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A Human Being in Bioethical Space and Time

von Archimandrit Adam

Eine Publikation von Archimandrit Adam (Akhaladze) zur aktuellen bioethischen Fragen (Sprache GEO/RUS/ENG)

Archimandrit Adam, der profilierteste Bioethiker des Patriarchats der Georgischen Orthodoxen Kirche, hat mit dem Buch "A Human Being in Bioethical Space and Time" eine Publikation vorgelegt, welche die kirchliche Sicht auf bioethische Fragestellungen allgemeinverständlich erläutert. Da das Buch dreisprachig (Georgisch, Russisch und Englisch) publiziert wurde, eröffnet es zudem die Möglichkeit zu einem internationalen Dialog mit der Georgischen Orthodoxen Kirche zu bioethischen Fragen.

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Leseprobe, Kapitel 4, S. 106-109

Essence of prenatal diagnostics

Prenatal diagnostics is an innovative, rapidly developing trend of medicine. In the given unit we describe bioethical aspects of prenatal diagnostics. What instigated us to bring forward bioethical comprehension of this problem? It’s known that achievements of modern science and development of post-industrial technologies completely depend on spiritual and moral comprehension of the society, on values that are dominant for this society and on its timely, moral and adequate reaction on solution of ethical problems. The number of bioethical problems is big. Numerous problems that need to be solved from the position of bioethical science are observed in pediatrics as well.

In this unit the author contemplates on problems of prenatal life of a foetus and the signifi cance of bioethical science. 40-50% of lethal outcome of infants is conditioned by hereditary factors and infants with congenital and hereditary diseases occupy 30% of children’s stationeries.

From abovementioned fact it’s quite natural to raise the question about the importance and urgency of timely and

adequate diagnostics. In this case medical-genetic service becomes responsible for implementation of prenatal diagnostics to ascertain the diagnosis before delivery in order to avoid the birth of an infant with serious development imperfects and chromosome diseases. However, what is meant under the statement: “to avoid the birth of an infant with serious development imperfects and chromosome diseases”? – doesn’t that imply forcible mortifi cation of a foetus via abortion? Don’t we execute selection doing that? Is it ethically correct to brag about our economic profitability nominating the amount that is “economized by our government” on maintenance of an inferior infant? Within the last 120 years none of ideas were so harmful to humanity than the ideas of Sir Francis Galton, the founder of eugenics – evolutionary pseudo-science that is based on selective breeding of humans aiming at improving the species. Nowadays abortions with the purpose of deliverance from inferior and defective generation, murder of infants, euthanasia, selection of infants for scientifi c investigations are the consequences of eugenics. Perhaps Galton didn’t assume that his theories will lead to mortifi cation of unprotected infants in the womb of a mother. However, such activities conform to the evolutionary doctrine – about the survival of the most adaptable humans. Actions – consequences of convictions. Jesus said: “A bad tree bears bad fruit….A bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Mathew 7: 7-18). In contradiction with eugenic philosophy God considers each human to be of great value, each human was created “In the image of God” (Genesis 1:26-27). Moreover, God directly disallows killing (Exodus 20:13) and mortifi cation of unprotected people. In reality God loves humanity so much that he sent his son Jesus Christ to be crucifi ed to save our souls from our sins (John 3:16-17) and thus change us in order “To be conformed to the likeness of his son”, when “We, with unveiled faces will refl ect the Lord’s glory”

(Romans 8: 29, Corinthians 2, 3:18. The second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity accepted human nature through Jesus

(Hebrews2:14) and became the last Adam (Corinthians I-15:45), and (blood) propitiator of humanity (Isaiah 59:20),

guiding the human kin from the times of the first Adam. What’s our attitude towards life – the most precious value?

Isn’t there a tendency of devaluation of life values when there are economic interests on the other side of a scale? What does prenatal diagnostic serve for in this case? It can be said without any illusion that nowadays prenatal diagnostic isn’t oriented on treatment of children by means of genetic technologies. Social aspect of all abovementioned facts implies the development of rather dangerous tendency of creating the society in which only healthy people must survive and mothers must deliver only healthy infants.

In publications dedicated to prenatal diagnostics problem of the status of an embryo isn’t practically discussed. From which moment foetus can be considered human being is the main subject of heated discussions. At the same time there’s the most argumentative statement according to which the new individual is evolved from the moment of confl uence of parental gametes of zygote with unique genome. Documents of international right that serve regulation of genetic investigations and protect patients’ rights from the very moment of conception confi rm the aforesaid statement. Common sense and human conscience prompts the same.

Reproductologists- geneticists who actively favor the cessation of life don’t negate the continuity of intrauterine and future life of a human being. In defense of the rights of conceived infants we can bring deep and lasting moral sufferings of mothers, that sometimes cause mental pathologies (post-abortion syndrome), who deprived their children of life irrespective of the period of pregnancy.

The question whether the embryo and foetus are living creatures still remains acute. Doctors often speak about

foetus as intrauterine patient but they never admit that argumentative mortifi cation of a foetus is moral, and

moreover, a legal mistake. Everlasting question: has a human the right to be protected even if he is still a foetus? What is the value of human life in the womb of a mother before delivery? What is the human knowledge about maternity and about interrelation of mother and foetus before delivery? What spiritual, ethical, religious, legal and universal values should be introduced in bioethical ideology for correct comprehension of aforementioned problematic situations?

The answers to these questions should be found in the process of investigation of bioethical dilemmas and finding

practical ways of their solution.

Talks about deliverance of a child from possible future sufferings can’t be sincere, as forcible death, the child is doomed to, is the same serious suffering. Nowadays we’ve accumulated extensive and well-documented material related to intrauterine behavior of a child and his sensitiveness (to the pain inclusively), how he reacts, remembers and distinguishes outside sound- signals, how the feelings and mood of mother and father are transmitted to him. There’s a film shot with the help of ultrasound techniques showing helpless attempts of self-protection and anguish of an infant before death in the result of abortion.

If a foetus is a living creature, any deviation from the norm or any pathology is considered to be a disease and disease needs to be cured; here is the humanism of medicine, the most Christian profession in the world.

Life of human being begins from the moment of insemination of an ovule and lasts till the old age, or till other kind of final, and, any kind of forcible termination of life is considered to be a murder. So, what is the aim of medical activity? The author tries to fi nd answers to all these questions.

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