This attitude is generally formed for the following reasons:
- During the process of IVF more than one egg are fertilised, the ones not used, may be used in research, if not they will be thrown away. This is not allowed as it is classed as abortion, which in turn is forbidden by the Catholic Church.
- Masturbation is a sin for Catholics, and all forms of artificial insemination and surrogacy involve masturbation, therefore it is also not allowed for this reason.
- The Catholic Religion believes that all children have the right to know who there parents are, but in surrogacy and AID it is forbidden by law to allow the child to have contact with, or know who the donor or surrogate mother is.
- Every form of embryo technology involves the fertilisation of the egg, to take place outside of the act of sex, therefore this is not allowed as Catholics believe that the sex act was intended by God to be in part with procreation between two loved ones.
- Other Christian Churches
The other Christian Churches allow IVF and AIH for the following compassionate reasons:
- They feel that as mankind has discovered such technology, it is good to use to provide couples with the joys brought by children.
- They think it is ok as the couple provides both the sperm and the egg.
- They also feel that the discarded embryos are not foetuses therefore the destruction of the embryos is justified by the doctrine of double effects (the intention is produce children for couples and not to kill embryos.
All other embryo technology, the Churches have major concerns about. Although there is no written law that they are not allowed to be used they feel as they involve an outside partner, it could cause a problem with the child’s personal identity later in life. It can also cause legal issues about who the real parent is.
It is much more encouraged to adopt instead as the child is open to find its real parents and adoption can also bring the same happiness and give a couple children and then grandchildren as well.
Muslim Attitudes Towards Infertility Treatment
Most Muslims will accept the idea of IVF and AIH treatment for married couples if they have problems with infertility because:
- They are bringing about the family life which all Muslims are expected to lead and are just using medicine to encourage and produce a loving family.
- They think it is ok as the couple provides both the sperm and the egg.
- They also feel that the discarded embryos are not foetuses therefore the destruction of the embryos is justified by the doctrine of double effects (the intention is produce children for couples and not to kill embryos.
In contrary to this though Islamic laws have banned all other types of embryo technology treatment as it is very similar to adoption which is banned within Islam as well as it denying the child to find its natural parents.
- Religious Problems with Transplant Surgery
There are various different reasons why religious people are opposed to Transplant Surgery.
For some Christians Transplant surgery is completely out of the question, as they believe that the transplants can ignore the sanctity of life. It is also believed that transplanting organs is adopting God’s role and it is wrong to try and play God.
Other Christians are partially opposed to Transplant surgery, they do not feel taking organs from dead people is right however they will allow transplants using organs donated by living relatives of the subject in question. For the following reasons this attitude is adopted:
- It is part of the Christian belief that organs such as the heart are an ingrained part of the individual created by God.
- They feel that that taking organs from the dead and placing them within the living body is also trying to adopt the role of God, humans therefore have no right to try and play God.
- Some organs in the living body are not essential, and so transplanting them to someone else is excused by the fact it is said to following Jesus’ commandment of ‘Love Thy Neighbour’.
- It is however taught that organs are not allowed to be bought, as this is classed as exploiting the poor, which is banned within the Bible.
Most Muslims are also opposed to transplant surgery. The feeling is that the transplantation of organs from one person to another is against Gods will for the following reasons:
- The Shari’ah teaches that nothing should ever be removed from the body after death, therefore it opposes post-mortems. This therefore means that no organs should be removed from a dead Muslim.
- The teachings of the Qur’an say that God has created the body of a person for them only, and so to take parts from one body and place them into another body is to act as God, which is the greatest sin of Islam.
- The strong Muslim belief in the sanctity of life, overall means that all life in the universe belongs to God, and to God alone. This also means that God only has the right to give and take life.
- Transplant Surgery raises a large question as to when somebody is dead, as such things as heart transplants require the heart to be moved before it has actually stopped beating.
- This also leads to the moral and emotional dilemma of: if a surgeon has a patient who desperately needs a transplant, the question is will he work to the best of his abilities to save another patient who is very suitable for the transplant placement.
There are many differing views even through one religion and every single person will always have there own opinion, so it is a moral and social, as well as religious dilemma as to whether the Transplant Surgery should be allowed.
‘Only God Has the Right to Interfere with Our Genes’
Genetic engineering is ‘the deliberate modification of the characters of an organism by the manipulation of the Genetic material’ (OED). In conjunction with the current medical issues it is being used to find techniques of gene development and to manipulate genes to produce cures or to prevent diseases and disabilities within humans.
I do not agree with the above statement, as I feel that in a compassionate way the use of genetic engineering should be used. I feel that if we have the technology to make someone’s life better then we should do all we can to make their life better.
For example if someone has Parkinson’s disease (like Mohammed Ali a.k.a Cassius Clay), it has recently been discovered that using stem cell production you can replace some of the damaged cells in the brain and so it can slow down the deterioration of the illness and some cases has even produced an improvement in the patients and there are signs of them getting marginally better.
I feel that if this is done then it is perfectly acceptable for the stem cells to be produced, as they are not already ‘alive’ so it is not murder. This is therefore using the technology that so many humans have set there lives to developing and that God himself has given us the gift to produce such advanced technology to help our fellow mankind. This excuse could also be passed as one of the instructions given by Jesus to love thy neighbour and so can also be justified as the doctrine of double effect (the intention is produce the patient with a better quality of life and give them a better chance of survival without the reliance on someone else, not to kill off the stem cells genetically produced). The cells are the potential for life and not actual life themselves so therefore are not as precious as the life already in hand.
Some Christians however, are completely opposed to any form of genetic engineering or research. The have no acceptance at all and there is no excuse for it. They have this form of attitude for the following reasons:
- These Christians believe that God has created the genetic make-up of each human being at the moment of conception and people have no right to interfere with God’s will and what he wishes for each individual person.
- They feel that they have no right to play God and genetic engineering is playing god. This is great sin in the Bible so it is forbidden.
- They believe that it is wrong to try to make the earth perfect, as only heaven is perfect. This life is a preparation for heaven and should not be perfect, or used to try and make heaven on earth.
- They also accept that there is too much information about the long-term effects to try and carry on with the research due to the high risk of the follow on if it should become a common procedure.
- It has effects that are irreversible, so if a mistake should be made then the damage is permanent, and the person would be further scarred for life.
- The genetic treatment shows the human body as a commodity no different to that of a plant, this therefore goes against the bible, as the human body is to be classed as a cherished gift from God, and not to be tampered with.
I can therefore conclude that there is a vastly contrasting attitude towards genetic engineering and many people will object to my views. However, even after the evidence I have studied I still feel that my original thoughts are still how I think upon the issue of genetic engineering and that as we are given the gift of this advanced technology we should use it to the best of our abilities and strive to make the world more comfortable for those suffering around us.
Bibliography
Author – Victor W. Watton
Title – Religion and Society
Publisher – Hodder and Stoughton
Date – 2001