Bioethics in Faith and Practice, Volume 3, Number 1

ii Sullivan ⦁ Senior Editor’s Preview The final peer-reviewed paper in this edition of Bioethics in Faith and Practice is by philosopher Norman Swazo of North South University in Bangladesh. Dr. Swazo considers the agonizing request by Mr. Tofazzal Hossain, well-known in the public discourse of his country. Mr. Hossain is the father of two sons and a grandson, all suffering with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His wife is mentally handicapped and he has other family burdens. Because the three children are suffering and he is too poor to provide any medical treatments, Mr. Hossain has asked the government to allow active euthanasia: “[H]is burden, he asserts, exceeds his personal ability to manage.” After reviewing the case and the public reaction to it, Dr. Swazo points out that a Muslim-majority country such as Bangladesh might suppress any discussion of euthanasia as incompatible with Islamic law. That is why he welcomes the robust conversation that has ensued on this issue. He goes on to provide an in-depth analysis from Kantian ethics. According to Dr. Swazo, such reasoning militates against the practice of euthanasia, even under these dire circumstances. Though he makes reference to Islamic law, I wish to point out that Dr. Swazo’s primary arguments are non- faith based and strictly secular. As Christian evangelicals, the editorial staff of this journal strongly believe in the sanctity of human life and the immorality of euthanasia for any reason. But Common Grace is at work - it is encouraging to note that Islamic law, Kantian ethics, and evangelical Christianity all reach similar conclusions in this regard.