A Difference between Jewish and Catholic Bioethics
Quicksilver and Hirhurim criticized Eric Cohen's advocacy of a “A Jewish-Catholic Bioethics?” on the grounds there's a difference between Jewish bioethics and Catholic bioethics. Of course, there's a difference. They think there's nothing intrinsically wrong with Natural Family Planning (also known as the “rhythm method”). We disagree.
As for embryonic stem-cell research… There's no more reason to accuse Jews opposed to embryonic stem-cell research of taking orders from Catholics than there was a reason in the early 19th century to accuse Jews opposed to slavery of taking orders from Protestants.
1 Comments:
Not sure I agree that the difference lies in natural family planning. After all, there is a long tradition (to the Tannaitic period, ca 200 CE) of Jewish opposition to contraception. Still, Catholics seem more concerned about what is natural and about life at conception, whereas Jews tend to define life more variably and will readily give up on the natural to promote reproduction (aka "continuity").
Also, granting that Jewish writers aren't taking orders from Catholics, there are good indications that Catholic medical ethics have helped shaped Jewish legal/ethical thought in the last 50 years.
Thanks muchly, take care,
Kaspit (Quicksilver)
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