Several philosophers and scientists have been in support of abortion. They claim that the right to live for the fetus lay in the hands of the carrier and hence they have a right to terminate it whenever they feel it is convenient. Medical experts are also advising pregnant women to end their pregnancy in case they realize the fetus is affected by some abnormality. Medics use the moral theory of the utilitarianism (Marsh, 2012, p. 30). However, other philosophers and religious institutions are advocating for the right of the fetus. They claim that the fetus is human, and hence, no one should terminate their lives. In support, this is the Christian based theory of moral status of a fetus referred to as God Command Theory.
God Command Theory is a morality theory that bases its argument on the obedience to God’s command. It claims that the moral action taken by an individual should be in line with what God requires of us. Jessica and her family applied this theory while making the decision to keep the fetus. They believed that God has a purpose for the fetus, and so they should give the fetus a chance to live even though it might be challenging to bring it up when the baby is born. They are ignoring they have financial problems with the belief that will do His intends with the baby when it is born. On the other hand, Utilitarianism is the theory that the doctor was applying by advising Jessica to terminate the pregnancy (DiSilvestro, 2010, p. 37). He was considering the life the baby with experience as a child having a disability and the struggle the family will go through and hence his decision may be right based on the outcome of keeping the pregnancy.
Utilitarianism theory aims at ensuring that everyone happiness matters as the result of the moral decision made. It explains that events and behaviors are morally right if they maximize the good. Several children who have been born with disabilities have faced a challenging life in the society. Some are even abandoned by their parents making their life more difficult. Even though, it is God wish for the child to be born, the pain the child will experience is not God’s wish. Furthermore, the parents are struggling with unstable employment with Jessica working for 50 hours and having a disabled child will mean she will have to quit working.
In the above situation, it is important to use the theory of moral subjectivism. According to DiSilvestro, (2010), moral subjectivism believes that there are no objective moral certainties and morality is a set of standards resulting from each individual’s subjective emotions and people should act accordingly. It acknowledges that people make judgments basing on their feelings and not the reasons and arguments. This theory will be essential in helping the Jessica’s family understand the reasons why the doctor is proposing an abortion. It will help them understand taking a step of having an abortion may be right if not argued regarding God command theory.
References
DiSilvestro, R. (2010). Human capacities and moral status. Dordrecht: Springer.
Marsh, M. N. (2012). The moral status of the embryo-foetus: Biomedical perspectives. Cambridge, England: Grove Books.
