A Strategy for Preaching on Contemporary Bioethical Issues

1. A Strategy for Preaching on Contemporary Bioethical Issues Philip Thompson Professor of Bible, Harding University Preacher, Rose Bud Church of Christ

2. A Moral Crisis “It is a truism today that we are in a crisis of morals. The crisis is not simply that people are doing wrong things; that has been going on since the Fall in Eden. The crisis is the loss of a shared understanding of what is right. Worse, it is a crisis of doubt as to whether there even is a moral right or wrong at all.” Lewis B. Smedes, Mere Morality,1-2

3. The “Crisis” is Ongoing… Mere Morality – written in 1983 What has happened since 1983?

4. The Church’s Dilemma • Jesus: “I am the way and truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) • How do we communicate a particularistic ethical framework (Christian ethics) to a pluralistic, relativistic world that does not accept Christian assumptions and foundations?

5. Bioethics Question: Is there a “gay gene”? Homosexuality and Gay Marriage

6. Gay Marriage 2004 • Massachusetts

7. Gay Marriage 2008 • Connecticut

8. Gay Marriage 2009 • Iowa • Vermont Note the “new way” of reading Biblical texts

9. Gay Marriage 2010 • New Hampshire

10. Gay Marriage 2011 • New York Note the Christological, theological argument

11. Gay Marriage 2012 • Washington • Maine Note the heremeutical argument

12. Gay Marriage 2013 • California • New Jersey • New Mexico • Delaware • Hawaii • Minnesota • Rhode Island • Maryland

13. Gay Marriage 2014 • Illinois

14. Gay Families Gay Families possible by: IVF with surrogacy Gay adoption Elton John and David Furnish with son by surrogate mother

15. Beginning of Life

16. Abortion 2014 marked the 41st Anniversary of Roe v Wade Embryo at 8 Weeks

17. ART Old-fashioned procreation no longer required! Artificial insemination Gamete donation IVF Surrogacy Reproductive cloning

18. The Hope and Hype of Stem Cell Research

19. Cloning “Dolly” – 1996 Ian Wilmut Therapeutic versus Reproductive Cloning

20. Genetics Human Genome Project (2003) IVF with PGD Genetic Engineering Will genetics be the new eugenics?

21. End of Life

22. Physician-Assisted Suicide: Legal in Oregon, Washington, Vermont, and Montana Jack Kevorkian Will VAE be legalized?

23. Enhancement of Life

24. Enhancement of Life Improving Human Performance

25. Enhancement Technologies: NBIC Nanotechnology Bioengineering Information technology Cognitive sciences

26. Transhumanism: >H H+

27. Is the church prepared to answer the questions contemporary people are asking? Are church leaders prepared to provide spiritual and moral guidance to members wrestling with biomedical decisions?

28. My Experiences in Ministry • Therapeutic, eugenic, and elective abortions • ART • IVF • Surrogacy (commercial gestational) • IVF with PGD • Cognitive enhancement (off label use of Ritalin) • End of Life • “Pulling the plug” • “Are we obligated to do everything possible? (Translation: must we be vitalists?)

29. “New and sometimes revolutionary and controversial developments in the biomedical sciences, reproductive technologies, medical genetics and biotechnology in the Life Sciences have occurred rapidly in recent times… …Ministers in the active church ministry are increasingly involved in providing spiritual and moral guidance relating to this new knowledge and technologies… Magdalena C. deLange, “Dealing with Bioethical dilemmas: A Survey and Analysis of Responses from ministers in the Reformed Churches in South Africa.”

30. Sources of Authority and Guidance for Christian Moral Decision-Making • The Bible • Prayer • Moral traditions of the church • Moral formation in community • Spiritually developed moral conscience and life • Biblically informed moral vision and understanding • Moral leadership: elders, preachers, teachers, mentors, and Christian ethicists • Specialists engaged in interdisciplinary dialogue (CBHD as an example)

31. A Challenge in Addressing Contemporary Bioethical Issues Most contemporary bioethical issues are not treated directly in Scripture. What do you do when you can’t cite “book, chapter, and verse” on a contemporary ethical issue? “Book, chapter, and verse” = level of rules, norms, action-guides

32. Use of Scripture when there’s no “book, chapter, and verse” • What does the Bible say about… • Embryonic stem cell research? • IVF? • PGD? • Cloning? • Cybernetics? • Physiological and cognitive enhancement? • Abortion?

33. Hermeneutical ChallengesDennis Hollinger, Choosing the Good Scripture is “silent” on many issues. Issues addressed in Scripture are not identical to today’s issues. Moving from the O.T. to the N.T. Relationship between particularity of the text and universality Handling complex issues involving multiple biblical principles

34. Proposals for the Use of Scripture in (Bio)ethics Richard Hays, The Moral Vision of the N.T. Charles Cosgrove, Appealing to Scripture in Moral Debate Glenn Stassen and David Gushee, Kingdom Ethics

35. Moral Decision-Making at Four Levels Particular Judgments Rules Principles Basic convictions (Worldview) [Glen Stassen and David Gushee, Kingdom Ethics]

36. Definitions • Rule: a concrete action-guide; a law for living; a commandment or guideline given by some recognized authority • Principle: Broad moral guidelines more foundational and universal than rules • Rules and principles express values that arise from basic convictions and worldview.

37. Particular or Immediate Judgments Particular Judgments • Two Characteristics at this level • No immediate reasons are given for the moral judgment • The moral judgment applies to one particular case

38. Rules, Norms, Action-Guides Particular Judgments Rules • Two characteristics at this level • A rule applies not just to one immediate case, but to all similar cases • A rule tells us directly what to do or not to do – an action guide

39. Principles Particular Judgments Rules Principles • Two characteristics at this level • A principle is more general than a rule; it does not tell us directly and concretely what to do or not to do • A principle supports rules – or criticizes them

40. Basic Convictions (Worldview) Particular Judgments Rules Principles Basic Convictions (Worldview) • Two characteristics at this level • Basic convictions form the ultimate basis for principles, rules, and overall ethical reasoning • Basic convictions arise out of one’s worldview

41. Worldview • “A worldview is that cohesive set of beliefs through which people view the world and thus, consciously or not, set their life-course.”(Glen H. Stassen and David P. Gushee, Kingdom Ethics, pg. 62) • “A worldview is the way we put our world together. It embodies our sense of God or transcendence, our understandings of human nature, our beliefs about what is wrong within the world and how to fix that wrong, and our perceptions about where history is headed.”(Dennis P. Hollinger, Choosing the Good, pg. 61)

42. Comparison Test Cases: Adultery and Abortion Adultery is first addressed at the rule level Abortion is first addressed at the principle level

43. Ethical Decision-Making at Four Levels Particular Judgments Rules – Adultery first addressed Principles – Abortion first addressed Basic convictions (Worldview) [See: Glen Stassen and David Gushee, Kingdom Ethics]

44. Making Ethical DecisionsScott Rae Step #1: Gather the facts. Step #2: Determine the ethical issues inherent in the case. Step #3: Determine the principles that have a bearing on the case. (Where most sermons on bioethical issues will derive.)

45. Making Ethical Decisions(cont’d) Step #4: List the alternatives. Step #5: Compare the alternatives with the principles. Step #6: Consider the consequences. Step #7: Make a decision.

46. The Sermon as “Bridge” From ancient text to contemporary audience Sermons ought to be biblical and relevant.

47. A Sermon on Adultery

48. A Sermon on Most Bioethical Issues

49. A Sermon on Abortion, ESCR, or IVF Millau Viaduct – Tarn Valley, France

50. A Sermon on Cognitive and Physical Enhancement