Thursday, February 15, 2007

The Church of England recently shocked observers by telling doctors' ethical advisors that some sick babies should be allowed to die. The bishop of Southwark, the Right Reverend Dr. Tom Butler, said that the economic cost of long-term health care and education must be considered and that there may be circumstances in which it is morally acceptable to perform a "possibly lethal act". Dr. Butler has submitted a paper to the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, a think tank that advises on moral dilemmas created by scientific advances. The council will publish guidelines on how to deal with very premature and very sick babies. The bishop's rationale for his position included this statement: "For a Christian, death is not the end, and is not to be avoided at all costs." In response, the evangelical wing of the Church of England gave a warning that this view is a slippery slope toward euthanasia, and the Roman Catholic church issued a statement defending the right to life.
(The Church Around the World / Feb. 2007)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It always seems interesting that 'scientific advances' are accepted for making longer life possible and survival more possible from worse situations and diseases, but then people lose that same confidence when it comes to the potential of those lives saved and extended. It's sad we can have faith in science to extend life but not God to have a plan for those lives... seems backward