Chapter 13 :Reproduction: Assistance and Control Issues |
Section 4. Readings Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Instruction on Respect for Human life Read the Excerpts and Analysis FULL TEXT: click on this link http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/donumvitae.htm *********************************** Gillian Hanscombe: The right to Lesbian Parenthood Homosexual parents are entitled to the same rights as heterosexual parents. No data exists that indicates they are less responsible parents ****************************************** It is wrong to have children knowing that they will or will likely have defects, suffering, or deficits. There is no obligation to do whatever is available to have a child. ***************************************** Bonnie Steinbock: Surrogate Motherhood as Parental Adoption Regulating surrogacy, minimizing potential harm and protecting liberty is preferable to prohibiting the practice. **************************************** Elizabeth S. Anderson: Is Women's Labor a Commodity? Commercial surrogacy should be outlawed. It is harmful to children and degrades and exploits women. It views children as property. **************************************** Arlene Judith Klotzko: Medical Miracle or Medical Mischief? Artificial insemination or chemical stimulation and multiple fetus problem: septuplets. *************************************** Leon R. Kass: The Wisdom of Repugnance 1. Cloning distorts the cloned person's sense of individuality and social identity. 2. It transforms procreation into manufacture and children into commodities. 3.It encourages parents to regard children as property. ***************************************** National Bioethics Advisory Commission: Cloning Human Beings: ethical Considerations At present cloning lacks safety Unresolved concerns make it unwise to proceed at this time. Refuse to find cloning as inherently unethical. ***************************************** Peter Singer, Creating Embryos ****************************************** Genes, Embryos and Ethics************************************* *************************************************
"Surrogate Motherhood as Prenatal
Adoption," by Bonnie Steinbock
Summary on "Surrogate Motherhood as
Prenatal Adoption," by Bonnie Steinbock by Sepideh
Roozdar, QCC, 2007
Steinbock continues her article
reiterating her belief that instead of a ban on surrogacy, legitimate
concerns might be better served by careful regulation. Before she expands on
this idea, however, she considers "arguments that surrogacy is intrinsically
unacceptable." Mill once wrote that, "no one should be allowed to sell
himself into slavery, because to do so would be to destroy his future
autonomy" (Munson, 5 th Ed., Ch.8). From this, one may decide
that agreeing to become a surrogate mother means giving up one's autonomy to
the "state to make decisions for us in all these matters." On the other
hand, Steinbock writes that "respect for individual freedom requires us to
permit people to make choices which they may later regret." This is true in
that we all make mistakes in our lives and, hopefully, learn lessons from
them. To give up the right to make choices, even bad choices, is to give up
one's autonomy.
Furthermore, Steinbock touches upon
the idea of how some argue that "the sale of a child…is analogous to
slavery, and so is inconsistent with human dignity." It is not an
overstatement to claim that "human life has intrinsic value; it is literally
priceless." One way to regulate the system of "baby-selling," according to
Steinbock would be to "limit payment to medical expenses associated with the
birth or incurred by the surrogate during pregnancy." This idea follows
along with procedures such as egg donation in IVF or even organ donation
compensations. "The payment should be seen as compensation for the risks,
sacrifice, and discomfort the surrogate undergoes during pregnancy."
Steinbock points out how "George
Annas makes the novel argument that the right to rear a child you have borne
is also a privacy right." A solution to respect this idea and in prospect of
surrogate regulation would be to provide a waiting period, as in ordinary
postnatal adoptions, which may help protect women from making irrevocable
mistakes (Munson, 5 th Ed., Ch.8). This allows the process to run
more smoothly in a more tightly controlled process without banning the
entire process. According to Steinbock, "this requirement would make
stricter screening and counseling of surrogates essential, a desirable side
effect."
Another point that people make in
prospect of prohibiting surrogacy is "on grounds of its harmfulness to the
offspring" or even the siblings of the child to be given away. A certain
attachment would be created with the older child and the surrogate child, as
their mother's belly would be an interesting spot to feel a heartbeat or
feel the baby's legs kick. On the other hand, Steinbock argues that "it
should be remembered that many things, including divorce, remarriage, and
even moving to a new neighborhood, create anxiety and resentment in
children" and for this reason, "we should not use the effect on children as
an excuse for banning a practice we find bizarre or offensive."
In conclusion, Bonnie Steinbock has
made a strong argument against the idea of prohibiting surrogacy. She
clearly believes that beyond the ideas of inconsistency with human dignity,
degrading views towards "child-selling," and so-called exploitation of
people, the process can be regulated to become a safe and controlled
procedure.
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