Ethical Dilemmas Of Susan's Potential Abortion
Benchmark Assignment: Ethical Dilemmas
People go through life faced with a number of experiences that put them in a situation where they can compromise their values. The choices that they make are a test of their faith and their character, and define who they are as people. In this paper, I will examine the ethical dilemma of Susan’s potential abortion, how it conflicts with the Christian worldview, adoption as a resolution, and how it compares to other worldviews.
Ethical Dilemma
Susan, a woman who has been trying to conceive for several years, has finally found out that she was pregnant. After results from a blood test tell her that her baby has Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21), her doctor suggests to her that she abort the fetus. Susan does not …show more content…
Creation is an exclusively divine act that comes only from our sovereign creator. Everything that has been made and everyone that has been created has been intentional and for a purpose and it has been created good (Hiles & Smith, 2014). God’s character is put into every being that is created and his Spirit works in everyone regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The Christian woman in Susan should praise the Lord for the gift of life that she has been trying to conceive for many years. Genesis 1:27 (New International Version) says: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” The Bible does not say that we are all made in God’s image, except those who are born with Down Syndrome or other birth defects. In the Christian worldview, it is known that we are all born into suffering. After Adam and Eve’s fall into sin as documented in the book of Genesis, God’s punishment was suffering. It should not be a surprise to Susan that she and her baby will suffer during their lifetimes. For Susan to choose to abort her baby, she would be breaking one of God’s commandments when he said in Exodus 20:13: “You shall not murder,” and telling God that she deems his creation not worthy. Abortion would violate the ethics of Christianity and the laws of …show more content…
W. (2002). Congenital Defects Do Not Justify Abortion. In M. E. Williams (Ed.), Opposing Viewpoints. Abortion. San Diego: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Christianity Today, 1997, June 16) Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010102261/OVIC?u=canyonuniv&xid=17bef31c
Damian, C. L. (2010). Abortion from the perspective of eastern religions: hinduism and buddhism. Romanian Journal of Bioethics, 8(1), 124-136. Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://search.proquest.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/central/docview/1286680900/fulltextPDF/E8F894D0D3CA46F2PQ/1?accountid=7374
Hiles, J. S. & Smith, A. F. (2014). The wisdom and mercy of god: Jesus as creator. In A. DiVincenzo (Ed.), The beginning of wisdom: An introduction to Christian thought and life. Available from http://lc.gcumedia.com/cwv101/the-beginning-of-wisdom-an-introduction-to-christian-thought-and-life/v1.1/
Ridge, M. (2010, March 8). Gender selection: in India, abortion of girls on the rise. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from
People go through life faced with a number of experiences that put them in a situation where they can compromise their values. The choices that they make are a test of their faith and their character, and define who they are as people. In this paper, I will examine the ethical dilemma of Susan’s potential abortion, how it conflicts with the Christian worldview, adoption as a resolution, and how it compares to other worldviews.
Ethical Dilemma
Susan, a woman who has been trying to conceive for several years, has finally found out that she was pregnant. After results from a blood test tell her that her baby has Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21), her doctor suggests to her that she abort the fetus. Susan does not …show more content…
Creation is an exclusively divine act that comes only from our sovereign creator. Everything that has been made and everyone that has been created has been intentional and for a purpose and it has been created good (Hiles & Smith, 2014). God’s character is put into every being that is created and his Spirit works in everyone regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The Christian woman in Susan should praise the Lord for the gift of life that she has been trying to conceive for many years. Genesis 1:27 (New International Version) says: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” The Bible does not say that we are all made in God’s image, except those who are born with Down Syndrome or other birth defects. In the Christian worldview, it is known that we are all born into suffering. After Adam and Eve’s fall into sin as documented in the book of Genesis, God’s punishment was suffering. It should not be a surprise to Susan that she and her baby will suffer during their lifetimes. For Susan to choose to abort her baby, she would be breaking one of God’s commandments when he said in Exodus 20:13: “You shall not murder,” and telling God that she deems his creation not worthy. Abortion would violate the ethics of Christianity and the laws of …show more content…
W. (2002). Congenital Defects Do Not Justify Abortion. In M. E. Williams (Ed.), Opposing Viewpoints. Abortion. San Diego: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from Christianity Today, 1997, June 16) Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010102261/OVIC?u=canyonuniv&xid=17bef31c
Damian, C. L. (2010). Abortion from the perspective of eastern religions: hinduism and buddhism. Romanian Journal of Bioethics, 8(1), 124-136. Retrieved March 23, 2017, from http://search.proquest.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/central/docview/1286680900/fulltextPDF/E8F894D0D3CA46F2PQ/1?accountid=7374
Hiles, J. S. & Smith, A. F. (2014). The wisdom and mercy of god: Jesus as creator. In A. DiVincenzo (Ed.), The beginning of wisdom: An introduction to Christian thought and life. Available from http://lc.gcumedia.com/cwv101/the-beginning-of-wisdom-an-introduction-to-christian-thought-and-life/v1.1/
Ridge, M. (2010, March 8). Gender selection: in India, abortion of girls on the rise. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from