Should religion shape laws? In the US state of Alabama, a court used mediaeval religious thinkers to make a new law which could stop treatments for people who want to have a baby.
US court rules frozen embryos are ‘children’
‘Outrageous and unacceptable’: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (above) slammed the decision. Glossary
Embryos - An unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development.
Fertility clinics - A place couples who cannot have children go to to get medical advice and possible treatment.
Alabama - A state in the southern USA. It had one of the largest slave populations before the Civil War, and afterwards, it imposed harsh Jim Crow laws to disenfranchise Black Americans.
Cells - The smallest bit of a plant or animal that can live on its own.
IVF - In vitro fertilisation is a technique used to help people with fertility issues have a baby.
Fertilise - Join an egg with male reproductive material to cause new life to grow.
Religion - Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple.
Afghanistan - A mountainous Asian country, slightly larger than France, whose neighbours include Pakistan, Iran and China.
Ancient Roman - Relating to one of the largest empires in the ancient world.