APPLYING THEOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS TO BIOETHICAL ISSUES SUCH AS GENETIC SCREENING

Ethics & Medicine, Summer 2005 by Mallia, Pierre, Have, Henk ten

Abstract

Catholic movements within the centre of Roman Catholic doctrine recently have discussed Trinitarian theology as applied to sciences, arts, economics, health and other social areas. We explore the possibilities Trinitarian theology offers to bioethical debate, concentrating particularly on genetic screening and testing. It is important therefore to analyse the philosophical implications of this approach onto the bioethical world, where much disagreement occurs on fundamental issues. It is Catholic basic teaching to recognize and see God's hand in plurality, not merely as a clich� and then doing what we feel is right, but to recognize how to live in a pluralistic world. We recognize, in agreement with these theologians, that in order for a Trinitarian mode of understanding to be used by those doing bioethical debate, there is a need to depart from fundamentalism.

Introduction

New developments in the understanding of Trinitarian theology by Catholic movements1 in the heart of the Roman Catholic Church is exploring the impact of this new mode of living in areas ranging from economics to health care. This paper explores the possibilities offered to bioethical debate, with special attention given to genetic screening and testing, by such developments with a particular hope of an abandonment of fundamentalism and an embracement of pluralism, which, most theologians agree, should form the attitude of Christians in the third millennium. The basic issues that lie at the heart of genetic screening and testing are fundamental issues of bioethics, which have been debated since the birth of the subject. These can be summarized as the status of the embryo, discrimination against the disabled, and questions of justice towards those who would have genetic tests. The first two come down to selective discarding of fertilized ova to be used for implantation and selective abortion of embryos found to have unwanted genes, either for the purposes of eliminating particular disorders such as congenital malformations or genetic diseases as is Down's syndrome, or, to aim at having the "perfect baby" (term taken from McGee) by selecting genes (McGee, 1997; Gosden, 1999). At the base is the question of the status of the embryo. Although some advocates for the disabled have indeed expressed themselves as pro-choice the issue here is not the status of the embryo but discrimination, it has in fact been argued (Parens & Asch, 1999, p. 2) that such an argument has little logical validity. Be that as it may, whilst no one has expressly denied the rights of the disabled, the fact that people may chose to kill an embryo to eliminate a genetic disorder (but not a newborn with the same disorder), shows that the argument is not on infanticide but about the status of the embryo.

Indeed market forces form a sort of symbiotic relationship with medicine; the one provides the service, the other the drug. There is a mutual need to achieve both ends. But whilst one end teleologically is that of providing care and cure, the other end, which inevitably is to be respected, is concerned with financial outcome. It is in this scenario that genetic tests are marketed. A Trinitarian approach as applied to these test is discussed.

A Trinitarian Approach to Dilemmas

Catholic bioethics, or Catholics doing bioethics are faced with these dilemmas on one side and counter philosophical forces on the other. Whilst the worst opposition is a liberal force of relativism, that which takes heavy precedence in western thought today is a more pragmatic analysis, which although confessing not to be relativist (Rorty, 1988, p. 160), is indeed a call to put aside some values when debating issues of biological significance (McGee, 1997, p. 170). Faced with these stances, the Catholic has two roads of action. The first is a direct resolve to work against such forces; a 'crusade', for example, to safeguard life. A second approach being proposed (Gambon, 1999; Coda, 1987, 1998, 2000; and others) is the contemporary rediscovering of a trinitarian approach which in understanding the 'other', empties oneself from preformed prejudices and aims to 'be one', in unity, with the other, thus proposing a new 'ethics' of behaviour. Paradoxically, this 'emptying oneself resounds of a pragmatic approach. But emptying oneself does not mean accepting what one perceives as wrong. Rather it is a more non-judgemental approach where both sides are open to change. Although such an approach relies also on spiritual faith, rather than merely the rational, the method merits philosophical discussion if we are to understand whether it has a sound working basis.

It is not the first time that the Catholic church has changed stance on controversial issues. Maybe the most important issue tackled the past century was that when the mother was sacrificed to save her baby. Such a situation was reversed in 1985 by the Belgian Episcopal Conference, which used the principle of double effect to effectively reverse the situation and allow the sacrificing of a life, which is unintentional, in order to save another life. That the opposite effect can be brought about also rationally, and with the same force and faith as pretext, is indeed an act not only of courage but of emptying oneself from preconceived ideas to become one with society to understand its problems. Such are the pretexts of kenosis and perichoresis, the trinitarian corner stones of dialogue.