What is abortion?
An abortion is the medical process of ending a pregnancy so it does not result in the birth of a baby.
It is also sometimes known as a 'termination' or a 'termination of pregnancy'.
Depending on how many weeks you have been pregnant, the pregnancy is ended either by taking medication or by having a surgical procedure.
The law on abortion in the uk:
Abortion is legal in England, Scotland and Wales up to the 24th week of pregnancy. However, if there is a substantial risk to the woman's life or if there are foetal abnormalities there is no time limit.
To comply with the 1967 Abortion Act which covers UK mainland (England, Scotland and Wales) but not Northern Ireland, two doctors must give their consent, stating that to continue with the pregnancy would present a risk to the physical or mental health of the woman or her existing children.
Different religious views on abortion:
Islam-
Islam teaches that life begins at conception and is created by God. The unborn child has certain rights such as the right to care, protection and life. Abortion on any grounds is forbidden in the Islamic holy book Al'Quran. "Do not kill or take a human life which God has declared to be sacred." (Chapter 6,verse 151)
Christianity-
Look in the booklet you got.
Buddisham-
In Buddhism there is no central authority on ethical matters but the Dalai Lama has spoken in favour of abortion under certain circumstances. In 1993 he said: "Of course, abortion, from a Buddhist viewpoint, is an act of killing and is negative, generally speaking. But it depends on the circumstances. If the unborn child will be retarded or if the birth will create serious problems for the parent, these are cases where there can be an exception." (Quoted by Clive Erricker inBuddhism, Hodder & Stoughton, 1995 (page 119)
Atheists and agnostics for life-
Many atheists and agnostics view abortion as a violation of human rights and hold pro-life opinions for