'Clinical ethics' Category
Viable Thinking About Life
Back in 1973, Justice Blackmun in the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision said that states could not prohibit abortion until after “viability.” This is the moment when the unborn child could possibly survive outside of the womb. According to Blackmun, “Viability is usually placed at about seven months (28 weeks) but may occur earlier, [...]
Centering on Bioethics (5)
Our February Podcast features an excerpt from a radio interview about the new Center for Bioethics at Cedarville University. We also examine three news stories with bioethical implications: a new, ethically neutral source for ‘embryonic’ stem cells, a controversial medical treatment for a handicapped child, and a happy ending for a Katrina baby that was [...]
Of Babies and Body Parts
This holiday season is all about new life. But in a cruel parody of the Christmas story, grisly news has emerged from the Ukraine. According to the BBC News Service, it appears that healthy newborn babies have been slaughtered as a source of stem cells. Video evidence from actual autopsies reveals dismembered infants, and raises [...]
Abandoning the Prime Directive?
In his Epidemics, the great healer Hippocrates gave this advice: ‘As to diseases, make a habit of two things — to help, or at least to do no harm.’ The Roman physician Galen said it more compactly, as ‘primum non nocere,’ meaning, ‘first of all, do no harm.’
Since the era of Hippocrates, the keystone of [...]Desperate Donors
Anyone who doubts that there are terrible human rights abuses in the world should consider the latest news on “transplant tourism.” This is the practice where rich Americans go overseas to a less developed country to purchase an organ for transplant.
Perhaps you have kidney failure, and don’t wish to endure the long wait for a [...]
