Biotechnology: Beyond Healing Infirmity to Harming Our Humanity?
Elaine Petty asks: Science, medicine and biotechnology today enable us to cure more disease, have children of our choice at any age and live longer, more productive lives than ever before. But at what cost? Should we do everything that we are able to do? Whose life do we consider morally valuable and worthy of saving and whose is expendable for the sake of others? How do these advances impact our connection to others? What does it mean to be human?
As we face the medical possibilities that are emerging, we are entering uncharted territory affecting the very basis of our humanity. Science is rapidly moving forward and many want few restrictions placed on where it might take us. The “right” questions must be asked, discussed and answered from a biblical perspective to provide a framework for the moral reasoning necessary to provide ethical answers.
This is not the time to withdraw from the public forum because of the complexity of the issues, but to participate in robust, thoughtful discussions.