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School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics

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Browsing School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics by Subject "Abortion--Moral and ethical aspects."

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    Hinduism and abortion : a traditional view.
    (2004) Ramdass, Ravin Kumar.; Maxwell, Patrick Severn.
    This study entitled "Hinduism and Abortion: A Traditional View" outlines what the Hindu Smriti and Shruti texts have to contribute in the abortion debate. It is important to consider what an ancient tradition, Hinduism, has to contribute with regard to a modern controversy. The study undertakes a cursory look at bioethics and then proceeds to examine the Hindu world view and the Hindu view of the unborn. The important Hindu teachings with regard to dharma, kama, the ashrama dharma system, the samskaras and karma and reincarnation are considered in some detail. The unborn is considered not only in terms of its embryological development but also in terms of its social and spiritual significance. This study concludes that Hinduism is opposed to abortion except in certain very specific circumstances, for example, severe congenital abnormalities in the foetus, where the continued pregnancy is life-threatening for the mother, rape and incest. The traditional Hindu standpoint is pro-life and the Hindu scriptures provide a comprehensive and multi-faceted argument against abortion. The foetus is considered sacrosanct from the moment of conception. The view arrived at in this study is that the foetus is a person with rights, and abortion is a violation of those rights. Abortion is considered to be murder. An important and salient contribution from a Hindu perspective is the fact that the foetus is a bio-psycho-socio-cosmological and spiritual being and as such the abortion debate transcends individual ethics thus raising important social and cosmological concerns. Hinduism has much to contribute to the abortion debate and many of the Hindu teachings cited in the study are relevant for today. Celibacy, the Hindu view that the sexual act ought to be seen as a deeply spiritual act, the emphasis on the Ashrama Dharma system and ahimsa are important principles that need to be emphasized to face the challenges of the increasing demand for abortions.
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    Nurses' religious and cultural beliefs and its influences on healthcare provision for women seeking termination of pregnancy : a case study of Grey's hospital.
    (2014) Mangena, Honest.; Settler, Federico Guliano.
    The political liberation of South Africa in 1994 gave its people the right to freedom of expression, thought and religion. This has led to the promulgation of the Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996 (Act No. 2 of 1996) in order to promote the freedom of women and give them agency over reproductive health. The Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Act not only promoted reproductive health among women, but it also shaped the outlook of nursing practice to ensure that the termination of pregnancy service is translated into good nursing practice at public hospitals across the country. This study, which is qualitative in nature, explores nurses’ religious and cultural beliefs and its effect on healthcare provision to women seeking termination of pregnancy services at public hospitals. Six nursing professionals involved in termination of pregnancy services at a public hospital were interviewed as research participants in the study with the aim of obtaining individual opinions regarding its provision and the significance and impact of their religious convictions in service delivery at a public hospital. The thematic analysis method was used to interpret and analyse the data received and to reach conclusions and recommendations for the study. The major themes that emerged from the research participants were as follows: (i) personal conviction and preferences in addressing issues such as an ethics of care and a human rights discourse in public health; (ii) social attitudes about termination of pregnancy, covering issues such as affirmation, acceptance or stigmatisation in regard to termination of pregnancy; (iii) the religious convictions of nurses and the termination of pregnancy and the extent to which religion is a deficit or asset in its provision at public hospitals in South Africa.
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    Xhosa peri-urban women's views on abortion as a human right : implications for a pro-impilo theological discourse on the Choice of Termination of Pregnancy Act no. 92 of 1996, South Africa.
    (1998) Manxaile, Andile.; Mandew, Martin de Porres Archibald.; Haddad, Beverley Gail.
    The conceptualization of this study is conceived out of the new abortion Act No.92 of 1996. Under this new Act a woman can procure abortion on demand within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The thrust of this thesis is based on the hypothesis that a woman's decision to seek abortion is a highly individual decision which neither the church nor one's culture can succeed imposing any control measures against. This essentially means that moral-ethical considerations engendered by one's religio-cultural orientation are in fact inconsequential for individual decision making and implementation. The secondary hypothesis is that while the above may be true, it does not necessarily exonerate the individual from her religio-cultural conditioning and thus creating a dissonance between the woman and her significant others. These may be one's family, church or any close associations . It is in this respect that the study examines three trajectories which, it is claimed, are constitutive of the Africa in contemporary communities. These are: the African traditional culture, the Christian heritage and the culture of human rights as practised within a democratic society. The study looks at the ramifications of what happens when these three perspectives interact, with a particular focus on abortion under the new abortion Act. A recovery of certain elements of African resources is argued for which, it is suggested, can hold in creative tension and healthy balance women's desire to exercise their reproductive rights while not compromising both their religious leanings and cultural roots. In this regard concepts of ubuntu, impilo, ubomi-mpilo and African spirituality are carefully examined and delineated with the eventual purpose of finding accommodative framework within the three trajectories numerated above. This thesis is by no means exhaustive . It is an exploratory study intended to open up a serious discuss!on, specifically on issues of human sexuality on which both the African culture and the Christian faith have been silent. But that silence, as the thesis goes on to show, has not been without its casualties, especially for African women. It is this dangerous silence which the study challenges and seeks to break.