What Is The Christian View Of The Nature Of Human Persons?

Case Study: Fetal Abnormality
Name
Institution
1 What is the Christian view of the nature of human persons, and which theory of moral status is it compatible with? How is this related to the intrinsic human value and dignity?
The Christian view of the nature of human persons is that human beings were not only created by God but also created in His image. For Christians, every living human being has a spirit and this is the reason it should be respected. With human beings being created in the image of God, it is required that they live in a relationship of care and love. This means that every human being is obligated to care and love other human beings rather than looking for ways or reasons to take their lives (Vorster, 2011). For Christians, life starts at conception and as a result, embryos should be treated with the same dignity as other human beings. Explaining the moral status of human persons can be done using the deontological Christian ethics. This moral theory is related to the intrinsic human value and dignity because it emphasizes on respect of all human beings equally. According to this moral theory, no act that harms human persons or human dignity is allowed. People are encouraged to love as their brothers’ keepers and thus should not allow anything that is a threat to the life of the other (Vorster, 2009).
2 Which theory or theories are being used by Jessica, Marco, Maria, and Dr. Wilson to determine the moral status of the fetus? What from the case study specifically leads you to believe that they hold the theory you selected?
As the physician, Dr. Wilson uses the scientism theory in determining the moral status of the fetus. This is the reason he relies on scientific methods to diagnose a rare condition of the fetus, which explains its fate once it is born. Relying on science as well, Dr. Wilson weighs all available options and sees abortion as a scientifically and medically proven choice to save the fetus of unbearable future life. On the other hand, Maria bases her decision on relationship and moral agency theory. When guided by the moral agency theory, she understands God’s teachings regarding abortion and thus does not support it. She understands that God had a reason to allowing the pregnancy to happen and have the condition of the fetus as it is (Rachels & Rachels, 2015). Further, she uses the relationship theory urging Jessica to think of the future while holding her son. She wants to create the connection between a mother and child so as to aid Jessica in making an informed decision. For the case of Jessica, she uses the moral agency theory and thus considers the moral status of the fetus; this is the reason she opposes abortion (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011). For the case of Marco, his thinking is guided by the relationship theory. He considers the financial burden the child will have on the family in the futur...