The Abortion Controversy Intensifies
Perhaps
the most divisive moral issue in America is the practice of abortion
on demand. The advance of genetic knowledge and the development
of more sophisticated reproductive technologies will only add
nuance and subtlety to an already complicated debate. Techniques
have been developed to examine in vitro fertilized (IVF) eggs
as early as the fourth cell division in order to identify so-called
“defective” genes, such as the chromosomal structure
of Down's syndrome. Prospective parents may soon be able to fertilize
a dozen or so eggs in the laboratory, screen for the preferred
genetic make-up, implant the desired zygote(s), and discard the
rest. What will be the status of the discarded preembryos? Might
they be considered abortions? By what criteria do we define “defective”
when considering the future of a human being? Should prospective
parents limit themselves to eliminating unhealthy children, or should they go on to screen for
desired genetic traits such as blue eyes or higher intelligence?
If so, might this lead to a new form of eugenics, to selective
breeding based upon personal preference and prevailing social
values? What will become of human dignity in all this?
The
ethical question we face today is; by what criterion do we deem
a genetically defective or undesirable fetus abortable? This was
not addressed by Roe v. Wade in 1973. The present practice of
abortion by choice prior to the third trimester places the choice
with the pregnant woman (actually her doctor), but it does not
provide distinctively ethical criteria for distinguishing better
from worse choices.
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| Contributed by: Dr. Ted Peters
|
