Sacredness of Life and Genetic Racism

I am the Life

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life," Jesus declared in the Last Supper (Jn 14: 6). Being the Truth and the Life is something proper to the Son of God become man, who St. John says in the prologue of his Gospel is "full of grace and truth" (1:14). He is the Truth because by coming to this world he shows that God is faithful to his promises and because he teaches the truth about who God is and tells us that true worship must be "in spirit and truth" (Jn 4: 23).

Jesus is Life because from all eternity He has divine life with His Father and because He makes us, through grace, sharers in that divine life. This is why the Gospel says: "This is eternal life, that they know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent" (Jn 17:3).

In the Word "was life, and the life was the light of men" (Jn 1:4). The prologue goes on to expound two basic truths about the Word: that he is Life and that he is Light. The Life referred to here is divine life, the primary source of all life, natural and supernatural. And the Life is the light of men, for from God we receive the light of reason, the light of truth and the light of glory, which are a participation in God's mind.

Only a rational creature is capable of having knowledge of God in this world and of later contemplating him joyfully in heaven for all eternity. Also the Life (the Word) is the light of men because He brings them out of the darkness of sin and error. Later on Jesus will say: "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Jn 8: 12).

Life belongs to God

God is Life. Out of sheer goodness he wanted to share his life to his creatures. Plants, animals and humans partake of this perfection of God. While plants simply live, animals live and have sensitive life, as well. Humans have been created at the peak of the material universe since he is bodily as well as spiritual. His spiritual soul is the principle of his life. For man, to be alive is to be human. To exist as a human person is to be a living being. Life and humanity converge into an interconvertible predication in man.

Thus, there is something sacred in man. Being a creature of God and a sharer of his infinite life, man's life is somewhat sacred. It is a gift of God to man. Life is not a right but a gift and a unique privilege.

It is only by God that human life is given; it is only by God that human life may be taken away. Every human soul is individually and personally created by God. God alone has the right to decide when that soul's time upon earth is finished.

The fact that human life belongs to God is so obvious that the gravity of the sin of murder. The unjust taking of another's life is recognized even through the light of reason by all men of good will. The sacred value of life is imprinted in the very nature of man. The Fifth Commandment of the Decalogue is not a precept that applies to one religion alone, just as the rest of the Ten Commandments. It is a precept of the Natural Law and therefore applies to all human beings insofar as they are humans.

It is never lawful to take the life of an innocent person. It would be gravely sinful and criminal to do so. Life belongs to God. He shares it with us but we cannot dispose of it as we please.

But what if the fetus has deformities or abnormalities? Is it justified to resort to abortion?

Pre-natal diagnosis

With the advent of pre-natal diagnosis, pregnant mothers go through it to have an idea of how the baby would be. What if those expectant women underwent pre-natal tests and receive  what is called "poor pre-natal diagnosis," or PPD. This means that their infant is afflicted with a chromosomal abnormality or a serious defect in a vital organ.

With the increase in genetic testing and fertility treatments some couples are facing these difficult decisions. Parents suffer pressures from doctors, therapists, friends and family to terminate the pregnancy. They are given the grim prospect of a child born prematurely who will die shortly after birth or suffer severe deformities and a brief life filled with suffering and pain.

From the medical point of view, Dr. Michael Monge wrote, induced abortion due to pathological conditions of the fetus may at a glance, seem most reasonable in cases of fetal abnormality, diagnosed intrauterine, with certainty, using modern technology, example biopsy of the chorionic villi, amniocentesis or ultrasonography (Ethical Practices in Health and Decease).

Genetic racism

This dilemma creates a greater impact today compared to the past when accurate diagnostic methods were lacking. The parent's reaction is ubderstandable in the face of a possibly abnormal offspring, diagnosed with certainty, near certainty or high statistical probability. The suppression of a new life because it is defective is not the proper course of action. From the medical point of view, one could resort to a good prophylaxis, pre-natal or intrauterine theraphy, where feasible, and in extreme cases, rehabilitation. One can never directly induce the death of an innocent being.

In a similar way, the outright rejection of the handicapped person supposes a kind of racism of the healthy, or chromosomic racism. This attitude could bring grave consequences for humanity. We recall how Hitler, prior to extermination of the six million Jews, had been previously convinced that they were inferior human beings. For him, those belonging to inferior racea do not have a right to live. Sounds like a simple idea but resulted to an unprecedented massacre of innocent people.

Moral criteria

Christian doctrine casts new light on these dramatic cases. The Spanish Episcopal Conference teaches that "the case is also difficult when one confronts the risk of giving birth to a baby with grave congenital anomalies. We cannot minimize the tragedy of the situation".

"But one cannot claim for himself, even during these dramatic circumstances, the right to suppress human life, no matter how defective the child might be. Life is valued neither for its normality nor future productivity but for its intrinsic dignity. It has been repeatedly affirmed that the presence of these unique beings in the midst of a dehumanized and utilitarian society can and should help in basing mutual relations upon due respect for all human beings, which is more important than what they give or produce.

"The competent authorities must create specialized educational institutions for the education of these type of individuals, whose needs exceeds the capabilities of their own families".

"We must remember that during these circumstances, as in many others during the course of our life, we will find ourselves face to face with the mystery of suffering and evil, what is the mystery of the Cross of Christ, which according to our firm hope leads to the splendor of the Resurrection. The Christian attitude should be to take up the cross of each day, led by the hand of the heavenly Father" (Spanish Episcopal Conference, Note No. 17, October 4, 1974).

Genetic or chromosomic racism is an error of functionalism which judges the right to live according to the quality of life or usefulness of the human being. If we fall into this error then we will have to concede as well to the killing of deformed kids, adolescents, adults or grandparents, regardless of the cause of their abnormality whether natural or otherwise. Should we?