Describe the Christian perspective on abortion

Roman Catholics are against abortion, and usually argue that it is murder . This is on the grounds that as soon as the egg is fertilised by the sperm, there is a new life, as aspects such as eye colour are decided genetically as soon as that process takes place. Psalm 139:13-16 says that “you knitted me together in my mother’s womb”, suggesting that if God created life as early as then, then it would be murder to try and take that life (^{Bible references - specific knowledge}). Catholics are also opposed to abortion when a woman becomes pregnant following rape, arguing that two wrongs do not make a right – even in this scenario, Catholics argue that pregnancy must go ahead for the sake of the child. The only exception to this hard-line stance is if the mother’s life is endangered by the pregnancy – this is because of the doctrine of double effect, where they believe that a bad effect is outweighed by a good one. In this case, although a foetus is aborted, a woman’s life is saved. Therefore, if the situation is serious, Catholics believe that abortion is acceptable – though only in extreme situations. However, Catholicism is the only Christian denomination to take such a strict stance on abortion (^{inclusion of alternate views}), as many other Christians would take a more pro-choice view. Both the Church of England and Quakers stand by this point of view. Furthermore, many Christians believe that the woman should have full control with what happens with her body. Despite this, a common argument used by pro-life Christians is the idea of the sanctity of life, which states that as we were all created in the image of God, and given the gift of life at his hand, we do not have the right to interfere with that more-important life. Therefore, while many Christians of other denominations argue for a more liberal view, some still believe that due to God's involvement, life is sacred and should not be interfered with.