Bioethics in Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Number 1

Is Bioethics Relevant 2 his/her lungs to breathe, rather than obtaining oxygen through the placenta. 5 These small physiological differences should not determine the metaphysical basis for personhood. Bernie Sanders has taken this rhetoric a step further, arguing that the Mexico City agreement, which bans the use of US foreign aid for abortion services, should be overturned in order to provide another weapon against climate change. 6 Stewardship of creation was one of the first tasks given to humankind by God; however, He also created human persons in His image. Navigating the tension between valuing human persons as bearers of the Imago Dei and wisely stewarding the resources God has given us is one that requires wisdom, logic, and bioethical principles. Is it too late for bioethics to make a difference in this technological age? Certainly not! Scientific facts alone, while important for informing ethical decisions, cannot tell us how technology should be used. Principles such as beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice loom large as we consider gene editing, artificial intelligence, access to abortion, and many other issues which have implications for human personhood. This is not the time for people of faith to sit on the sidelines and allow pragmatism alone to dictate how we, as a society, determine what is good for all human persons, including those who cannot speak for themselves. The time for bioethics is now. 5 Ibid 6 Blake, Aaron. On Bernie Sanders, abortion, and ‘population control’. The Washington Post: 5 September 2019