Abortion has been a topic of constant debate in the recent past. Even though abortion was made legal based on the request of the mother, the decision to go on with abortion is not quite easy. There are several ethical and moral guidelines that should be considered. There is therefore a constant debate regarding the ethical and moral issues surrounding abortion. One of the reasons why a mother may choose to end the life of their unborn child is because the child may be disabled as this can prevent the later suffering of the child. However, mothers that have high moral and ethical standards will not see the process of abortion as an easy one in any case. This case study considers an analysis of the ethical dilemma, the Christian worldview, and the possible resolutions and consequences of going through an abortion for a child that has been diagnosed with down syndrome.
Ethical Dilemma
This case study considers Susan who finally was expectant after trying for so many years of trying. However, she learns that her baby will be born with Down Syndrome and the advice she receives from a professor of evolution and doctor is to abort the baby. However, the professor insists that she has to make the decision by herself. In any ethical dilemma like the one in the given scenario, it is difficult to make an ethical decision because either decision will result in life changing and undesirable effects (Taneja et al., 2018). The decision to abort the baby will decrease the suffering of the child that has to live with the disability. It would also provide enough time for Susan to concentrate on her career as taking care of a baby with Down syndrome would drain her physically and emotionally. Susan should research and identify what it would take to take care of the child. She should also try to maintain a balance between her career and spending time taking care of the child.
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Core Beliefs
The central belief about God and humanity from the Christian worldview is that life is important and no one’s life should be taken for granted. One of the ten commandments asserts that “you shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13) and the Bible also indicates that God knows us before we were born. This indicates that God recognizes life before giving birth and that taking life before giving birth can be considered as murder (Jones & Molinari, 2018). Based on this worldview, the decision that the mother should take is not to abort the baby. She should be able to realize that children should be considered as a gift from God and that God has the best plan for her, her career, and her child.
Resolution
Following the Christian worldview, Susan would observe that it is unethical and immoral to go on with the abortion regardless of the disability of the child. Even though living with the child would be challenging, she would maintain a positive attitude by remembering children are a gift from God and that God has the best plans. Everyone has been created in the image of God and the child with Down Syndrome is no different (Webb, 2016). She should also put into consideration that God may create a challenging environment for her in order to exercise her faith. Her current situation with the child with Down Syndrome should be a way for her to trust that God will take care of both her and her child.
Evaluation
Choosing to follow the Christian worldview would result in unintended consequences and several benefits. Susan’s plan is to be able to maintain a balance with her family while taking care of the child and pursuing her career. She may find it extremely difficult to maintain a balance as children that have Down syndrome require extra care and more responsibilities (Skotko et al., 2016). However, some unperceived benefits would be that she would have a clear conscience regarding her decision and this might increase her faith and trust in God. A good and ethical act is usually done out of faith and this strengthens one’s beliefs. Susan has been trying for so many years to have a child and even though the child may have Down syndrome, he or she will still be a blessing from God. The child will result in an overwhelming joy and happiness on the life of the mother.
Comparison
The scientific point of view is an alternative worldview that will observe that an abortion should be carried out because the baby will be born disabled with Down syndrome. This is the same advice Susan received from scientific professionals, the doctor and the professor of evolution. Their point of view was that human beings should increase happiness in the world and not cause more suffering. The baby would also go through suffering and preventing this baby from suffering should be done through an abortion. Such a view is maintained by proponents of scientific worldview across different fields (Ashley & Brown, 2016).
Conclusion
Making an ethical decision is not an easy and straight forward process. From the given scenario, carrying out the abortion seemed the most ethical approach as it would decrease suffering for both the mother and the child. However, upon a close analysis of the Christian worldview, life should be highly valued and no life should be taken on the basis of disability. By following the Christian worldview, Susan will show her trust and belief in God. She will show that she understands that children are a gift from God and that she trusts that God has the best plan for her and he will take care of both her and her child. Even though the decision to have the baby is difficult, she will maintain a clear conscience and will enjoy the blessing of a child who will bring joy and happiness.
References
Ashley, J. L., & Brown, K. S. (2016). Abortion, US Attitudes to. Encyclopedia of Family Studies , 1-5.
Jones, M. S., & Molinari Jr, J. B. (2018). Christianity, Epistemic Peer Disagreement, and the Abortion Debate. Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies , 17 (49), 32-45.
Skotko, B. G., Levine, S. P., Macklin, E. A., & Goldstein, R. D. (2016). Family perspectives about Down syndrome. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A , 170 (4), 930-941.
Taneja, A., Nagaraja, S. B., Padubidri, J. R., Madadin, M., & Menezes, R. G. (2018). Abortion of Fetus with Down’s Syndrome: India Joins the Worldwide Controversy Surrounding Abortion Laws. Science and engineering ethics , 24 (2), 769-771.
Webb, P. (2016). Down Syndrome, the Image of God, and Personhood. Dialogue & Nexus , 3 (1), 14.
