Comment #1
According to our readings, What Does It Mean to Be Human? Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness ; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
To be created in the image of God means that we must look to God for our meaning , purpose and direction. It also makes us thinking , feeling, willing, re-lational creatures who reflect these attributes of our Creator. In order to under-stand ourselves in any depth, we must first look to God to know what he in-tended us to be.
Imago Dei is important and relevant to healthcare as if we don’t treat humans having this in mind, then the world would become like hell in earth. People will be valued only if they can continue to contribute to society. Only when people are young and strong and can contribute to society. But we must remember, we all will age and become weak and then we still have needs. It is this time of need when we are weak emotionally, physically or mentally or spiritually that we need to remember we all have these moments and as healthcare workers, we are always here to treat everyone with dignity and respect . If that is the case, what about all our young soldiers that had sacrificed so much when young and healthy, and now they are old and disabled. Shouldn’t we consider all they did when they could? Treating everyone like you would like to be treated should be in our minds every time we care for our patients. Humans have feelings and we can express ourselves, that is what separates humans from other species, the gift to care.
References
Colson. (2009, July 27). Quality Control: Imago Dei and Health Care Costs. Retrieved from https://www.christianheadlines.com/news/quality-control-imago-dei-and-health-care-costs-11606587.html
Shelly, J. A., & Miller, A. B. (2006). Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing (Second ed.). Retrieved January 12, 2017, from https://viewer.gcu.edu/UGPTQ4
Comment # 2
As you reflect on Meilaender’s readings, what is his distinction between procreation and reproduction, as well as that of being begotten versus being made? Do you agree with his description? Why or why not?
The issues of procreation and reproduction and being begotten versus being made or cloning are controversial topics in the religious and scientific world. Different people have various schools of thought and they all differ in one way or another. Procreation is defined as bringing forth an offspring while reproduction is the process in which organisms are formed or produced by their parents. Cloning is the replicating of organisms so that they can be genetically identical to the original organism.
According to Meilaender it is a question of morality. On the issue of begetting versus cloning he argues from the perspective of Christianity and theological teachings that place value and importance on a child and regard it as a gift from God therefore are against the view of a child as a product. Although not directly guided from the bible the issue of cloning is explained, as Meilaender points out, from the point of marriage and parenthood. God in all His wisdom created humankind and ensured a separation in gender but then enjoined them through the institution of marriage and mandated them to procreate and fill the earth. This is how human life should be sustained and not by other means; it also means that begetting should be highly valued. Marriage is therefore linked to parenthood through the begetting of children.
Cloning however seeks to sever the link between procreation and sexual differentiation which in turn destroys the link of marriage and parenthood. The relationship between man and woman is however not simply desired by will and desire but serves a higher purpose that is based in creation. Cloning breaks this and reduces the relation between man and woman to a play or form of personal project also making the begetting and rearing of a child a project that should meet our desired expectations. The link is therefore important and good for the child. Human cloning can be permitted only in restricted circumstances like in the cloning of preimplantation embryos for research which only lasts for a couple of weeks and is strictly for research (Meilaender, 2013).
In the issue of procreation and reproduction there is a clear distinct because procreation is the sexual unification of a man and a woman that leads to the begetting of children. Reproduction can however happen in many other ways, but the other ways of assisted reproduction end up bringing forth something that is made and not begotten (Dollar, 2016).
I agree with this thinking and believe that cloning is wrong because it is a product of our free will and not in any way like us, when we beget we create something that is similar to us and relatable to us. With a product we can control it and decide what purpose it will serve whereas a child has a destiny that we cannot control in any way. I also agree that procreation brings forth a similar self to us and that we can use many ways to come up with the same product but it does not mean that we have done the same thing.
References
Meilaender, G. (2013). BIOETHICS: A Primer for Christians (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: ISBN 978-0-8028-6770-4: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Perry, R. (2005). Review of Gilbert Meilaender’s Bioethics: A Primer for Christians. Elca.org. Retrieved 30 September 2016, from http://www.elca.org/JLE/Articles/635
Dollar, E. (2016). Three Things I Admire About Catholic Reproductive Ethics. Ellen Painter Dollar. Retrieved 30 September 2016, from http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ellenpainterdollar/2012/03/three-things-i-admire-about-catholic-reproductive-ethics/
