Medical Ethics
drugs
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- Created by: Phoebe
- Created on: 13-05-12 18:50
Sanctity of Life
- Genesis: "So God created man in his own image"
- Corinthians: " Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's spirit lives in you?"
- "You shall not murder" Exodus
- Sanctity of life: the belief that there is something special and holy about human life because God created everything
- Xians believe each person has a soul which lives on after death, can be judged by God and join God is heaven forever
- God plans each human life, which has a purpose
- Xians think we have a responsibility to take care of ourselves and each other, because God gave all of us lives
- We (humans) do not have the right to decide when a life ends, or prevent the beginning of a new life
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Abortion
- Abortion: The deliberate termination of a foetus in the mother's womb
- Abortion made legal in the UK in 1967 – mainly to stop backstreet abortions.
- Pro-choice: a woman's right to choose
- Pro-life: abortion is always wrong - the foetus is genetically unique
- RC: Sanctity of life, abortion is murder - life begins at conception
- "Do not kill" Exodus- embryos have full status of human
- The Pope has said it is wrong and sinful: each baby is a gift
- Against Natural Moral Law: Only OK is to save Mother's life (double effect)
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Abortion - Other Christians
- C of E: against it, "go forth and multiply" but recognises suitable cases e.g. ****, disability
- The Didache - "You shall not kill by abortion the fruit of the womb"
- Methodist: Abortion is evil, but could be the lesser of two evils - SITUATION ETHICS
- Society of Friends - the life of the unborn child cannot be valued above that of the woman
- Two Doctors must agree - must consider the quality of the life of the Mother, The unborn child and any children already in the family
- The stage of pregnancy is 24 weeks or under AGAPE
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Islam - Abortion
- "And do not kill your children...Indeed, their killing is ever a great sin" Qur'an 17.31 - Abortion is not welcomed, although there are circumstances in which abortion may be permissible
- Muslims don't believe that the foetus is fully human until ensoulment has occurred - Most scholars of Islam placed this date between 40-120 days
- However, all Muslims believe that the foetus is "alive" from conception
- Some schools of Islam allow abortion before 120 days if there is a serious reason for it, i.e. the foetus is seriously ill, or a product of ****
- Other Muslim authorities believe that abortion is always wrong
- If the mother's life is in danger, abortion is seen as lawful
- The potential life in the womb is not as important as the life of the mother
- The loss of the unborn child is seen as a lesser evil than the loss of the mother, who has other children and a husband to care for
- Some Muslim women argue that they should be free to choose
- In the Qur'an it says that unborn children will want to know why
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Fertility Treatment
- When someone who cannot have a baby naturally has medical help to produce a child
- IVF is In-vitro fertilisation where the egg is fertilised in a test tube and one or two are implanted into the mother's womb
- It allows old people to have children - fair?
- Some Xians: acceptable, brings happiness to those who can't have children
- Others: WRONG, God chooses whether people have children
- RCs: goes against Natural Moral Law and Sanctity of Life
- It allows homosexual couples to have children
- AID is seen as adultery and masturbation is used to get semen - sin
- Spare embryos are produced, and are experimented/killed
- RCs view embryos as people - "Do not murder " Exodus
- RC - AIH permissible, although still unnatural + masturbation
- RC - IVF WRONG - spare embryos
- Can break both 6th and 7th commandments
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Fertility Treatment 2.0
- God is omniscient, and may have other plans... MWAH HA HA etc
- Life is from God :- anything that creates life is also good
- Agape - the most loving thing to do
- "Be fruitful and multiply" God wants people to have children, in any way
- Marriage is for the rearing of children
- Anglican: The rights of an embryo should be observed after 14 days - it can be experimented on up to 14 days
- God's decision - Hannah - "Because the Lord had closed her womb" Samuel
- Not fair on child
- RC - no if IVF creates spare embryos
- RC- doesn't approve of masturbation for AID
- Anglican - AID interferes with the sanctity of marriage - AIH :)
- Adoption can be seen as a kinder alternative - less sadness - L thy N
- Surrogacy: OT - Sarah allowed Abraham to sleep with her servant and God approved
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Fertility Treatment: Islam and Judaism
Islam:
- Men can have up to 4 wives, so this can solve the problem of infertility in women for the family, but not for the individual woman, and polygamy is not as common in the West
- Division within Islam - it is Allah's will etc BUT infertility is a disease, and Allah has given us the resources to "cure" it
- AID = adultery AIH = acceptable
- Embryo destruction is not a problem due to up to 120 day ensoulment
Judaism:
- Emphasis on family "be fruitful and increase in number"
- Individual couples can decide, might seek advice from their rabbi
- AIH is permitted, but not AID, as adultery
- Egg donation is permissible, though many couples would prefer it came from a Jewish woman, due to inheritance rules about motherhood
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Cloning
- Cloning: the making of a replica
- Cloning could lead to eugenics
- Most Xians feel that cloning of a human, if it were possible, is unacceptable as it goes against "Sanctity of Life"
- Against Natural Moral Law and God's will - playing God
- If human's are cloned, what happens to the soul?
- Body = temple for HS - HS is damaged, mortal sin
- Liberal/some conservatives: OK for Theraputic cloning -
- RCs reject all forms of cloning as it involves the destruction of embryos and stem cells can be collected from adults
- Many Anglicans accept Therapeutic cloning as it heals others, just as Jesus healed - we are stewards
- They are against human reproductive cloning
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Suicide
- Suicide: when a person ends his or her own life
- Xians believe this is wrong because
- Sanctity of Life
- Jesus died for us, and the soul cannot go to heaven if suicide
- "Do not murder" applies to ourselves
- "The body is a temple for the Holy Spirit" Corinthians
- Against Natural Moral Law
- Suffering brings people closer to God
- Selfish
- King Saul's death - 1 Samuel wasn't called a sin
- HOWEVER: agape, forgiveness, should not be condemned
- Church recognises that when someone commits suicde, they are ill in the mind and can now be buried in holy ground
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Euthanasia
- Euthanasia: a gentle or easy death, helping someone to die - mercy killing
- "Eu"=good "thanatos"=death
- RC: Euth. in any form is wrong as it breaks the 6th commandment- only God can take a person's life, "Do not murder", against NML
- Suffering is part of life, and part of God's plan
- "a grave violation of the law of God" Evangelium Vitae 1995
- Law of Double Effect: Drugs can be given to ease pain, and shorten life
- Extraordinary treatments e.g. ops that may not work, may be withheld
- Anglican: Agape, Love thy neighbour as thyself
- God gave us free will
- If person is brain dead, there is no need to keep them alive
- Society of Friends: no united view, "Let the Spirit lead your life"
- Slippery slope argument - if euthanasia is allowed, it could lead to involuntary euthanasia, etc
- Hospices provide a Christian alternative
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Other Religions
Islam:
- Unacceptable - every soul created by Allah is sacred
- "It is not for one to die except by permission of Allah at a decree determined" Qur'an 3.145 - Allah has a plan for everyone
- Life on Earth is a test - suffering is for a reason
- Those who are suffering should turn to Allah, pray and "patiently persevere" - He is merciful, and all will be revealed on the Day of Judgement
- However, Islam allows doctors to stop "unnecessary treatment"
Judaism:
- Life is sacred :- sin :- buried in separate part of cemetery
- However they often get standard funeral rights as they are judged to have been "disturbed beyond being responsible for their actions"
- "If there is anything which causes a hindrance to the departure of the soul... then it is permissible to remove it" - Rabbi Moses Isserles
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Animal Testing - PRO
- "Rule over ... every living creature ..." Genesis 1.8
- Only humans were made in God’s image, so we are more important than animals - animals do not have souls or a relationship with God
- Humans were made first, and Adam named the animals
- Animals are here for our use, as long as we treat them well, they can be used to improve human life.
- C of E states that the use of animals should be monitored "in light of ethical principles”
- RC - acceptable as long as “it remains within reasonable limits and contributes towards caring for or saving human lives"”
- Bible teaches the humans have a role of stewardship over the earth, therefore we have dominion over the other animals
- RC + Anglican: OK for medical drugs, but animals must not be hurt unnecessarily i.e. for means of vanity
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Animal Testing - CON
- Quakers are opposed to research on animals for trivial manners
- Qs divided on animals research for medicine
- They say to love God but then impose cruelty on his creations is a contradiction
- Stewardship does not invoke dominion
- The Noahide Laws: humans have to be kind to animals (Judaism)
- God created everything: we are all equal
- St Francis of Assisi: animals "have the same source" meaning we all come from God and are equal - Agape
- God created animals - only he can take life away - NML
- Animals can feel pain and so we should use them in this way just for human benefit
- Use criminals instead of innocent animals?
- Humans should volunteer for medical research as medicines which work on animals may not work the same on humans
- Animals are God’s creation and should be cared for
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Islam and Judaism - Animal Testing
Judaism:
- Noahide Laws clearly forbid cruelty to animals
- In Deuteronomy 5:14 "On that day no one is to work" even animals rest on the Sabbath
- However most commandments of the Torah can be broken if it is to save human life
- Animal testing is a last resort and should be without unnecessary pain
Islam:
- Khalifah - the idea that we are responsible for the Earth
- Cruelty to animals is forbidden
- Ill-treatment of animals will have consequences on the Day of Judgement
- We should demonstrate mercy and compassion for all living creatures
- Animal testing only allowed to produce genuine medical advances
- The animals should be treated humanely, and without unnecessary pain
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