Christian Perspectives On Abortion-Legislation In Past And Present

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject Theology - Systematic Theology, grade: 18/20, University of Glasgow, language: English, abstract: In concentrating on abortion legislation this essay focuses on one particular aspect of the vast discussion on the disputable issue of abortion. It is the endeavour to come to a solid stance on how Christians can take on their responsibility to live a life according to God's will, even in the political realm. As Christians were already forced to deal with abortion from the beginning of the Early Church on, the historical approach can be expected to contribute an insight into what a relevant Christian attitude on the issue could be today. The fact that the church nowadays faces anew the same challenges in modern societies as it did in Antiquity, proves the question of how Christians can respond to ethical questions in a cultural environment that can no longer be called Christian still to be in need of an answer. Today, the appropriateness of all religiously motivated involvement in political matters is highly disputed. Especially the issue of abortion causes great controversies, not only between Christians and differently minded members of their respective societies, but even among the diverse Christian groups themselves. Even though most people would deny the legitimacy of faith-based arguments on the topic of abortion, this essay intends to demonstrate the adequacy and the necessity of a Christian involvement in the shaping of abortion legislation.