**5. Religion**

Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, and

**D.** abortion allowed due to risk of life for the pregnant woman, with some determined time

**E.** abortion allowed because of health risks for pregnant women: Denmark, Slovenia, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Cyprus, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, France,

**F.** abortion allowed because of risk to the health of the pregnant woman, with a certain gestation time (from 90 days to 28 weeks): Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, the United

**G.** abortion allowed when pregnancy results from rape or other sex offenses, including:

**H.** abortion allowed when the pregnancy results from rape or other sexual offenses with a certain period of gestation (from 90 days to 28 weeks): Denmark, Finland, France, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Lithuania, Estonia, Holland, and Latvia; **I.** abortion is permitted when there is poor fetal formation, without gestation time: the United Kingdom, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Cyprus, Hungary, France,

**J.** abortion allowed when there is fetal malformation, with a certain time of gestation: Holland,

**K.** abortion allowed for socioeconomic reasons with a certain time of gestation: Holland,

Cuba, which in 1965, legalized abortion up to 12 weeks of gestation and maintains a lower abortion rate of 21 per 1000 women of reproductive age, 10 points below the regional average. El Salvador, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic criminalized abortion and did not allow

In Chile, the Constitutional Court, in August 2017, passed a law authorizing abortion in case

In Honduras, because of the Code of Medical Ethics, abortion is allowed to save the life of the

Argentina, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, and Paraguay admit abortion to save the life of women, and in Argentina, the permit also covers when women do not understand reality and

Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Mexico, Panama, and Guatemala admit abortion in cases of rape or incest, while Uruguay also allows for cases of economic distress and Colombia,

of death risk of pregnant women, when the fetus is not viable and in cases of rape.

Kingdom, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Poland, and Spain;

Luxembourg and Ireland (includes risk of suicide);

Romania, Cyprus, Greece, Germany, and Hungary;

Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, and Luxembourg;

In this work, there is also a passage on the nations of Latin America:

of gestation: Holland and Finland;

and Germany;

286 Family Planning

Germany, and Bulgaria;

exception.

pregnant woman.

Finland, Italy, France, and Luxembourg.

in Venezuela to protect the honor of women and men.

Mexico, and Panama allow when fetal malformation occurs.

Alongside the legislation of each country, there is a strong influence of the various religions in all cultures. It is calculated more than 3000 between sects and doctrines that have their dogmas and their peculiarities.

Catholicism as a religion was dominant for the first 1500 years in the Western world after Christ's presence on earth. In 1517, Martin Luther, a friar of the Order of St. Augustine, promoted a great movement breaking the unity of the Church. The Reform also addressed political and social aspects of conflict in Europe. In a major sense, the Reformation refers to other movements within the Catholic Church, such as that of Luther and that of Calvin in Switzerland, which originated the Evangelical Church and that of Henry VIII, in England from which the Anglican Church arose. These movements led to the Council of Trent, initiating a process of internal reform in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis in November 2016 extended to all priests the power to forgive the sin of abortion, which was only delegated to the bishops on a temporary basis. The pardon had already been authorized to all Catholic priests during the Year of Mercy, which ended on November 20 [2].

By Catholic doctrine, abortion means a serious sin punished with an automatic excommunication of those involved. Forgiveness can only be given by the priests who had this delegation of the Pope after a confession and repentance.

When one wants to analyze abortion by the religious eye, it is without doubt that the Catholic religion is the first to be observed and deserves the greatest attention. The Catholic Church is not the oldest, but it covers a period of approximately 2000 years and recounts the events of one of the oldest religious institutions in activity, influencing the world in spiritual, religious, moral, political, and socio-cultural aspects. The history of the Church is as follows:

Catholic is integral to the history of Christianity and the history of Western civilization [2].

The Catholic religion is spoken by the majority of the populations of the Latin nations in the world. Like others such as Anglican, Evangelical, Episcopal, Protestant, Lutheran or Calvinist, and many other sects or doctrines that adopt Christianity, it considers that the human being has life from conception. The followers of this religion do not accept the practice of fully liberalized abortion, since they regard their practice as the death of the unborn child. As for the unborn child, it is necessary that his life be preserved from conception [2]. According to Catholics, life is inviolable from conception, that is, from the moment of fertilization, from the union of the male sperm with the female egg.

as not wanting to take care of a baby, it makes the act more serious in the eyes of Buddhism, because both the motivation and the act itself are destructive [2]. In Buddhism, motivation can also be positive. If the baby is greatly deformed or mentally deficient, then, wishing that the child avoids all future problems, abortion is not condemned because of the bodhisattva secondary vow given by all Buddhists if one does not avoid committing destructive action when motivation is positive. However, the ethics of the problem is still questionable. In another situation, in the case of risk to the mother during pregnancy, many factors and circumstances come into play to make a decision, it being defined that the karma consequent upon the decision will judge the individual in the next life depending on the circumstances of the abortion. In addition to causal motivations, Buddhist teachings dictate that contemporary motivation (what a certain individual thinks at the time of the abortion process) is also very important in justifying the act. In this way, it is fundamental for a Buddhist, who at the time of abortion, to have affectionate thoughts toward the baby [2]. Some Buddhist traditions perform ceremonies for the fetus. Supposedly, the performance of these ceremonies is extremely helpful to the "soul" of the mother. The fetus is named and prayed for their lives. The goal of Buddhists is to attain spiritual enhancement, the "nirvana" state of liberation from unhappiness and pain existing in the world, a spirituality of peace and happiness. Although there is no consensus in Buddhism on abortion, most of its followers consider a break from the precept of not taking life. Traditional Buddhist sources, such as the Buddhist monastic code, point out that the deliberate destruction of life is a serious breach of precepts. The current Dalai Lama considers abortion to be erroneous but believes there can be occasions to justify it [2]. Even when abortion is done to save a woman's life,

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it is almost always seen as causing suffering and negative karma.

The followers of Islam, although the Koran condemns the act of killing, are very much attached to a fanaticism to follow, for example, to war, in which they do not bother to die, with the idea that death brings them to the presence of Ala. This fanaticism has, in these times, reached the belief of guys that often burst bombs affixed in their bodies, in places crowded with people intending to commit acts of terrorism and without the concern of dying. The main cause of abortion condemnation among Muslims lies in historic roots [2]. The Bedouin peoples saw in infanticide and abortion a concern because of the need for men to equip armies for the desired expansion in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The attitude of these terrorists is reprehensible, therefore, that they are carried out in wars of conquest, including because the colonization of peoples by the Islamists was much more permissive than the European process in the Americas [2]. In the Islamic faith on the last day of mankind, the children will be witnesses against the parents who killed them. Issa refers to the children who would have been born and whose birth was interrupted [2]. Most followers of Islam consider abortion to be permitted up to 120 days from gestation when the fetus or embryo has a similar life condition to animals or plants, and for this reason, it is the maximum limit for the practice of abortion regardless of the fact which leads to it. In the case of women's risk of life, for Islam, it will be preferable to save the main life, that is, the life of the mother. If a pregnancy is accidentally interrupted, an indemnity must be paid to the father since through the accident the life of an embryo is lost. The value of the life of an embryo is different from the life of a fetus. If the pregnancy is interrupted before

Christianity predominates in the societies of the Western world, and being the greatest religion among those who venerate Jesus, the Catholic has its center in the Vatican State, which makes it to be the only religion that has under its rule a nation: the Vatican directed by the Pope. Catholic followers do not accept any reason to interrupt gestation which makes them different from others that justify abortion at specific times. Catholics believe that if they do not commit sins in the passage they are to fulfill on earth, they will have eternal life in heaven as their reward.

For this, the Catholics must fulfill all the obligations of the dogmas and doctrine of the Church.

Most western countries call themselves laymen, but not everyone is able to allow abortion without restriction.

Unlike the Catholic religion that its followers spread without a concern of grouping, the followers of the Jewish religion approach to practice mutual aid. Thus, the marriage generally of the Jews takes place between members of the same religion. It is common for Jewish colonies to have institutions such as hospitals for health care and schools for teaching, obeying religious precepts. Therefore, alongside traces of the cultures of the societies in which they live, the followers of Judaism retain traces of the culture of their religion. In Judaism, it is considered that the fetus or the embryo does not have the condition of person before the birth. Within the Jewish population of the world, which can be considered an ethnic group, there are distinct ethnic divisions, the majority being the result of the geographical ramifications of the Israeli population, and subsequently of independent evolutions [2]. Ethnic divisions among Jews were divided into two major divisions: the Ashkenazi and Sephardic. These two groups are characterized by the locality of habitation. The Ashkenazi settle more in the Anglo-Germanic part of Europe. Sephardic seek to live on the Latin side, while the Mizrahim and the Teimanim or Yemenite are located in the eastern part of the world. As far as abortion in the Jewish religion is concerned, if the embryo or the fetus is a risk to a woman's health, abortion is permitted among Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformist groups. Among reformers, welfare (social and psychological conditions) can be considered for the approval of abortion [2]. According to the tradition of Maimonides, in the twelfth century, if the embryo is to jeopardize the woman's life, mental, and physical health, she may interrupt the pregnancy in self-defense, since the embryo would be considered an aggressor. However, the decision must be made with a rabbi [2]. It is important to emphasize that compared with Christianity the traditionalism of the Jewish religion does not allow the interruption of pregnancy to be an individual decision of the woman, but that this desire be accompanied by the permission of the rabbi who in his wisdom finds it moral and fair [2].

From the Buddhist point of view, abortion is considered murder. However, there may be several motivations for ending the pregnancy. If the motivation is a selfish unconcern, such as not wanting to take care of a baby, it makes the act more serious in the eyes of Buddhism, because both the motivation and the act itself are destructive [2]. In Buddhism, motivation can also be positive. If the baby is greatly deformed or mentally deficient, then, wishing that the child avoids all future problems, abortion is not condemned because of the bodhisattva secondary vow given by all Buddhists if one does not avoid committing destructive action when motivation is positive. However, the ethics of the problem is still questionable. In another situation, in the case of risk to the mother during pregnancy, many factors and circumstances come into play to make a decision, it being defined that the karma consequent upon the decision will judge the individual in the next life depending on the circumstances of the abortion. In addition to causal motivations, Buddhist teachings dictate that contemporary motivation (what a certain individual thinks at the time of the abortion process) is also very important in justifying the act. In this way, it is fundamental for a Buddhist, who at the time of abortion, to have affectionate thoughts toward the baby [2]. Some Buddhist traditions perform ceremonies for the fetus. Supposedly, the performance of these ceremonies is extremely helpful to the "soul" of the mother. The fetus is named and prayed for their lives. The goal of Buddhists is to attain spiritual enhancement, the "nirvana" state of liberation from unhappiness and pain existing in the world, a spirituality of peace and happiness. Although there is no consensus in Buddhism on abortion, most of its followers consider a break from the precept of not taking life. Traditional Buddhist sources, such as the Buddhist monastic code, point out that the deliberate destruction of life is a serious breach of precepts. The current Dalai Lama considers abortion to be erroneous but believes there can be occasions to justify it [2]. Even when abortion is done to save a woman's life, it is almost always seen as causing suffering and negative karma.

and many other sects or doctrines that adopt Christianity, it considers that the human being has life from conception. The followers of this religion do not accept the practice of fully liberalized abortion, since they regard their practice as the death of the unborn child. As for the unborn child, it is necessary that his life be preserved from conception [2]. According to Catholics, life is inviolable from conception, that is, from the moment of fertilization, from the

Christianity predominates in the societies of the Western world, and being the greatest religion among those who venerate Jesus, the Catholic has its center in the Vatican State, which makes it to be the only religion that has under its rule a nation: the Vatican directed by the Pope. Catholic followers do not accept any reason to interrupt gestation which makes them different from others that justify abortion at specific times. Catholics believe that if they do not commit sins in the

For this, the Catholics must fulfill all the obligations of the dogmas and doctrine of the Church. Most western countries call themselves laymen, but not everyone is able to allow abortion

Unlike the Catholic religion that its followers spread without a concern of grouping, the followers of the Jewish religion approach to practice mutual aid. Thus, the marriage generally of the Jews takes place between members of the same religion. It is common for Jewish colonies to have institutions such as hospitals for health care and schools for teaching, obeying religious precepts. Therefore, alongside traces of the cultures of the societies in which they live, the followers of Judaism retain traces of the culture of their religion. In Judaism, it is considered that the fetus or the embryo does not have the condition of person before the birth. Within the Jewish population of the world, which can be considered an ethnic group, there are distinct ethnic divisions, the majority being the result of the geographical ramifications of the Israeli population, and subsequently of independent evolutions [2]. Ethnic divisions among Jews were divided into two major divisions: the Ashkenazi and Sephardic. These two groups are characterized by the locality of habitation. The Ashkenazi settle more in the Anglo-Germanic part of Europe. Sephardic seek to live on the Latin side, while the Mizrahim and the Teimanim or Yemenite are located in the eastern part of the world. As far as abortion in the Jewish religion is concerned, if the embryo or the fetus is a risk to a woman's health, abortion is permitted among Orthodox, Conservative, and Reformist groups. Among reformers, welfare (social and psychological conditions) can be considered for the approval of abortion [2]. According to the tradition of Maimonides, in the twelfth century, if the embryo is to jeopardize the woman's life, mental, and physical health, she may interrupt the pregnancy in self-defense, since the embryo would be considered an aggressor. However, the decision must be made with a rabbi [2]. It is important to emphasize that compared with Christianity the traditionalism of the Jewish religion does not allow the interruption of pregnancy to be an individual decision of the woman, but that this desire be accompanied by the permission of the rabbi who in his wisdom finds it moral and fair [2]. From the Buddhist point of view, abortion is considered murder. However, there may be several motivations for ending the pregnancy. If the motivation is a selfish unconcern, such

passage they are to fulfill on earth, they will have eternal life in heaven as their reward.

union of the male sperm with the female egg.

without restriction.

288 Family Planning

The followers of Islam, although the Koran condemns the act of killing, are very much attached to a fanaticism to follow, for example, to war, in which they do not bother to die, with the idea that death brings them to the presence of Ala. This fanaticism has, in these times, reached the belief of guys that often burst bombs affixed in their bodies, in places crowded with people intending to commit acts of terrorism and without the concern of dying. The main cause of abortion condemnation among Muslims lies in historic roots [2]. The Bedouin peoples saw in infanticide and abortion a concern because of the need for men to equip armies for the desired expansion in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The attitude of these terrorists is reprehensible, therefore, that they are carried out in wars of conquest, including because the colonization of peoples by the Islamists was much more permissive than the European process in the Americas [2]. In the Islamic faith on the last day of mankind, the children will be witnesses against the parents who killed them. Issa refers to the children who would have been born and whose birth was interrupted [2]. Most followers of Islam consider abortion to be permitted up to 120 days from gestation when the fetus or embryo has a similar life condition to animals or plants, and for this reason, it is the maximum limit for the practice of abortion regardless of the fact which leads to it. In the case of women's risk of life, for Islam, it will be preferable to save the main life, that is, the life of the mother. If a pregnancy is accidentally interrupted, an indemnity must be paid to the father since through the accident the life of an embryo is lost. The value of the life of an embryo is different from the life of a fetus. If the pregnancy is interrupted before the fifth month of gestation, 10% of the value of a life must be paid to the father, if it is then the value will be the total of a lifetime [2]. Abortion in Islam is permitted if there is an acceptable justification. There are, however, groups for which termination of pregnancy is unacceptable.

the moment of its birth. At the same time, it is necessary to see that the doctor has the primary duty to the mother, because she was the person who requested it. Thus, if a choice has to be made between the life of the mother and the life of the embryo or the fetus, the priority choice will always rest upon it, and so the doctor must decide, in the last analysis, when he can detach the mother from his responsibility in relation to the fetus. Protestant countries were

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The Anglican Church is considered by many to be Catholic because it does not adopt heresies in its statements of faith. But it is not "Roman," it is not subject to the Pope, nor does it adopt its particular dogmas and practices as: transubstantiation of the elements of the Eucharist; prayer for the dead; compulsory celibacy of parents; veneration of the virgin Mary and the canonized saints; immaculate conception of Mary; Mary's bodily assumption into heaven; the sacrifice of the mass; purgatory; infallibility of the pope; meritorious works for the salvation of the soul; the tradition with the same value of the Holy Scriptures; and others. As far as abortion is concerned, there is a permit that can be made, despite the fact that many followers of

Methodists admit abortion in special situations, that is, in case of rape or the health or life of

The Spiritists who follow Allan Kardec's book are opposed to abortion even in cases where the woman has been raped. They believe that malformed fetuses should be born because they

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is a Christian, evangelical, neo-Pentecostal denomination based in the Temple of Solomon in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Founded on July 9, 1977, by Edir Macedo, it became one of the largest Brazilian neo-Pentecostal groups. According to estimates, there are more than 6000 temples, 12,000 pastors, and 1.8 million faithful followers around the country. There are about 8 million followers and 15,000 pastors in 105 countries, being more popular in Portuguese-speaking nations. It is one of the largest religious organizations in Brazil and the 29th largest church in numbers of followers in the world [7]. In a public statement made more than 10 years ago, and recently reaffirmed, Pastor Macedo clarifies that he is in favor of women's right to choose and in this case in favor of abor-

Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian sect that has adherents in 240 countries and autonomous territories, with about 8 million practitioners, even though they congregate a greater number of sympathizers [2]. They are known for their regular and persistent work of preaching their

They worship exclusively the God who is presented in the Bible, calling him by the name Jehovah, and they are followers of Jesus, possessing a different concept from the other Christian groups that, for the most part, believe in the concept of a Triune God. They claim to follow biblically the instructions left by Jesus Christ, but reject the classification of being fundamentalists in the sense in which the term is commonly used. They seek to base all their practices and doctrines on the content of the Bible. Their organization is underpinned by financial donations provided by Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide. Voluntary donations are important but not vital to maintaining and expanding the number of witnesses who dedicate

principles and dogmas from house to house, on the streets, and in public places.

the first in this century to adopt more liberal legislation on abortion [2].

the Anglican Church oppose abortion [7].

the pregnant woman is in danger of life.

tion if it is the desire of the woman [2].

lead parents to an ordeal that must pass through their lives [2].

Hinduism is a religion that contains several gods that are venerated on diverse occasions and sites. However, in a general sense, it classifies abortion as an abominable act. It is a kind of union of beliefs with lifestyles. Their religious culture is the union of ethnic traditions. It is currently the third largest religion in the world by number of followers. It originates in approximately 3000 BC in ancient Vedic culture. Its followers respect old things and tradition, believe in sacred books, believe in deities, persist in the caste system, determine the status of every person in society, know the importance of rites, rely on spiritual guides, and believe in the existence of previous incarnations. The birth of a person within a caste is a result of the karma produced in past lives. Only the Brahmins belonging to the "superior" castes can perform the Hindu religious rituals and assume positions of authority within the temples [2]. Among the principal gods are Brahma who represents the creative force of the Universe; Ganesha, goddess of wisdom and luck; Matsya who saved the human species from destruction; Sarasvati, goddess of the arts and music; Shiva, the supreme god and creator of yoga; and Vishnu responsible for the maintenance of the Universe [2].

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, does not advise abortion; on the contrary, it opposes. However, if it is to preserve the health of the woman or if the pregnancy is the result of rape, in this case to save the woman's spiritual health, the procedure is allowed by the President of the Church after consulting a doctor. The nicknames of Mormons were created by non-Church members to refer to members of the Latter-day Saints movement. The name comes from a considered sacred scripture book compiled by the ancient Mormon prophet, entitled The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. According to the official version of the church, the name given by the Lord, by which the members of the Church are to be known, is Latter-day Saints [2]. The doctrine of the church changed before the glorious day of the second coming of Jesus Christ including "of the last days" to designate the members of the church. The word Mormon originates in the Book of Mormon, a book compiled by the Mormon prophet, which was named after a place where the people of King Noah lived and which according to the Prophet Joseph Smith himself means simply "very good" [2]. The Mormons have their principal headquarters in the United States of North America where their first Church was formalized on April 6, 1830. The main center is located in Salt Lake City in the State of Utah; Mormons spread throughout the world on a missionary mission preaching Christianity and capturing new followers [7].

For followers of Protestant churches Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, there is a range of attitudes toward abortion. In the religious doctrine of Protestants, there is a greater range of attitudes toward abortion than in the Catholic Church.

The great difference between Catholics and most Protestant churches is in respect for their mother's life. Thus, among Protestants, all agree that it is at the moment of conception that the mother acquires all the personal rights and rights attaching to motherhood, since she is in charge of gestating, caring, and feeding the embryo from the moment of its conception until the moment of its birth. At the same time, it is necessary to see that the doctor has the primary duty to the mother, because she was the person who requested it. Thus, if a choice has to be made between the life of the mother and the life of the embryo or the fetus, the priority choice will always rest upon it, and so the doctor must decide, in the last analysis, when he can detach the mother from his responsibility in relation to the fetus. Protestant countries were the first in this century to adopt more liberal legislation on abortion [2].

the fifth month of gestation, 10% of the value of a life must be paid to the father, if it is then the value will be the total of a lifetime [2]. Abortion in Islam is permitted if there is an acceptable justification. There are, however, groups for which termination of pregnancy is

Hinduism is a religion that contains several gods that are venerated on diverse occasions and sites. However, in a general sense, it classifies abortion as an abominable act. It is a kind of union of beliefs with lifestyles. Their religious culture is the union of ethnic traditions. It is currently the third largest religion in the world by number of followers. It originates in approximately 3000 BC in ancient Vedic culture. Its followers respect old things and tradition, believe in sacred books, believe in deities, persist in the caste system, determine the status of every person in society, know the importance of rites, rely on spiritual guides, and believe in the existence of previous incarnations. The birth of a person within a caste is a result of the karma produced in past lives. Only the Brahmins belonging to the "superior" castes can perform the Hindu religious rituals and assume positions of authority within the temples [2]. Among the principal gods are Brahma who represents the creative force of the Universe; Ganesha, goddess of wisdom and luck; Matsya who saved the human species from destruction; Sarasvati, goddess of the arts and music; Shiva, the supreme god and creator of yoga; and Vishnu responsible for the maintenance of the

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, does not advise abortion; on the contrary, it opposes. However, if it is to preserve the health of the woman or if the pregnancy is the result of rape, in this case to save the woman's spiritual health, the procedure is allowed by the President of the Church after consulting a doctor. The nicknames of Mormons were created by non-Church members to refer to members of the Latter-day Saints movement. The name comes from a considered sacred scripture book compiled by the ancient Mormon prophet, entitled The Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. According to the official version of the church, the name given by the Lord, by which the members of the Church are to be known, is Latter-day Saints [2]. The doctrine of the church changed before the glorious day of the second coming of Jesus Christ including "of the last days" to designate the members of the church. The word Mormon originates in the Book of Mormon, a book compiled by the Mormon prophet, which was named after a place where the people of King Noah lived and which according to the Prophet Joseph Smith himself means simply "very good" [2]. The Mormons have their principal headquarters in the United States of North America where their first Church was formalized on April 6, 1830. The main center is located in Salt Lake City in the State of Utah; Mormons spread throughout the world on a

missionary mission preaching Christianity and capturing new followers [7].

attitudes toward abortion than in the Catholic Church.

For followers of Protestant churches Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, there is a range of attitudes toward abortion. In the religious doctrine of Protestants, there is a greater range of

The great difference between Catholics and most Protestant churches is in respect for their mother's life. Thus, among Protestants, all agree that it is at the moment of conception that the mother acquires all the personal rights and rights attaching to motherhood, since she is in charge of gestating, caring, and feeding the embryo from the moment of its conception until

unacceptable.

290 Family Planning

Universe [2].

The Anglican Church is considered by many to be Catholic because it does not adopt heresies in its statements of faith. But it is not "Roman," it is not subject to the Pope, nor does it adopt its particular dogmas and practices as: transubstantiation of the elements of the Eucharist; prayer for the dead; compulsory celibacy of parents; veneration of the virgin Mary and the canonized saints; immaculate conception of Mary; Mary's bodily assumption into heaven; the sacrifice of the mass; purgatory; infallibility of the pope; meritorious works for the salvation of the soul; the tradition with the same value of the Holy Scriptures; and others. As far as abortion is concerned, there is a permit that can be made, despite the fact that many followers of the Anglican Church oppose abortion [7].

Methodists admit abortion in special situations, that is, in case of rape or the health or life of the pregnant woman is in danger of life.

The Spiritists who follow Allan Kardec's book are opposed to abortion even in cases where the woman has been raped. They believe that malformed fetuses should be born because they lead parents to an ordeal that must pass through their lives [2].

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God is a Christian, evangelical, neo-Pentecostal denomination based in the Temple of Solomon in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Founded on July 9, 1977, by Edir Macedo, it became one of the largest Brazilian neo-Pentecostal groups. According to estimates, there are more than 6000 temples, 12,000 pastors, and 1.8 million faithful followers around the country. There are about 8 million followers and 15,000 pastors in 105 countries, being more popular in Portuguese-speaking nations. It is one of the largest religious organizations in Brazil and the 29th largest church in numbers of followers in the world [7]. In a public statement made more than 10 years ago, and recently reaffirmed, Pastor Macedo clarifies that he is in favor of women's right to choose and in this case in favor of abortion if it is the desire of the woman [2].

Jehovah's Witnesses are a Christian sect that has adherents in 240 countries and autonomous territories, with about 8 million practitioners, even though they congregate a greater number of sympathizers [2]. They are known for their regular and persistent work of preaching their principles and dogmas from house to house, on the streets, and in public places.

They worship exclusively the God who is presented in the Bible, calling him by the name Jehovah, and they are followers of Jesus, possessing a different concept from the other Christian groups that, for the most part, believe in the concept of a Triune God. They claim to follow biblically the instructions left by Jesus Christ, but reject the classification of being fundamentalists in the sense in which the term is commonly used. They seek to base all their practices and doctrines on the content of the Bible. Their organization is underpinned by financial donations provided by Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide. Voluntary donations are important but not vital to maintaining and expanding the number of witnesses who dedicate their time in their educational work respecting the laws of each country, having legal representation, and are thus legally established as a nonprofit organization [2].

These variations are due to, in fact, another point of cultural difference. It is a discussion about who decides if an artificial fertilization must be made or should look to an abortion. That usu-

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Life is continuous, since its beginning the world never let it go. The discussion must rely upon the subject of when the biological being, product of a union of two living cells, the male gamete and the female, is considered a person. The conception consists in the union of two cells that multiply themselves building a conglomerate of cells that constitute a human being, which starts to be considered a person when it personalizes, meaning, when it acquires a life nonvegetative. There is nothing to mistake between a cell conglomerate and a human being. This is an ancient concern in studies, since Greece of Aristotle, we have been looking for an

ally occurs when the reason for the debate is whether the fetus is a human being.

answer to that question. Without offering an answer, we can develop some thoughts.

those others that considered a secular position.

cial fertilization or the realization of the abortion.

to a different ethical perspective.

and waiting for divine solution.

empirics, analogic, and scientific.

The idea that from the ovule fertilization a new life emerges used to be predominant in scientific and ethical position if not accepted was not discussed. This concept led us through time, until it started to be polemic and led to ethical positions that presented contradictions and that modifies to attend the changes of technology and medicine in the human reproduction area and followed in whatever possible religious dogmas. The scientific evolution resulted in a changing in ethical position, not of those that were stuck to their religious dogmas, but to

The technological development of human fecundation extracorporeal, aiming at the possibility of transferring of embryo produced "in vitro" fertilization to the organism of a woman, led

Who should decide regarding the living being that is located in the uterus of the woman? A fundamental answer is to decide which procedure the family will use, whether that is artifi-

The development of medicine in the example of the transplants and the possibility of human reproduction made by an assisted way brought, mainly, to those who considered life as something sacred a sensation of no safety with what was happening in this sector. Considering life as something holy, independent of the knowledge of doctors, had nothing to do with praying

The reflections prevenient of the academics complemented with other layers of society that brought light to the knowledge acquired by different forms of coming to the philosophical,

The defenders of the thesis of heteronomy considered a child as a new being, although, a result of the mother, she is detached from the conception moment. In that way, it is not up to

On the other side the thesis of autonomy, by autonomy it is understood that the right of the patient to be correctly informed of its health situation and which is the action offered by the doctor, as how which are the possibilities of final results expected and having the right to offer its acceptance or not. The autonomy is self-governing, the capability to decide what is considered

the woman to decide for the abortion, which would be homicide of the newborn.

As far as abortion is concerned, there is no definitive positioning, since if they consider that interrupting life is a serious sin and that the fetus is a living being, they accept that the societies in which they are inserted have as correct and legal the established regarding the abortion [2].

Sex and sexual pleasure are accepted as desirable practice among those who follow Taoism and Confusion. This practice should be observed in moderation, which should also be considered in relation to reproduction and abortion as an acceptable resource. However, groups of Taoists aiming at preserving life adopt views contrary to abortion [2].

Other extant religions do not have many followers who may be involved in abortion either because they permit or restrict abortion.

Religions and beliefs are scattered throughout the world with evidence of a higher percentage of each of them in the various areas of the planet: the Catholic religion in South and the Center America and in the Latin countries of Europe; the Jewish religion in Israel and in all parts of the world; Protestantism in its different preaching in Europe in the Anglo-Germanic areas, as well as in the United States and Oceania. In Asia, the predominant religions are Buddhism, Islamism, and Hinduism more or less preaching about abortion.

From this summary analysis of family planning, there is no doubt that birth control is the process of choosing to avoid the growth of the population in order to meet the wishes of couples. In the occurrence of the failure of the proposed methods, abortion can only be used to avoid birth. However, abortion, despite being a safe and effective procedure, is under pressure from population groups motivated by what is established by law as well as by religious beliefs.

We need to focus on who wishes the pregnancy does not wish to abort it; who wishes to abort could not have or does not want the child; medicine is not contrary to abortion; nor the woman, nor the doctor are obligated to make the abortion; who decides for allowing the procedure is the society.
