From the Christian perspective, the miracle of human life is the most valuable gift, as the creation of human beings in imago Dei allows them to experience the blessings of life and exercising the service of God to make the world better and help others. According to Christian beliefs, God gives people the gift of life and free will they exercise in order to live with moral dignity (Grand Canyon University, 2020). Indeed, since people are created in the likeness of God in terms of character, their lives are inherently gratified with value, the autonomy of free will, and dignity.
There exists a debate on the matter of moral status within the Christian paradigm, as it is not quite clear to which extent all living organisms are endowed with moral status. Essentially, Biblical thought provides nonhuman animals with moral status and value, yet the preference is always given to human beings as the ones bearing the power of free will and moral responsibility. However, when it seems that Christianity relates to Descartes’s perception of moral status catalyzed by rationality, another argument tends to provide with a moral status the ones deprived of reasonable thinking or ability to reflect, including embryos, infants, and profoundly impaired people.
For this reason, it may be concluded that the Christian perspective mostly refers to the idea that every living thing is God’s creation, and sentient beings are entitled to a moral status (Wireless Philosophy, 2014). However, sentient animals, while in need to be treated respectfully in terms of care, remain inferior to the power of free will exercised by human beings.
Theories Used by Case Actors
While analyzing the actions of Dr. Wilson, it becomes evident that he endows parents with a stronger moral status than the embryo, as he accounts for the potential socio-economic and moral well-being of the family and makes sure the family considers abortion not as a murder but as an option to deal with the situation. Emphasizing the rational perception of this situation without showing support for the family’s possible choice to leave the baby, Dr. Wilson attributes to Descartes’s theory of moral status and gives it to human beings.
Aunt Maria, on the other hand, holds an opposite opinion that perceives human life as sacred despite the fact that the fetus has not been born and will most certainly become a profoundly impaired human in the future. For this reason, she appeals to the Christian perspective of human value and operates the theory that every creature capable of feeling to have a moral status (Wireless Philosophy, 2014).
The parents, Jessica, and Marco are not able to identify their preference for any of the options, as they face an ethical dilemma and perceive both views as relevant. Undeniably, it will be unreasonable to conclude that Dr. Wilson provides the fetus with no moral status whatsoever. What he does, however, is providing parents with higher moral status for them to make a decision without feeling a sense of murder and betrayal. Aunt Maria, on the other hand, provides both the fetus and parents with an equal extent of moral status.
Theory’s Influence on Recommendations
While driven by the desire to help Jessica and Marco make a reasonable decision, Dr. Wilson recommends considering abortion as a means of letting go of an embryo without feeling the guilt of being a murderer to a human being. Essentially, there are two perspectives of Dr. Wilson’s proposal of abortion. On the one hand, the doctor may be concerned with the future human being’s struggle to live a fulfilled life and ponders whether life would be a gift in such a case. On the other hand, he may be preoccupied with everything the family would have to go through, including both mental and financial hardships. In both cases, such a perception does not resonate with the Christian perspective, as the fetus here is not regarded as a sentient being.
Aunt Maria, in her turn, does not operate the facts of moral reasoning and is driven by the religious perception of any human life being a gift. As a result, she encourages the family to set aside the idea of abortion and give birth to this child because profoundly impaired human beings are still born in God’s likeness in terms of character and not appearance or physical abilities (Stahl & Kilner, 2019). Hence, the recommendations make Jessica and Marco even more confused and incapable of picking a side.
Personal Evaluation
While both approaches to this case have a right to exist and be chosen by the parents, I would personally resonate more with Dr. Wilson’s perception of the matter. The choice to make an abortion is never easy, but it is important to consider all the factors prior to making a decision, including:
- Would it be more ethically appropriate to have an abortion or give birth to a baby while knowing beforehand it will be cognitively and physically impaired?
- Would the family be able to provide the kid with all the necessary resources to help the child not feel excluded from society, including both financial and emotional resources?
- Given everything, are the family ready for such sacrifice for the sake of bearing a child?
By no means implying that abortion is the only option in the situation, it is of paramount importance for the parents to know they have the right to terminate the pregnancy if they consider it ethically and morally a better choice for them and the future of their child.
References
Grand Canyon University. (2020). Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision making in health care. Web.
Stahl, D., & Kilner, J. (2019). The image of God, bioethics, and persons with profound intellectual disabilities. Journal of the Christian Institute on Disability, 6(1-2), 19-40.
Wireless Philosophy. (2014). Philosophy – ethics: Moral status [Video]. YouTube. Web.