At least once in someone’s lifetime, especially in their career endeavors and undertakings, they are bound to be challenged. The possibility of getting into a morally challenging situation in one’s career cannot be overlooked. It is probably true that once in a while, at least everyone has faced or encountered situations that put them into a moral dilemma. Some philosophers have defined a dilemma as a situation in which one has to do either A and B where both choices are incompatible (Statman 1995, p 6). I recently got into such a situation. The moral dilemma that I encountered convinced me that I was bound to experience more in my career future.
I was recently abroad on a trip to a family member’s home. While there, it happened that my aunt was two months pregnant. However, halfway through the second month, she decided that she did not want to have her baby. The husband was not opposed to this stand as he believed that the wife was the sole decision maker in relation to that situation. However, as a staunch believer of the command theory divine, I was totally opposed to this scenario. Being a strict follower of this theory I give total trust to God and his rules. Therefore, all that God has put in place as law is what is important and true. That would include anything He says; even if it is currently wrong, and He decides it is right later (Reynolds 2009, p 94). I did not believe that she could abort a two month old baby just because she did not feel like having the baby. Coincidentally, the laws in that country I was in were totally opposed to this process. Abortion is a criminal offence in that country punishable by law using heavy penalties.
I was totally opposed to this process. I was not prepared to see this happen in a country that had forbidden it. In the United States, some staunch believers of my stand have in the past killed physicians who perform abortion, despite the fact that it is legal (Geirsson & Holmgren, 1999, p 33). I contemplated going to the police and informing them of her intentions. But blood being thicker than water, I decided against it since she would face severe legal consequences for that. I also contemplated leaving the country and forgetting about that situation, with the assumption that it was none of my business. By doing this, I would be running away from the dilemma, a common human tendency (Wogaman 2009, p 11). However after carefully thinking over the situation, I decided on what I thought was the best course of action.
The first step was to try and talk her into keeping the baby. However, when this did not work, I decided to involve the police. I warned her that I would inform the police if she did that. I was prepared to lose her friendship and love if that’s all it took. With this information, she threw me out of her house immediately. I had not informed the police anything. The sole reason for including the police was to scare her. However, my method and plan worked well as the child was not aborted. Six months later, while back in the United States, I got the news that she had given birth to a baby girl.
I look back to that whole scenario and the dilemma that I was in. Though my relationship with my aunt may never be the same again, I am proud that I indirectly gave life to that small beautiful girl she gave birth to. I still believe that she may be thanking me from the bottom of her heart, or she will one day. Either way, I am happy that someone is alive because of the decision I made during that dilemma.
References
Holmgren, M.R. (1999). Ethical Theory. Ontario: Broadview Press Ltd.
Reynolds, J.M. (2002). When Athens met Jerusalem. Springfield, IL: IVP Academic Publishers.
Statman, D. (1995). Moral Dilemmas. Amsterdam: Editions Rodopi.
Wogaman, J.P. (2009). Moral Dillemas. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press,U.S.
