Abortion is a topic which is capable of sparking ethical debates especially when it is viewed from the Christian perspective which establishes that abortion equates to murder. In essence, there has been an increase in the abortion cases thanks to increased legislation in various countries across the world. However, most of this legislation well aware of the possibility of their abuse places emphasis on grounds, which an abortion can be done which are mainly medical. In this case, it is important to consider the ethical dilemma that an individual who knows that she is pregnant with a baby who has Down syndrome is likely to experience.
Analysis of the Ethical Dilemma
The ethical dilemma under consideration revolves around Susan who has tried to conceive for many years without any success. When she becomes finally becomes pregnant, she is shocked to learn that her unborn child has Down syndrome. Such information shatters her dreams since she is forced to make critical decisions about her fate and the fate of her unborn child. Susan consults Richard who advises her to make a decision, which would increase happiness while reducing unhappiness. This scenario makes it hard for Susan to make an ethical decision as either decision will hurt her or the unborn child and thus lead to both happiness and sadness. If she chooses to go ahead and have the child, then she is risking the life of that child who would spend his or her life in misery. More so, by letting the child live, Susan may not be able to strike a balance between family and career, as she would spend much of her time taking care of the child. On the other hand, if Susan decides to terminate the pregnancy, then she would have committed murder in as much as she had desired to have a baby.
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Core Beliefs
The scenario at hand is ridden with an ethical dilemma as Susan has to make a decision as to whether to have or not to have the baby. Susan should carefully consider the two options that are at her disposal before making any decision. In doing this, Susan should weigh the benefits of both options as well as the negative effects. The option with more benefits should then be the best decision. However, Susan should also take note of the moral and ethical issues related to each of the available options. It is true to say that Susan has wanted to have a baby for a long time and becoming pregnant is a dream come true for her. Since it took her long enough to become pregnant, Susan would want to consider keeping the pregnancy as she is not sure if she will ever get pregnant again. In essence, one would feel that falling pregnant is a miracle in itself and God has a reason for such a pregnancy. Nonetheless, Susan would have to consider how the Down syndrome will affect the baby and herself if she is to keep the pregnancy. According to Dawkins, a parent with a Down syndrome needs to understand the intricacies related to raising a child with Down syndrome. Such a child may have a reduced life expectancy and if the child survives, such a child would require specialized care throughout his or her life (Malak, 2015)
Resolution
The question on whether to abort a child with Down syndrome should take into account on the acceptability of such action in relation to Christianity. For Christians, life is sacred and an individual must protect it at all costs. Additionally, no one is allowed to take any life regardless of his or her position in relation to the said life. These Christian beliefs would, in essence, come in the way of making a decision in the scenario, which involves the life of an unborn child. In this case, therefore Susan can only go ahead and give birth to the child as this is the best decision in regard to the Christian worldview. While this decision may impact negatively on both Susan and the child, she should remember that everything happens for a reason. God is the controller of lives and the life of that child is very precious and important before God (Castuera, 2017).
Evaluation
The decision to keep the pregnancy presents both unintended consequences and perceived benefits for both Susan and the unborn child. On the one hand, Susan will finally become a mother something she has desired for a long time. Becoming a mother will, in turn, lead to self-fulfillment, which in itself is desirable. Moreover, Susan will come out of this ethical dilemma innocent, as she will not be a part of taking away innocent life but rather an individual who cares about the sanctity of life. On the other hand, the decision to keep the pregnancy to full term presents several unintended consequences. Susan, as established in this case, has a successful career and is keen on maintaining a healthy balance between family and career. However, the decision to have this child would come in the way of her career, as she will be forced to spend most of her time taking care of the child. Moreover, Susan may not enjoy motherhood since she may tend to blame herself for the suffering of the child who will be born whom she had the option of aborting (Dawkins, 2014). The child may also experience many difficulties considering that children with Down syndrome usually have abnormal growth patterns, reduced life expectancy, and moderate mental disability.
Comparison of Opposing Worldviews
The Christian worldview concerning abortion, in general, tends to contrast with other worldviews mainly on the acceptability of the action. While Christianity opposes abortion and all of its aspects other worldviews are a bit permissive especially if the abortion will lead to more satisfaction as opposed to dissatisfaction. This proposition rings true especially when one considers scientism worldview. This worldview tends to focus only on nature while ignoring both the human and Godly spirits making it a dangerous and permissive religion. When it comes to abortion, scientism disregards any human purpose, significance or eternity thus allowing room to conduct abortion at will (De Vries, 2013). Here a human being with no purpose can do anything, as no one will question his or her actions no matter how grave these actions are. Moreover, scientism removes the possibility of there being a higher power to whom individuals would be answerable to once they commit a crime. Such a worldview risks creating a disorganized society, which is free to indulge in all kinds of evil acts at will without any sense of remorse.
Conclusion
Abortion presents an ethical dilemma in the case as Susan tries to establish which path she is to take. The decision is made hard by the fact that she had tried to conceive many times before without success. However, when she finally conceived she realized that her expected baby had Down Syndrome and it would affect both her and the child if she kept the pregnancy. Susan consulted Dawkins regarding this issue and Dawkins revealed the intricacies associated with raising a child with Down syndrome. As Susan weighs her options, she needs to consider both unintended consequences and perceived benefits associated with keeping the pregnancy. As it is Christian, worldview teaches against abortion as life is sacred, and only God has the authority to take away life. On the other hand, scientism, which is another worldview, views human as insignificant and purposeless beings thus creating room for abortion. Such contrasting worldviews then, create an ethical dilemma on what should be done regarding the sensitive topic of abortion.
References
Castuera, I. (2017). A social history of Christian thought on abortion: Ambiguity vs. certainty in moral debate. The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 77(2), 201-204.
Dawkins, R. (2014). Abortion & Down syndrome: An apology for letting slip the dogs of twitter war. Richard Dawkins Foundation . Retrieved on 7 May 2018, from https://www.richarddawkins.net/2014/08/abortion-down-syndrome-an-apology-for-letting-slip-the-dogs-of-twitterwar/.
De Vries, P. (2013). Scientism strikes back . The Christian Post . Retrieved on 7 May 2018, from https://www.christianpost.com/news/scientism-strikes-back-94442/.
Malak, R. et al. (2015). Delays in Motor Development in Children with Down syndrome. Medical Science Monitor, 2015 (21), 1904-1910.
