|  | |
Read the Catechism in a Year
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Fifth Commandment: You shall not kill.
Is it permissible to experiment on a live human being?
Scientific, psychological, or medical experiments on a live human subject are allowed only when the results that can be expected are important for human well-being and cannot be obtained otherwise. Everything, however, must take place with the free and informed consent of the subject in question.
Moreover, the experiments must not be disproportionately risky. To make human beings the subjects of research against their will is a crime. The fate of the Polish resistance fighter Dr. Wanda Poltawska, a close confidant of Pope John Paul II, reminds us what was at stake then and still is now. During the Nazi period, Wanda Poltawska was a victim of criminal human experiments in the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Later Dr. Poltawska, a psychiatrist, advocated a reform of medical ethics and was among the founding members of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Is organ donation important?
Donating organs can lengthen life or improve the quality of life, and therefore it is a genuine service to one’s neighbor, provided no one is forced to do it.
It must be certain that the donor during his lifetime gave his free and deliberate consent and that he was not killed for the purpose of removing the organ(s). Donation by living donors is also possible, for example, in bone marrow transplants or in the donation of one kidney. Organ donation from a cadaver presupposes a certain determination of death and the consent of the donor during his lifetime or else of his representative. (YOUCAT questions 390-391)
Dig Deeper: Corresponding CCC section (2292-2296) and other references here. Brand New Talk from Fr. Larry Richards:
This text comes from the YOUCAT - an accessible expression of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in a simple Q & A format. [Learn more here]
Copyright © 2011 by Ignatius Press, San Francisco. Sponsored by Lighthouse Catholic Media, NFP. Powered by Flocknote.
|
COMMENTARY:
The questions asked are:
|
|
|
|
Is it permissible to experiment on a live human being?
If I understand the answer, it can be summarized further in these words. It is permissible to experiment on a live human being if:
a. The human upon whom the experiment is being conducted consents to said experiment.
b. The experiment is not too risky. I presume that means to life and limb.
c. It is for an extremely good cause. I presume something like find the cure for cancer.
In addition, I think the article says that experimenting on someone against their will is akin to murder. That is why it is captioned with the Commandment, "thou shalt not murder."
Is organ donation important?
In reading the answer, it didn't respond to the question directly. However, all the things that were mentioned in the answer I would classify as important. Therefore, by logical extension, I'd say the answer is, "yes, organ donation is important."
As for me, I relate it to the teaching of Scripture:
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Sincerely,
De Maria
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for contributing.