Contemporary Moral Issues

1. Contemporary Moral Issues Life Issues

2. Gift of Life • Life is the basic gift, often taken for granted, that is the basis for all morality • Humans are distinct creatures because of our spiritual principle • “Uniquely sacred” because of our soul • Life as Gift Recognizes that God is the author of all life • “Thou shall not kill” is extended by Jesus to include love of neighbor and even enemy • Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

3. Consistent Ethic of Life • Connection of abortion and nuclear war • Basic principle that life is sacred and has intrinsic value • Innocent life must not be taken

4. Consistent Ethic of life • How is capital punishment and war related? • Because life is sacred, there should be a presumption against taken life. • There are exceptions because of sinful actions • War and capital punishment permissible in certain circumstances. • War – only to protect innocent life and defend values of decent human life • Capital punishment – ok to protect society, but more humane methods do exist and should be used.

5. Morality in the Modern Context • What has changed the context of the debate about warfare, medicine, & other modern moral questions? • Technology – how so? • Opens new opportunities for care but also poses new potential to threaten the sanctity of life. • Essential questions: • In an age where we can do almost anything, how do we decide what we ought to do? • How do we decide morally what we should never do?

6. Connection of issues • Success in any one issue requires a concern for the general attitude of respect for life in society. • Relationship of right to life & quality of life? • Need to focus on Right to life AND quality of life. • We are morally responsible for all the powerless in society • Old, young, hungry homeless, immigrant, unemployed • Must include public policy respecting both right to life and quality of life in addition to direct charity.

7. Reproductive Technologies • Gift of life or product of science? • To return to our questions: • In an age where we can do almost anything, how do we decide what we ought to do? • How do we decide morally what we should never do? • How much control should humans have in creating new life?

8. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) • Egg and sperm are combined in a Petri dish • Fertilized eggs are transferred to a woman’s uterus. • Child can be viewed as a product of technology rather than a gift of love

9. Side Effects of IVF • Side effects of drugs used to stimulate ovulation in the mother. • 10 times more likely to produce multiple births • Multiple eggs are fertilized at a time • Often some embryos are frozen or discarded • “Selective Reduction” • Multiple embryos can be placed in the mother since they do not always survive. • Often only the most viable fetus is kept.

10. Reproductive Technologies • Anything that aids in the natural process of reproduction is good • Anything that promotes procreation outside of the act of self giving conjugal love between spouses is morally suspect • Any third party in the process (egg or sperm donor, surrogate mother) goes against unity of marriage (right to bear child with each other) and is not morally permissible • Artificial insemination is not morally permissible because it removes procreation from the act of self-giving love. • The ends do not justify the means

11. Spiritual Growth Project • "It is the nature of love to love as much as we feel we are loved and to love whatever the one we love loves." • --St. Catherine of Siena • Pick three people and write them a note of thanks to show your appreciation for their presence in your life. • Write a blog by next Thursday based on reflections from the quote and your experience of writing the notes of thanks or the reactions you received.

12. Abortion • Innocent life should be protected. • Where do we draw the line? • Is a chemical vs. surgical abortion different? • Life begins at conception. • Incarnation and the sacredness of life. • Abortion kills the child and harms the mother. • Stops a beating heart in child (week 4-5). • Physical and emotional suffering of mother. • Every life has inherent value. • Responsibility to protect the weak in society • Opens door for sexist, racist, or disability discrimination • Consistent ethic of life – need to care for the mother as well as the child from the moment of conception. • Is personally pro-life but pro-choice for others a contradiction?

13. Extreme situations • Rape or incest (1%) • Less moral culpability because of the crime of the father • Violence done to woman should not be followed by another act of violence (two wrongs don’t make a right) • Life is also is that of the mother – psychological effects • Adoption is an option. • Life of the mother • Any procedure that directly takes the life of the child is wrong • Any procedure that is intended to save the life of the mother with the unintended effect of killing the child can be morally acceptable

14. “Human life is sacred and inviolable at every moment of existence, including the initial phase which precedes birth. All human beings, from their mothers' womb, belong to God who searches them and knows them, who forms them and knits them together with his own hands, who gazes on them when they are tiny shapeless embryos and already sees in them the adults of tomorrow whose days are numbered and whose vocation is even now written in the "book of life" (cf. Ps 139: 1, 13-16). There too, when they are still in their mothers' womb-as many passages of the Bible bear witness60-they are the personal objects of God's loving and fatherly providence.” John Paul II EV 61

15. Euthanasia • Euthanasia - an action or omission that of itself or by intention causes death in order to alleviate suffering • Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) – when medical professionals actively participate in euthanasia. • Current laws and public opinion - http://www.pewforum.org/2013/11/21/timeline-key-dates-in-the-end-of-life-debate/ • State law details - • http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132

17. Church’s Response • Dignity and value of the human person needs to be upheld regardless of one’s ability or disability • If life can be ended because of reasons of quality (pain, suffering, etc.) where do we draw the line?   • Value of suffering – not good in itself, but can lead to good effects (repentance, conversion, healing of relationships) • Respect, love, and support for patient and families is important • Need to care for the family as much as the patient • Effective pain management is encouraged

18. Should life be preserved at all costs? • Extraordinary means are not necessary if the benefits do not proportionally outweigh the bad effects • what does that mean? • Allowing nature to take its course in certain situations • Food and water, even when administered by a feeding tube, is not extraordinary • Vegetative state – (breathe spontaneously, digest nutrition) still deserve dignity of food and water • Medication given to relieve pain which may also shorten the life of the patient is acceptable as long as the intent is not to hasten death

19. Other issues • Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) • Can be morally acceptable in extreme situations when it can be considered an extraordinary means. • Donation of organs for transplant or research • Can be morally acceptable depending on circumstances.

20. Case Study • Marge is a 75 year old woman who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease for three years. It is difficult to determine at this stage how clearly she is thinking at times. She informs her doctor that she wishes to end her life because she is does not want her family to see her struggle and she does not want to live with all the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. • How would you evaluate this request? What other factors might change your decision? • How would Locke analyze this situation? • How would Mill (utilitarian) analyze this situation? • How would Kant analyze this situation? • How would the Church analyze this situation?

21. Create your own • Write your own euthanasia case study that another group will have to analyze. Make sure there are enough details for them to make an informed decision • For the case study written by another group: • How would you evaluate this request? What other factors might change your decision? • How would Locke analyze this situation? • How would Mill (utilitarian) analyze this situation? • How would Kant analyze this situation? • How would the Church analyze this situation?

22. Illegal drugs • Why do people use illegal drugs? • Fit in/build community • Escape their problems/life/situation • Want to feel good/be happy • Expression of liberty/freewill • Bored/searching for meaning • In each of these, it could be said that they are seeking good (God) in an unhealthy manner

23. Illegal drugs – Why not? • Harmful to body – temple of the Holy Spirit • Lowered brain function puts a person into a vulnerable position – give away capacity to think • Illegal – puts one into an unhealthy culture • Creates a false reality of “goodness” • Possibility of addiction • Time and resources could be used for a better purpose – life of virtue. • What of legal drugs (alcohol, nicotine, caffeine)?

24. Concepts for review • Consistent Ethic of Life • Gift of life, connection of life issues, effect of technology, right to life AND quality of life. • Reproductive technologies • Basic guiding principles, negative effects of IVF. • Abortion (Church’s arguments against) • Euthanasia & PAS – guiding principles, Church teaching, extraordinary means. • Illegal drugs (and misuse of all drugs) • Theological reasons why they are bad.