Discussion Thread- Beginning of Life Ethical Issues

Now that you have read your assigned reading and watched the videos on beginning of life issues such as abortion and reproductive technologies and have gained a better understanding of how various ethical systems might approach these issues, write a thread that explains how one of the Christian ethical systems might process the issue and how a non-Christian ethical system might process the issue. You may pick any of the specific issues discussed in your assigned textbook readings. But make sure to argue according to ethical systems rather than your own abstract feelings. You must include the following elements: 1. A brief paragraph of your chosen ethical system (you may pick a different one than you argued for in Week 1 if you request permission). 2. A brief paragraph explaining the chosen topic and why it's controversial. 3. A thorough paragraph explaining how your ethical system would discern the right decision/action pertaining to the issue. 4. A thorough paragraph relaying how a competing ethical system (If you hold to a Christian ethical system, then this would be a non-Christian ethical system, and vice versa) would attempt to answer the ethical dilemma, but that ends with an explanation of why it is an inadequate/wrong approach compared to your chosen system's approach. You are expected to support your position with rational arguments, fitting examples, and expert sources. At least one citation must come from one of your textbooks. Any quotes or information used from sources other than yourself must be cited using footnotes in current Turabian format. Although quotations count towards your word count requirements, you will receive a lower grade if your word count is mostly filled with quotations. 

As I have stated in my last prior two posts, the ethical system I chose was virtue ethics. This system concentrates on community values and individual traits. 1 The emphasis is not on decision making alone, as it is with deontology and consequentialism. With this perspective, knowing who we are and what we should do enables us to make wise ethical decisions. 2 Virtue ethics is grounded upon the agent as opposed to the act alone. 3 We should know the right thing to do if our character has been developed. Instead of a one size fits all approach defining moral principles, this system can be thought of as stories surrounding virtues. 4 I am going to be discussing abortion. I think why it is controversial goes without saying, but I will explain for context. In Chapter 12, Magnuson describes abortion as being one of the most troublesome and unmanageable debates of this age, both morally and politically. 5 Some believe that a woman has the right to decide what she wants to do with her body, while others believe that human life should be protected regardless of the circumstances. 6 This is a complex issue with a lot of factors that play into it. Political insight is valid for these types of situations, but the morality of abortion is what our attention needs to be geared towards. Virtue ethics is centered around virtues (hence the name) that are within each person. Abortion is not a plain issue, as I previously stated, virtue ethics encompasses more of a personalized approach for each situation. Considering that having awareness of one’s traits and letting that guide important decision making is the basis of virtue ethics, one should reflect on their inward qualities before acting, particularly in the case of abortion. This brings up how someone might have been raised, especially when it comes to family values and the type of environment the person grew up in. Both of these are crucial and have to be deliberated before making the life-altering choice of abortion, whether deciding to or not. According to virtue ethics, we should know the right decision to make because our character has already been established. All factors are intricate from this standpoint and must be weighed out individually. A competing ethical system would be Christian ethics. Though these two systems are built upon similar ideals, there are some key differences. Magnuson states that “Christian ethics examines and presents moral claims about who we are and how we are to live” 7 This may seem 1 . Ken Magnuson, Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2020), 28. 2 . Ibid. 3 . Ibid. 4 . Ken Magnuson, Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2020), 29. 5 . Ken Magnuson, Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2020), 328. 6 . Ibid. 7 . Ken Magnuson, Invitation to Christian Ethics: Moral Reasoning and Contemporary Issues (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2020), 60.