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Sanctity of Life Issues

Sanctity of Life Issues. Dr J Huw C Morgan MBChB MRCGP Cert Med Ed ILTM Consultant in International Family Medicine Education and Development. Sanctity of Life Issues – Three Warnings:.

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Sanctity of Life Issues

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  1. Sanctity of Life Issues Dr J Huw C Morgan MBChB MRCGP Cert Med Ed ILTM Consultant in International Family Medicine Education and Development huwmorgan2@blueyonder.co.uk

  2. Sanctity of Life Issues – Three Warnings: 1.This is not a theoretical intellectual discussion – all of you will be touched by at least one aspect of these things during your life. 2. A child dies every 3 seconds in the two-thirds world (30,000 a day) from preventable diseases and hunger. If we take a high view of the sanctity of human life, we must address this tragedy also 3. There aren’t tidy biblical answers to all the questions

  3. Session outline • Brian storm the issues • Brief look at historical perspective • Consider Biblical perspectives • Summarise relevant biology • Summarise various Christian views • Discuss some case studies together

  4. What are the issues? • Abortion • Euthanasia (end of life decisions) • New reproductive technologies (IVF etc) • PGD (pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of embryos) • Embryo research and harvesting of stem cells • Bio-technology (Gene therapy, Cloning etc)

  5. Historical background • Until the end of WW2 Western Europe/UK laws and practice largely reflected Christian principles in this area. The Hippocratic Oath, that guided medical practice for centuries, is also consistent with Christian principles.

  6. I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about. Translation from the Greek by Ludwig Edelstein. From The Hippocratic Oath: Text, Translation, and Interpretation, by Ludwig Edelstein. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1943.

  7. Historical background • Until the end of WW2 Western Europe/UK laws and practice largely reflected Christian principles in this area. The Hippocratic Oath, that guided medical practice for centuries, is also consistent with Christian principles. • Pressure to change laws as a result of increasing secularisation resulted in a legislative changes in 1960’s, that then changed medical and general cultural views in UK and the Western World. • Rapidly evolving technology has added to the complexity of ethical issues in medicine, in the context of an increasingly secular society.

  8. Biblical views • Genesis 1, 26-27 • What does it mean? • Exodus 3,14 • Psalm 8, 3-5 • References to pregnancy: Exodus 21, 22-23; Psalm 139, 13-16; Job 10,8-12; Isaiah 44,2; Luke 1, 41-44

  9. Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology x Fertilisation occurs here at end of fallopian tube x Implantation occurs here inside uterus, 3-4 days later Seminal fluid containing sperm deposited here 60% of fertilised ova fail to implant

  10. Blastocyst in Fallopian tube(the very beginnings of a new human life)

  11. Human embryo development(Embryo = first 8 weeks. ‘Primitive streak’ formation begins at 14days – this begins cell differentiation, nervous system and organ development) Brain waves detectable at 6 weeks

  12. Christian views of embryo/unborn child • Medieval:‘Ensoulment’ at quickening – outdated/unbiblical concept! • Embryo absolutist: (all embryos from fertilisation are to be regarded as human life) • Embryo gradualist: (all implanted, 14 day +and later stage embryos are to be regarded as human life) (Embryo research is legal in UK on embryos up to 14 days old) • Abortion conservative: (abortion is wrong in virtually all circumstances) • Abortion conditionalist: (abortion is the lesser evil in some circumstances) (Abortion is legal in UK up to 24 weeks if opinion of two doctors agree it is in mother’s best interest- [so called ‘social abortion’] It is legal up to full term for an abnormal foetus or risk to mothers life)

  13. End of life issues: Christian views • Absolutist: (any act of omission or commission to shorten life is always wrong) • Conditional: (acts of omission may sometimes be appropriate to allow death to occur- ie non-application or withdrawal of medical technology) (Euthanasia remains illegal in the UK. ‘Advanced directives’ signed and witnessed have legal authority to require the non-application or withdrawal of treatment in certain explicit circumstances. It is likely that some kind of euthanasia bill will get through parliament in the next few years.)

  14. Tracy, a fifteen year old member of the church youth group, is assaulted and raped one night on her way home from a friend’s house. 3 weeks later she discovers she is pregnant. What advice/support would you give Tracy and her parents? Gavin is a twenty year old student from the church. He has an accident on his bicycle at his university town and suffers a major head injury. After some weeks doctors advise that he is in a ‘persistent vegetative state’ and very unlikely to recover – it would be best to let him die by withdrawing tube feeding. How should Gavin’s parents respond? Case discussions

  15. Teresa (married to Graham – both church members), is pregnant of the first time. During the pregnancy it is found that baby (a male) has Edwards syndrome – an incurable genetic disorder that means he will die in infancy. They are advised to have an abortion. How should they respond? Primrose is an 88 year old member of the church who had become demented and is cared for in an elderly person’s home. She doesn’t know anyone anymore and cannot feed herself or attend to basic hygiene and toileting needs. She develops a chest infection. Is it appropriate to treat this? Case Discussions

  16. Further Reading • www.cmf.org.uk/ethics/ • ‘Matters of Life and Death’ Published by: IVP and CMF (2000)Author: John Wyatt ISBN: 0-85111-588-8 Price: £9.99 • http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/

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