Editing Abortion in the United Kingdom (section)

==Faith perspectives==
As in other countries, there is a wide range of personal [[Abortion and Christianity|individual views on abortion]] within church denominations.

===Roman Catholic===
The ''[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]]'' states that human life "must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception" and that from the first moment of 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." The Church has affirmed "the moral evil of every procured abortion" since the 1st century AD and describes direct abortion "willed either as an end or a means" as gravely contrary to the moral law.<ref>{{cite web |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church, Respect for Human Life |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7Z.HTM |website=www.vatican.va |publisher=Catholic Church |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref> [[Pope John Paul II]] reaffirmed the ''Catechism'' in his papal encyclical {{lang|la|[[Evangelium vitae]]}} (''The Gospel of Life'') in 1995, which taught on "bringing about a transformation of culture" in relation to abortion and the value of human life, including extensive care and support for pregnant women, their children and their families.<ref>{{cite web |last1=John Paul II |first1=His Holiness |title=Evangelium vitae |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031995_evangelium-vitae.html |website=www.vatican.va |publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |access-date=16 August 2022 |location=Vatican City State |date=1995}}</ref>

During his [[1982 visit by Pope John Paul II to the United Kingdom|pastoral visit]] to Great Britain in 1982, John Paul II remarked: "I support with all my heart those who recognize and defend the law of God which governs human life. We must never forget that every person, from the moment of conception to the last breath, is a unique child of God and has a right to life. This right should be defended by the attentive care of the medical and nursing professions and by the protection of the law."<ref>{{cite web |title=Address of John Paul II at the Ceremony of the Anointing of the Sick |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1982/may/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19820528_cattedrale-southwark.html |website=www.vatican.va |publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |access-date=12 November 2022 |location=Southwark Cathedral, London |date=28 May 1982}}</ref> [[Pope Benedict XVI]], on his [[State visit by Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom|state visit]] to the United Kingdom in 2010, stated: "Life is a unique gift, at every stage from conception until natural death, and it is God’s alone to give and to take."<ref>{{cite web |title=Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI on a visit to St Peter's Residence, a home for older people |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2010/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20100918_st-peter-residence.html |website=www.vatican.va |publisher=Libreria Editrice Vaticana |access-date=12 November 2022 |location=London |date=18 September 2010}}</ref>

===Anglican===
The [[Church of England]] combines strong opposition to abortion with a recognition that there can be "strictly limited" conditions under which it may be morally preferable to any available alternative. This is based on its view that the foetus is a human life with the potential to develop relationships, think, pray, choose and love. The Church has suggested that the case for further reductions of the time limit for abortions should be "sympathetically considered on the basis of advances in neo-natal care" and has stated that every possible support, especially by church members, needs to be given to those who are pregnant in difficult circumstances.<ref>{{cite web |title=Abortion: Church of England Statements (summary paper) |url=https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/Abortion%20Church%20of%20England%20Statements.pdf |website=www.churchofengland.org |date=29 November 2019 |publisher=Church of England |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref>

Writing on the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Act, in 2007, the then [[Archbishop of Canterbury]] [[Rowan Williams]] commented that most parliamentarians who voted for the Act "did so in the clear belief that they were making provision for extreme and tragic situations" but that its implementation since then demonstrated unintended consequences. The strengthening of the language of 'foetal rights' (i.e. that "the pregnant woman who smokes or drinks heavily is widely regarded as guilty of infringing the rights of her unborn child") could be contrasted with "the liberty of the pregnant woman herself to perform the actions that will terminate a pregnancy."<ref>{{cite web |first1=Rowan |last1=Williams |title=Britain's abortion debate lacks a moral dimension |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/oct/21/comment.religion |website=www.guardian.com |publisher=The Observer |access-date=12 November 2022 |date=21 October 2007}}</ref>

The [[Church of Ireland]] – a province of the [[Anglican Communion]] alongside the Church of England – affirms that "every human being is created with intrinsic dignity in the image of God with the right to life." It has opposed the "extreme abortion legislation" imposed on Northern Ireland, asked that legislation is developed that safeguards the well-being of both the mother and unborn child, and encouraged its members to provide more support to mothers during pregnancy, particularly during times of crisis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Statement of the Standing Committee on Northern Ireland abortion law and support for women in pregnancy |url=https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/10719/statement-of-the-standing-committee |website=www.ireland.anglican.org |publisher=Church of Ireland |access-date=6 January 2022 |date=15 June 2021}}</ref> In relation to potential grounds for abortion, the Church recognises that there are "exceptional circumstances of strict and undeniable medical necessity where an abortion should be an option (or more rarely a necessity)."<ref>{{cite web |author1=Church and Society Commission of the Church of Ireland |title=Church of Ireland's Position on Abortion |url=https://ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/Information/Submissions/CASC/150115_NI_AbortionLegislationResponse.pdf |page=4 |website=Church of Ireland |access-date=13 April 2016 |date=2015 |archive-date=24 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424215911/http://ireland.anglican.org/cmsfiles/pdf/Information/Submissions/CASC/150115_NI_AbortionLegislationResponse.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Presbyterian===
The General Assembly of the (Presbyterian) [[Church of Scotland]] regards the foetus as "from the beginning, an independent human being" and therefore it can be threatened "only in the case of threat to maternal life, and that after the exhaustion of all alternatives".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Robertson |first1=David |title=Abortion, the Church of Scotland and the Media |url=https://theweeflea.com/2017/08/26/abortion-the-church-of-scotland-and-the-media/ |access-date=6 January 2022 |work=The Wee Flea |date=26 August 2017}}</ref>

The [[Presbyterian Church in Ireland]], the largest Protestant denomination in Northern Ireland, is strongly anti-abortion, and maintains that abortion should only be permitted in exceptional circumstances (e.g. where there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother) subject to the most stringent safeguards. The Church has affirmed the sanctity of human life, that human life begins at conception, and that complex medical and social issues such as abortion need to be handled with sensitivity and compassion.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Presbyterian Church in Ireland|title=Presbyterians call for Pro Life Abortion Policy with stringent safeguards for exceptional cases|url=http://presbyterianireland.org/News/Article/2013-%281%29/Presbyterians-Call-for-Pro-Life-Abortion-Policy-wi|website=www.presbyterianireland.org|access-date=13 April 2016|date=2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422073508/http://presbyterianireland.org/News/Article/2013-(1)/Presbyterians-Call-for-Pro-Life-Abortion-Policy-wi|archive-date=22 April 2016}}</ref>

===Methodist===
The Conference of the [[Methodist Church of Great Britain]] stated in 1976 that the human foetus had "an inviolable right to life" and that abortion should never be seen as an alternative to contraception. The Church also recognised that foetus is "totally dependent" on his or her mother for at least the first twenty weeks of its life and said that the mother has "a total right to decide whether or not to continue the pregnancy." The Church has supported counselling opportunities for mothers so that they fully understand the decision, and the alternatives to abortion.<ref>{{cite web |title=Views of the Church: Abortion and contraception |url=https://www.methodist.org.uk/about-us/the-methodist-church/views-of-the-church/abortion-and-contraception/ |website=www.methodist.org.uk |publisher=Methodist Church of Great Britain |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref>

Its sister church, the [[Methodist Church in Ireland]], is opposed to what it describes as "abortion on demand" and urges support and resources for those who have an unplanned pregnancy. The Church recognises that there are complex situations "in which early termination of pregnancy should be available" and considers that these include "when a mother's life is at risk, when a pregnancy is the result of a sexual crime, or in cases of fatal foetal abnormality."<ref>{{cite book |title=Methodist Belief |date=2021 |publisher=Methodist Church in Ireland |url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/604f6c4cbaa61721597a264b/t/60db08c291d22a13e012f9a7/1624967364070/MethodistBeliefs_web.pdf |access-date=6 January 2022 |chapter=Practical Expressions of Methodist Belief}}</ref>

===Others===
The smaller Protestant churches are generally conservative on the issue of abortion.<ref>{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=United Kingdom |house=[[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] | speaker = [[Ian Paisley]] | position = Leader of the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] | title = Early-day Motions | url = https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1993/may/27/early-day-motions |date= 27 May 1993 |column_start= 1023 |column_end= 1024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Public Morals Committee, Reformed Presbyterian Church |title=Abortion |url=http://rpc.org/page/moral&page=12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023223516/http://rpc.org/page/moral%26page%3D12 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-10-23 |website=www.rpc.org |access-date=13 April 2016 |date=2008 }}</ref>

Congregations and members of major non-Christian religions in the UK likewise provide pastoral support for women, families and children whose circumstances are affected by crisis pregnancies and abortion, in a range of ways. Views on the morality and potential grounds for abortion vary within [[Islam and abortion|Islam]], [[Hinduism and abortion|Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism and abortion|Buddhism]], and [[Judaism and abortion|Judaism]].