By Dave Andrusko Editor’s note. We are less than a month away from the 44th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision and its unacknowledged companion, Doe v. Bolton. In December we’ve largely published previously run stories about Roe and Doe, although there have been new ones and an occasional hybrid. We’ll post new stories …
Continue reading "Human Dignity Hangs in the balance"By Wesley J. Smith Human dignity should not need defending. But Jefferson’s “self evident” truths are deemed so no longer. That’s frightening because, if nothing else, it is impossible to defend universal human rights if we don’t perceive human beings as having unique dignity simply and merely because they are human. That is why I …
Continue reading "Human dignity should not need defending but it does"Editor’s note. This article was published in the Ottawa Citizen on October 15. By Catherine Frazee In his article of Oct. 9, Desmond Tutu emphasizes the importance of language on the sensitive issue of medically assisted dying. In the spirit of advancing a respectful dialogue, I must urge him to consider the deeper meanings …
Continue reading "There can be dignity in all states of life"By Wesley Smith God may not be dead, but considering the imago Dei [made in the image of God] in philosophical discourse and public policy certainly is. Not only that, but the rational reasons for acknowledging the exceptional dignity of humans are wrongly denigrated as merely reflecting our religious past in which rigid moralism …
Continue reading "Standing Against the Human “Dignity Deniers”"By Wesley J. Smith Human dignity should not need defending. But Jefferson’s “self evident” truths are deemed so no longer. That’s frightening because, if nothing else, it is impossible to defend universal human rights if we don’t perceive human beings as having unique dignity simply and merely because they are human. That is why …
Continue reading "Pushing Back Against Human “Dignity Deniers”"By Michael Cook | English barrister and medical ethicist Charles Foster has penned defence of “human dignity” as the foundation of bioethics in the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics. He believes that it is more adequate than the reigning view that autonomy is its fundamental principle. In particular dignity does a far better job …
Continue reading "Defending human dignity as the foundation of bioethics"By Dave Andrusko A report in today’s Guardian newspaper is just the latest evidence that when researchers are compelled to find stem cells sources other than human embryos, they benefit twice over. First, since human embryonic stem cells have no proven track record to date, resources are not wasted. Second, the need to look elsewhere …
Continue reading "More evidence that when compelled to look elsewhere, scientists readily find acceptable alternatives to embryonic stem cells"