1. A Christian World View
Life and Death

2. Euthenasia

3. Euthenasia

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

6. What does the Bible Say?
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.”

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

8. Proverbs 31:4-6 It is not for kings to drink wine,
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. Job 31:15 What does the Bible Say?
Did not He who made me in the womb make him, And the same one fashion us in the womb?

12. Psalm 139:13-14 What does the Bible Say?
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. Psalm 139:15 What does the Bible Say? When I was made in secret,
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

14. Psalm 139:13-17 What does the Bible Say?
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

34. 5 mo old fetus; operation on 5-month fetus for spinal bifida; neonate