Ethical Dilemma: Abortion

Desiree Cook

CWV-101

March 18, 2015

Mr. McClurg

Benchmark Assignment: Ethical Dilemmas

In Topic #4 Abortion, Susan finds out that her fetus has Down's Syndrome and she is not sure if keeping the baby is the moral thing to do or not. Susan has wanted a child for a long time. She is unsure if it is ethical to bring a child with Down 's syndrome into the world or if it is more ethical to spare the child from a life of suffering by terminating the pregnancy. Susan contacts a trusted friend of hers for advice who happens to be an evolutionary biologist and an atheist. Her friend's name is Richard Dawkins and he believes it would be in both party's best interest to abort the child. His reasoning is that both mother and child will have a hard life and both will suffer. Dawkins stated " Human beings should increase happiness and decrease suffering in this world." Susan should consider God's will, the right for the child to live, and the choice that she can live with for the rest of her life.

1. Ethical Dilemma:

Susan has been waiting a long time to have a baby. During a prenatal exam, a blood test comes up positive for Down's syndrome. The ethical dilemma is should Susan bring an intellectually disabled child into this world? Will the child suffer because of the chromosomal disorder? The child might never be able to be on its own. The child may need 24 hour supervision and care. Depending on the severity of the case the child may never be able to be self-sufficient and would leave the mother to provide care for the remainder of the child's life. Another moral question this scenario brings up is when is a human a person or the question of personhood.

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One option for resolving the scenario is to keep the baby. Susan could keep the baby and make the best of the situation by finding support in her community, church, or a Down syndrome support group. Learning about the condition and the issues that come along with the disorder can help her to understand the child and better prepare her for their future together. Susan could also try to take the situation one day at a time.

If Susan feels she is unable or ill equipped to care for a child with special needs, then adoption is always an option. Through adoption a family with the knowledge of how to care for a child of this status will provide a loving and nurturing home. It may break her heart, but if Susan feels she is unable to provide the care the child will most definitely need, then this would be a wonderful option and the moral thing to do.

2. Core Beliefs: What beliefs about God and humanity from the Christian worldview are relevant to the scenario?

Christian worldview core beliefs that are relevant to this scenario are thou shall not kill, humans have souls, God instructed us to be fruitful and multiply, and humanity is created in God's image. It is against God's law to abort a child. Thou shall not kill. God instructed humanity to be fruitful and multiply and abortion violates many of God's requests. God loves everyone and does not care if they are intellectually challenged or not. God does not make mistakes. It was his will for Susan to be pregnant and it is God's will for Susan to have the baby. Whether Susan keeps the baby or gives it to a loving family is Susan's choice, but taking the life of an individual because they are intellectually disabled is not the Christian thing to do. Abortion is murder and God has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to murder. We are all created in the image of God. Just because one has a "defect" does not make them any less Godlike. Human life starts at conception and depends upon the presence of the soul.

How might these core worldview commitments of Christians influence one's decision making with regard to this scenario?

These core worldview commitments of Christians set up moral standards that are common practice for Christians. One of the 10 commandments is thou shall not kill. God also instructed humanity to be fruitful and multiply. Abortion is the opposite of being fruitful and multiplying and also violates God's commandment that says it is wrong to kill another human being. The Bible states that God created us in his image. It does not state exactly what