The ethical challenges of the biomedical revolution - Essay Example

Proffesor Due The ethical challenges of the biomedical revolution Technology has a immense part to play in reducing human suffering. Many diseases, some of them genetic, result in prolonged suffering in the patients. In biblical accounts, Jesus healed the sick. In Islam, Allah did not send down any disease, but sent down cures for the existing illnesses. These two examples show the relevance of reducing suffering in religion and directly imply that human suffering should be reduced where possible.

Therefore, despite the ethical concerns raised by the biomedical revolution, the potential of the revolution to reduce incidence of suffering overrides ethical concerns, especially for people with no religious affiliation. The concept of genetic engineering has risen due to the realization that some medical conditions emanate from genetic abnormalities. Genetic engineering is not a new practice. For example, farmers have long tried to enhance productivity by crossbreeding plants to eliminate undesirable traits and enhance the positive traits.

The same case applies to people to explain the root of diseases and highlight disorders that are likely to be transmitted to offspring. The application raises the question of ‘breeding people’ to produce a superior species with disease resistance and desirable traits such as body strength and looks. In fact, there is an increase in the number of women seeking artificial insemination due to the reducing values of traditional institutions of the family. Therefore, the concept of genetics as used today creates ethical challenges because it increases social strains and treats people like animals and plants, which are bred to produce superior offsprings (23).

Though the above case is practical in the present day, there are possibilities for improvement that would reduce the ethical concerns in the future. For example, germline therapy is a proposed genetic therapy that would erase defective genes and eliminate the possibility of passing the genes to the future generations (26). Though the technology is still in the growth stages, it holds the promise of reducing disease prevalence in the future and thus reduce the cost of healthcare for future generations.

It is an advanced form of genetic engineering with an ability to revolutionize the field of healthcare and reduce human suffering. Therefore, though the perception of genetic engineering has a negative outlook, there are possibilities of development that would overcome the ethical concerns held about biomedical revolution. However, religion places God’s supremacy beyond the reaches of human beings. For example, creation accounts suggest that all living beings are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’.

In other words, God created all beings perfectly. Therefore, the germline genetic therapy raises ethical issues in religion, especially for people who believe in the creation accounts. The ability of people to make changes to animals, such as the insertion of certain genetic abilities in rabbits to make them glow, raises ethical concerns (28). From a religious point of view, these changes are unacceptable because they violate the creation accounts. Therefore, despite the possibilities for reducing human suffering, the biomedical revolution creates dissonance with religion and raises ethical concerns.

Ethics are concerned with the values of right and wrong in a community. Since most of these values are a function of religion, the presence of dissonance between the two creates an insurmountable barrier. However, despite the religious concerns, it is worth noting that not all people subscribe to a religion. It would be erroneous to refuse these people what they value on the basis of religion if it is not applicable to them. Therefore, despite the ethical concerns raised by religion, the biomedical revolution represents a positive development of humanity and it would be wrong not to explore the possibilities raised by the new inventions in the field of healthcare.