Don't kill mentally disabled person to save genius, says bioethicist

Published: 2006-02-06

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Because human dignity is equal for all, doctors cannot take the life of a severely developmentally disabled person to harvest organs to save the life of a scientific genius such as Albert Einstein, said Franciscan Brother Daniel Sulmasy, a medical doctor and bioethicist. There are not different levels of "inalienable dignity," he told the President's Council on Bioethics Feb. 2. The intrinsic dignity of every person is the "foundational bedrock of a moral system" and should be the guiding force in bioethics, said Brother Sulmasy, professor of medicine and director of the Bioethics Institute of New York Medical College. The Franciscan was one of two guest speakers discussing the meaning of human dignity at the council meeting. The council advises President George W. Bush on bioethical issues. The other speaker was Patricia Churchland, philosophy department chairwoman at the University of California at San Diego. She said that historically there has been a lot of religious opposition to medical advances but that this tended to subside once the health benefits became apparent.

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