weeks • Brain activity present • Appearance complete

22. Eight weeks • Now officially a fetus • All systems in place • Just need to develop and increase size

23. Eight weeks

24. Eleven weeks • Arms and legs move, sucks thumb • Inhales and exhales amniotic fluid

25. Twelve weeks

26. Twelve weeks

27. Sixteen weeks • Grasps, swims, kicks, turns somersaults

28. Eighteen weeks Vocal cords work; fetus can cry

29. Twenty weeks

30. Twenty-four weeks

31. After Birth

33. Killing what has a right to life • It’s wrong to kill anything with a right to life • A fetus has a right to life • Others have a perfect obligation not to interfere with the fetus’ living • Others have a perfect obligation not to kill the fetus