Theological developments in Bioethics

                                              Summary

            This text is derived from the book Theological developments in Bioethics: 1992-1994,
edited by B.A. Lustig in 1997 in Texas.  Generally, it contains ideas of various religious and
churches about issues of bioethics.  I have chosen one of them, which indicates the opinion of
islamic religious.

            The matters of bioethics are contemporary problems, especially in modern medicine. It
means issue of the medical research, mainly its new technologies, new possibilities of the
treatment, system of the health care in general atc. The common problem is that the new ways and
technologies can be and are different and controversial in the societies. Islamic society view is
based on the Holy Qur´an.  The interpretation which describes and gives the regulation to the human
conduct is called Sharia. It is the main source of the rules for life and bioethics as well in
muslim countries.

            In the societies there is very important a cooperation between national laws, medical
ethics and the religious teachings for the stability of the system. But in fact, what is legal
cannot be ethical. Principles of the society have to be focused to the credit for all the people.
It means several principles. The fist one is the beneficience which was explained before, the
second one is the authonomy which means respect to human beings, the third one is the principle of
non-maleficience  which says that there is not allowed to harm anyone like hate or envy to each
other. The last one is the principle of the justice. In Islamic tradition these instructions are
valid for the behavior of the people to each other but also to behavior to animals and to the
nature in general.

            These four principles extend to items of bioethics. New reproductive technologies and
medically assisted conception, gene therapy, abortion, birth and care of severely disabled
newborns, experimental treatment, active euthanasia, embryo research, these are the main topics of
bioethics. There are mentioned some other problems like equitable access to health care and so on.

            The Qur´an, the reference of the prophet Mohammad, support modern science and its new
knowledge. At the same time it gives a big stress to religious and its moral values. In Muslim
world is very important the treatment of the infertility. The adoption is unacceptable there but
the life in marriage without children is degradating in this society, especially for the women.
Although they support new reproductive technologies there are a lot of conditions for it. For
example the donation of reproductive cells to another couple is strictly forbidden because of
mixing genes. The opinions about abortion are different inside the Muslim community. There is
believed that the embryo achieves the own soul 120 days after conception. Some groups agree the
abortion before 120´s day is acceptable, another groups disagree. Abortion is permitted there only
in cases when the mother or the child are jeopardise or the child is seriously disabled. Active
euthanasia is considered like killing and is completely forbidden in Sharia.

            The Islamic bioethics matters include also global problems like differences among
developed and developing countries, especially differences in health care among them. All the
people should have right entrance to medical centres, no just riches.

            These are summarized just basic and in my opinion most debatable matters of bioethics.
The assisted reproduction, abortion or euthanasia are the question which everyone can solve in the
personal life. The base of ethical view of Islam to bioethical issues is built up on the 4
principles – beneficence, autonomy, non-maleficience and justice.  Theological approach is based on
the Mohamed’s teaching and there must be coincidence.