abortion
There is no actual prohibition in the Bible against aborting a foetus. Nevertheless, in the unanimously accepted Jewish consensus, abortion is a very serious offence, though foeticide is not treated ...
adoption
In the heroic monomyth, the divine child is often adopted by menials or animals after being abandoned or threatened in some way. Oedipus, Sigurd (Siegfried), Krishna, Cybele, and Romulus and Remus ...
barrier contraceptive
A contraceptive that works by imposing a physical barrier between sperm and ovum, e.g., condom, diaphragm, cervical cap, and female condom. Other forms of barrier contraceptive include foams, ...
bioethics
(by-oh-eth-iks)an area of applied ethics relating to moral behaviour in the life sciences. Medical ethics is now often considered a subspecialty of bioethics (biomedical ethics).
birth control
Any method that is used to reduce births, including celibacy, delayed marriage, contraception, and sterilization. See also family planning.
Eisenstadt v. Baird
405 U.S. 438 (1972), argued 17–18 Nov. 1971, decided 22 Mar. 1972 by vote of 6 to 1; Brennan for the Court, Burger in dissent, Powell and Rehnquist not participating. This case expanded the right of ...
endocrinology — history
In 1855, Claude Bernard discovered that glucose was synthesized in the liver and secreted into the portal vein. He described this secretion as ‘internal’, to distinguish it from bile, the ...
excommunication
The exclusion of a person from the communion of the Church, imposed by an ecclesiastical court for offences ranging from non‐attendance at church to heresy. Christian burial was denied to ...
family
Family bible a bible designed to be used at family prayers, typically one with space on its flyleaves for recording important family events.the family that prays together, stays together motto ...
family planning
1. the use of contraception to limit or space out the numbers of children born to a couple. 2. provision of contraceptive methods within a community or nation. See also genetic counselling.1. the use ...
Fourteenth Amendment
(1868)The most important of the three American Civil War and Reconstruction amendments to the US Constitution. Drawn up in 1866 by the Joint Committee of Fifteen, the Fourteenth Amendment extended US ...
Griswold v. Connecticut
• 381 U.S. 479 (1965)• Vote: 7–2• For the Court: Douglas• Concurring: Goldberg, Harlan, and White• Dissenting: Black and StewartEstelle Griswold, executive director of the Planned Parenthood League ...
Hans Küng
(1928– )Swiss Roman Catholic theologian, whose doubts about current Vatican teaching led Pope John Paul II to ban him from teaching theology.Born near Lucerne, Küng was educated at the Gregorian ...
heterosexuality
(het-er-oh-seks-yoo-al-iti)the pattern of sexuality in which sexual behaviour and thinking are directed towards people of the opposite sex.—heterosexual adj., n.
Humanae Vitae
(1968), the encyclical of Paul VI condemning abortion and all forms of birth control except the ‘rhythm method’. See also contraception, procreation, and abortion, ethics of.
intrauterine device
(IUD)A contraceptive method that relies on the presence inside the uterus of an object made of plastic or metal that prevents implantation of the fertilized ovum. An IUD is believed to work by ...
John Paul II
1920–2005)Polish-born pope (1978–2005) whose many travels abroad included a visit to Britain (1982) and tours of his native country (1979, 1987, and 1991).Wojtyla was born in Wadowice, Poland, the ...
Lambeth Conferences
Assemblies of the bishops of the Anglican Communion held about every ten years under the presidency of the Abp. of Canterbury, originally in Lambeth Palace, but since 1978 in the University of Kent ...
love
Love me little, love me long love of great intensity is unlikely to last; proverbial saying, early 16th century.love me, love my dog proverbial saying, early 16th century; St Bernard in a sermon says ...
matrimony
Christian marriage differs from earlier practice and from modern secular usage most notably in the dignity it has sought for the woman and the life-long nature it ascribes to the marriage bond. Early ...
