Advanced Higher RMPS

Faculty of Humanities and Citizenship, Religious Studies Department

Medical Ethics 

Medical Ethics: On-line Resources

When reading from any of the links below you need to think carefully about any possible bias or agenda that the author and/or the organisation may have, and ensure that you read critically.

The links are organised under the following headings:

• Medical Ethics: General Resources
• Medical Ethics: The Beginning of Life
• Medical Ethics: The Prolongation of Life
• Medical Ethics: The Ending of Life
• Medical Ethics: Get Thinking!

Medical Ethics  : General Resources

 Ethics: 

•  Website: "Society, Religion and Technology Project" a project of the Church of Scotland working ecumenically with Action of Churches Together in Scotland and with the support of the Scottish Episcopal, United Reformed and United Free Churches
•  Series of articles: "Introduction to Ethics" from the BBC's Ethics pages
•  Articles: "Sanctity of Life" on the BBC's GCSE Religious Studies Revision pages, a variety of religious viewpoints on abortion and euthanasia
•  Self-study unit: "The making of individual differences" on OpenLearn, free learning resources from the Open University. NB - this is a university level resource.
•  Video:  "Ethics Committees and Drug Trials" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Medical Ethics  : The Begining of Life

General:

Website: "The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority"

Article: "Embryology Bill: The Key Points" on the BBC website

Stem Cell Research:

Website: "Stem Cell Information", the National Institiues for Health (NIH) resource for stem cell research, the NIH is part of the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services

Website: "Explore Stem Cells"

Website: "International Society for Stem Cell Research", click on the red "Public" tab

Website: "Euro Stem Cell"

Website: "National Stem Cell Network", a UK site

Information page: "UK Stem Cell Initiative", an advisory body to the Department of Health. Contains links to a survey of global positions in stem cell research in "Countries from A to G", "Countries from H to Z", and the "United States of America"

Information page: "Gene Therapy Advisory Committee", an advisory body to the Department of Health

Website: "Cloning and Stem Cells" part of the Society, Religion and Technology Project, a project of the Church of Scotland

Article: "Q&A: Stem cells" on the BBC website

Video: "Stem cell research" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Video: "Alternative to embryo stem cells developed by researchers" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Audio: "Historic moment for stem cells" on the BBC website

Legal:

FAQs: "Stem Cells and the law", on the website Euro Stem Cell

Medical uses of stem cells:

Video: "Toddler's stem cell sight hope" on the BBC website

Video: "Stem cells dance under the microscope" on the BBC website

Religious and ethical veiws on stem cell research:

Article: "Stem cell debate in the Muslim world" on the BBC's Religion pages

Video: "Ethics of using foetal stem cells" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Pre-natal development:

Article: "Pregnancy timeline" on the BBC website

Slideshow: "Pregnancy development slideshow" on the NHS website

Video: "The role of the placenta" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Video: "Antenatal screening" on the  NHS website

News article: "Babies 'cry in mother tongue'" on the BBC website

Article and video: "Mapping the unborn baby's brain in 3D" on the BBC website

Article and pictures: "Scans uncover secrets of the womb" and "In pictures - Watch me grow" on the BBC website

IVF (in vitro fertilisation):

Video: "IVF" on the NHS website

Information: "IVF" on the the NHS website

Article: "Is it right to pay women for their eggs?" on the BBC website

 Article: "IVF" on the BBC website (thanks to Lorna for this link)

Abortion:

Series of articles: "Abortion" from the BBC's Ethics pages

Video: "DNA, Human Genome Project and genetic screening"on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Religious views on abortion:

 Christian views:  

Article: "Christianity  and abortion"  on the BBC's Religion pages (Church of England & Roman Catholic)  

Statement: "Statement on Abortion" from the Church of Scotland

Interactive resource: "RE:Quest - Abortion" on the RE:Quest website

Other religious views:

Article: "Buddhism and abortion" on the BBC's Religion pages 

Article: "Hinduism and abortion" on the BBC's Religion pages 

Article: "Islam and abortion" on the BBC's Religion pages

 Article: "Judaism and abortion" on the BBC's Religion pages 

Article: "Sikhism and abortion" on the BBC's Religion pages

News stories and case studies about abortion:

Down's Syndrome Abortion Rate (October 2009):

News article: "Steep rise in Down's pregnacies" on the BBC website

Video news article: "Rise in Down's syndrome pregnancies" on the BBC website

Medical article: "Trends in Down's syndrome live births..." on the BMJ website (British Medical Journal)

Information articles: "Down's Syndrome" on the NHS Choices website

Article: "Down's syndrome trend examined" on on the NHS Choices website

The case of two midwives who took legal action as a result of being expected to supervise abortions:

News report: "Catholic midwives in abortion conscientious objection case", BBC

News report: "Catholic midwives lose abortion 'conscientious objection' case", BBC

News article: "Catholic midwives' legal bid to avoid abortion duties rejected", in the Scotsman

Article: "Forced to Supervise Abortions", Scottish Catholic Observer

Medical Ethics  : The Prolongation of Life

  Organ transplants:

Information pages: "Organ donation" on Directgov, a government information website

Video: "Kidney transplant" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Religious views on organ donation:

Article: "Buddhism and organ donation" on the BBC's Religion pages

Article and audio interview: "Christianity and organ donation" on the BBC's Religion pages

Article and audio interview: "Hinduism and organ donation" on the BBC's Religion pages

Article and audio interviews: "Judaism and organ donation" on the BBC's Religion pages

Article: "Sikhism and organ donation" on the BBC's Religion pages

Religious and ethical views on xenotransplantation:

Article: "The Ethics of Xenotransplantation" on the Society, Religion and Technology Project, a project of the Church of Scotland

Medical Ethics  : The Ending of Life

  Euthanasia:

Series of articles: "Euthanasia" from the BBC's Ethics pages

Video: "Euthanasia - a definition of terms" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Religious and ethical views on euthanasia: 

Article: "Buddhism - euthanasia and suicide", on the BBC's Religion pages

 Article: "Christianity - euthanasia" on the BBC's Religion pages

 Article: "Hinduism - euthanasia and suicide" on the BBC's Religion pages 

 Article: "Islam - euthanasia and suicide" on the BBC's Religion pages

 Article: "Judaism - euthanasia and suicide" on the BBC's Religion pages

 Article: "Sikhism - euthanasia and suicide" on the BBC's Religion pages 

Video: "The Christian case against euthanasia" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Video: "Christian views on euthanasia" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Video: "Euthanasia - a personal choice" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Video: "Argument for legalised voluntary euthanasia" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Terminal illness:

Video: "A story of assisted suicide" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Series of articles: "Coping with  grief - Terminal illness" on the BBC's Relationship pages

Video: "A Christian family's experience of terminal illness" on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Video: "Mother on cancer secrecy decicion" on the BBC website. 

Palliative care:

   Audio interview: "Palliative care - is there enough help for people who are terminally ill and their families" on BBC Radio 4

Video: "The role of palliative care in the hospice movement"on the BBC's Learning Zone Broadband

Assisted Suicide

Article: "Assisted suicide bill published" on the BBC website

Medical Ethics : Get Thinking!

Game: "Staying Alive" on The Philosophers' Magazine Online, this game will help you think about what it means to be a living human being

Game: "Morality Play" on The Philosophers' Magazine Online, this game will help you think about the range of moral principles you use when making moral decisions