Printed from: https://www.cmf.org.uk/resources/publications/authors/?id=1&index=210
Diverging views The status of the human embryo is central to debates on the ethics of genetics, embryo research, infertility treatment and post-coital contraception. Among Christians there has been disagreement throughout history, and the matter has been hotly debated before in CMF, both in the Journal of the CMF [1,2] and...
One of CMF's aims is 'to increase in the medical profession personal faith in Christ': in short, to evangelise colleagues. The Confident Christianity training programme of 1996-97 was directed towards making us better at this. It is not an official CMF aim to share the gospel with patients; still, many...
Muslims are quick to criticise the Bible’s authenticity and authority; and make the most of the writings of liberal Christian scholars in doing so. But what of their own scriptures? The Qur’an has, in the past, been protected by a kind of doctrinal embargo - but now its historicity, claimed...
1. Surely we can't return to the days of back street abortionists and abortion tourism? The argument that 'safe and legal' abortion is necessary to stop 'thousands of women' dying at the hands of back street abortionists is ill-founded. Claims about death rates have been wildly exaggerated; take for eample the...
A Chicago physicist plans to open a human cloning clinic within the year and hopes to produce the first human clone within 18 months. Dr Seed, who says he will move abroad if prevented from operating in the US, says that cloning will enable humanity to become 'closer to God'....
Isn't the fetus only a potential human being? This is the key issue. Biologically the fetus is undoubtedly human; it has human chromosomes derived from human gametes. It is also alive, exhibiting movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion and nutrition. It is therefore more accurate to speak of it as a...
A recently published report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has suggested that fetuses cannot experience pain before 26 weeks' gestation. This received substantial media attention.[2] However, the report of the Commission of Inquiry into Fetal Sentience (the Rawlinson Report) suggested that pain may be experienced from...
Four million abortions have been performed in Britain since the passing of the Abortion Act in 1967. There is now one abortion for every four live births. The typical woman having an abortion today is single, under 25 and in her first pregnancy. In 98.6% of cases the justification given...
Homosexuality - 'being sexually attracted only by members of one's own sex' according to the Oxford Dictionary. Unfortunately, behavioural scientists tell us that this definition is too simplistic. Sexuality is a complex matter: many people are not exclusive in their sexual inclinations. A classification system,[1] devised in the 1940s by...
Unlike many of our contemporaries Muslims recognise Jesus as a great moral teacher, prophet, miracle-worker and reformer. But they are most offended when we suggest that he is the only way to God. Couldn't we save ourselves trouble by being less 'narrowminded and arrogant'? First we mut admit that our faiths...
