How does your worldview of human value affect your beliefs about bioethical issues, such as abortion, designer babies, and stem cell research?
How does your worldview of human value affect your beliefs about bioethical issues, such as abortion, designer babies, and stem cell research?
The United Nations (UN) has defined human value, rights, and dignity as “inherent to all human beings irrespective of age, race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion or any other status”. Human beings should not be treated in degrading ways (Bogue et al., 2024). However, interpretations of human rights vary globally. For example, while access to healthcare is considered a human right in many European countries, it remains elusive in numerous developing nations. This underscores the importance for healthcare providers to cultivate cultural competence and comprehend patients’ perspectives regarding human value and beliefs when delivering care to individuals and communities.
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Abortion has emerged as a prominent bioethical issue, capturing headlines, and stirring debate. It encompasses a spectrum of procedures, both natural and medical, aimed at terminating pregnancies. From my Christian worldview, I regard the embryo as a living entity deserving of respect, reflecting the commandment in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.” Nonetheless, instances may arise where the fetus poses a threat to the life of the mother, complicating the ethical decisions. In such cases, healthcare interdisciplinary teams grapple with ethical dilemmas. The biblical injunction in Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge and criticize, so that you will not be judged,” underscores the need for humility and empathy in navigating these complex decisions. At the end, the mother must weigh her options and make the choice that aligns with her conscience (Bogue et al., 2024).
References
Bogue, D., Cota, M., Jr., De la Torre, V., & Hogan, M. (Eds.). (2024). Practicing Dignity: An introduction to Christian Values and Decision-Making in Health Care (3rd ed.). Grand Canyon University.
United Nations. (n.d.). Universal declaration of human rights. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
How does your worldview of human value affect your beliefs about bioethical issues, such as abortion, designer babies, and stem cell research? sample 2
My view on abortion is a complicated one, if there is an incestuous relationships that caused a pregnancy, rape, or a condition that is discovered that would put the life of the mother or fetus( any diagnosis that would cause concern for a viable, survivable fetus) in jeopardy, I would advocate to abort the fetus. “An estimated 56 million women seek abortions each year; nurses and midwives are commonly involved in their care (Singh et al., 2018). If there are no trained healthcare workers to accommodate the need for a safe abortion procedure when needed, then we as healthcare providers are in a vicarious position. When it comes to the issue of ” designer babies,” I am against that whole process. To me that process evokes the past failures of society when the breeding of the strongest slaves together to bring about stronger slaves to work the fields was conducted. Or, the many cruel Nazi experiments conducted on infants and children to understand their genetics. This science, technology is in itself unpredictable. The propensity for the wrong people to be in charge of making the wrong decision is too common place for me. My thoughts on stem cell research is more scientific that random. The ability to offer hope to those facing a dreaded disease or the opportunity to unlock a cure for virus that is now deemed incurable is an scientific opportunity towards humanity.”Stem cell-based therapy is an important branch of regenerative medicine with the ultimate goal of enhancing the body repair machinery via stimulation, modulation, and regulation of the endogenous stem cell population and/or replenishing the cell pool toward tissue homeostasis and regeneration .” O’Brien, T et.al. p856 (2009). From a christian worldview there is a conscientiousness effort to stay true to your faith, and the comprehension of medical science.
Singh, S., Remez, L., Sedgh, G., Kwok, L., & Onda, T. (2018). Abortion worldwide 2017: Uneven progress and unequal access.
O’Brien, T. & Barry, F. P. Stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Mayo Clin. Proc. 84, 859–861 (2009).
How does your worldview of human value affect your beliefs about bioethical issues, such as abortion, designer babies, and stem cell research? sample 3
In my view, the abortion debate revolves around deeply held beliefs about the beginning of life and personal autonomy. I believe that life begins at conception, meaning that terminating a pregnancy is morally wrong as it ends the life of a developing human being. I agree that the developing fetus deserves the right to life, and abortion takes away that right. However, some people argue that a woman has right to control her own body in whatever means she can. They assert that women have the autonomy to make decisions about their reproductive health, including whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy (Watt, 2020).
From my perspective, the concept of “designer babies” raises ethical concerns about genetic manipulation and its societal implications. Some individuals advocate for genetic enhancement, believing it could lead to significant medical advancements and the prevention of genetic diseases. They see it as a way to improve human health and well-being. However, I am concerned about the potential for creating a genetic elite and widening existing inequalities (Cota & de la Torre, 2024). I worry that genetic enhancement could increase societal disparities, as access to these technologies may be limited to the wealthy individuals. Additionally, there are ethical considerations regarding consent and autonomy, particularly concerning the rights of unborn children and the implications of altering their genetic makeup without their consent.
Lastly, I believe that stem cell research holds promise for treating a wide range of diseases and injuries by harnessing the regenerative properties of stem cells. However, ethical debates arise, particularly regarding the use of embryonic stem cells obtained from embryos. I recognize the potential medical benefits of embryonic stem cells, such as treating Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injuries. However, I am mindful of the moral concerns raised by their use, as it involves the destruction of human embryos, which is the beginning of human life.
References
Cota, M., Jr., & de la Torre, V. (Eds.). (2024). Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision-making in health care (3rd ed.). Grand Canyon University. https://bibliu.com/app/#/view/books/B1B4SGSSID7LR/epub/Chapter1.html#page_41
Watt, H. (2020). The Dignity of Human Life: Sketching Out an ‘Equal Worth’ Approach. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=fe712ff0-7c78-4287-99b8-448f6f531572%40redis
How does your worldview of human value affect your beliefs about bioethical issues, such as abortion, designer babies, and stem cell research? sample 4
was born into a Buddhist family. My family and I worship Buddha and follow the Buddha’s teachings which include the Four Noble Truths. The Four Noble Truths are the suffering itself, the origin of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path to the end of suffering (Basics of Buddhism, n.d.). According to Buddhism, suffering exists in this life. Suffering refers to the physical and emotional discomfort and pain that human beings experience in their lives. Suffering also refers to the unexpected changes that human beings are unable to accept. Buddhists believe that desire and ignorance are the root causes of all sufferings. Desire is an intrinsic part of human life such as lust, gluttony, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride (Furr, 2021. These human cravings can never be satisfied and only bring sufferings as a result. Another cause of all sufferings is the ignorance. According to Buddhism, ignorance refers to inability to see the world as it is or to value the true nature of things. To be free from all sufferings, the Buddha’s teachings emphasize the Noble Eightfold Path including right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
Living my whole life with the human values I have been taught by the Buddha’s teachings, I am against abortion and designer babies. I believe that life starts at conception and any life should not be destroyed. I value the true nature of things, and everything should be accepted as it is. It is a blessing to have a baby and we should value whoever the baby is. Thus it is unethical to design a baby with the intervention of the genetic engineering. Even though it is believed that killing the embryo is not different from killing a human being, I am not against the stem cell research because the use of embryonic stem cell has a good intention for curing disease of the patient.
References:
Basics of Buddhism. (n.d.). https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm
Furr, R. (2021, July 22). Your deepest, darkest desire. . . | Breakthrough Marketing Secrets. Breakthrough Marketing Secrets. https://www.breakthroughmarketingsecrets.com/blog/your-deepest-darkest-desire/#:~:text=Greed%20%E2%80%94%20desire%20and%20wanton%20pursuit,to%20covet%20what%20others%20have.
How does your worldview of human value affect your beliefs about bioethical issues, such as abortion, designer babies, and stem cell research?
