Ethical issues at the start of life

In this article the fundamentals of a Jewish ethic are set out, through which today's pressing medical ethical questions are then broached. Ethics derive from a basic view of humanity. The Bible teaches that man is created in God's image, and every life is therefore sacrosanct. Second, since life is God-given we are its guarantors, not its owners. Finally, monotheism sees God as above nature and not in it, so nature itself is not holy - man can, and indeed should, try to improve upon it. With reference to specific medical issues, the need to be wary of the erosion of the family unit and of personal identity is stressed. Concerning abortion and stem cell research, the point is made that an embryo is not a person but is a potentiality and therefore not an object to be used. Regarding genetic intervention, a line is drawn between the therapeutic and the eugenic. Every technology carries with it the possibility of diminishing or enhancing human dignity. What matters is how we use it. The way to use it is in a covenant with God, honouring his image that is mankind.