How should I call them?

[peppy_man]

I'd like to know what noun I should use to call such things as abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, human clone and stem cell research.

I'd like to use 'controversial' at the top of the phrase.
My candidate is 'the controversial life and death related issue including abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia ,,,'.
Is this OK? Is there any other good expression? Thanks in advance!

[Tdol]

polemical?

[peppy_man]

tdol, thank you. Sorry for my poor explanation.
I'll toss up an example.

'Legalizing euthanasia could affect other life related issues such as abortion and capital punishment.'

In the above example, "life related issues' is acceptable?
Is there any other good expression?

[Tdol]

Hmmmm- 'life and death' probably isn't very good because it's ambiguous, so how about 'affecting the right to life'? My first tholughts- I'll see if I can come up with something better.

[Marylin]

Hmmmm- 'life and death' probably isn't very good because it's ambiguous, so how about 'affecting the right to life'? My first tholughts- I'll see if I can come up with something better.

...Pro-Life issues maybe?

[peppy_man]

Thank you.
I ran 'Pro Life issues such as' through Google and got good results.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...e+Search&meta=

[Tdol]

However, pro-life isn't really OK for the death penalty, and it isn't a pro-life issue for people in favour or abortion.

[Marylin]

However, pro-life isn't really OK for the death penalty, and it isn't a pro-life issue for people in favour or abortion.

How about Right to Live issues???

[peppy_man]

Thank you, tdol and Marylin.
hmm,,, 'Right to live issues' and 'Right to Life issues' are the candidates.
but I'm not sure the subtle difference between the two..
I'm a bit confused.
I've not known that 'Pro Life' isn't really OK for the death penalty.
To be honest, those around me do not talk about this kind of things
so I'm not familiar with it.

tdol, did you come up with something better?

[Tdol]

In the UK, we use the term 'roght to life' because that is the legal term used. You have a right to life in that people shouldn't act in ways that could stop that right. However, do you have a right to live? that's less clear to me because where does a heart attack fit in?

The pro-life camp in the Sates are the ones campaigning against the right to have abortions, but they are also generally pro the death penalty, while those in favour of abortion, pro-choice, generally tend to oppose the death penalty- funny old world. In the UK, the debate about abortion is much less important than in the States, and the death penalty is history- in the EU, it is banned in all nations and you cannot join the EU unless you abolish it, so it's another debate you don't hear much of here. My choice would be 'right to life', but that would appear to be BrE, so choose whichever you prefer.