Religion and Attitudes towards Euthanasia and Abortion An Empirical Study among Young Christians and Muslims in Germany

This chapter deals with two special cases in which the strict protection of life is a topic of debate: firstly euthanasia where death occurs on demand, and secondly abortion where a pregnant woman decides to terminate her pregnancy. The research question of the chapter is whether the religious commitment of young people in Germany affects the attitude on euthanasia and abortion. The chapter refers to Christian and Muslim teachings on euthanasia and abortion and reflect on secular challenges within the modern world, which, taken together, is the frame of socialization that influences the worldview of young people. It also describes the empirical design of the authors' study: how this research was carried out, what they wanted to know, whom they have asked and which instruments they have used. The chapter explains the concepts that were used in reference to construct the research questions. Keywords: abortion; Christian teaching; euthanasia; Germany; Muslim teaching