Introduction

Humans, on a daily basis, are faced with a never-ending battle with themselves – the voice that tells them what to do and not do. Therefore, when faced with the same ethical dilemma, the decision arrived at vary from one person to another depending on the type of ethical system followed. Ethics 20.5 strives to provide a basic understanding of ethical systems and how to think about them. The question therefore remains, why should people make different choices when faced with the same ethical situations? To answer this question, it is important to understand how non-Christian ethical systems such as utilitarianism and deontological ethics relate and influence Christian ethical systems. However, the discussion in this paper will revolve around how the two systems view and resolve the issue of abortion. Ideally, the Christian ethical system approaches the issue of abortion through God’s image and character while utilitarianism is concerned with maximizing happiness.

We will write acustom essay on your topictailored to your instructions!

184experts online

Let us help you

Chosen Ethical System

The chosen ethical system for consideration in this paper is Christian virtuous ethical system. As discussed in class, this system is concerned with the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the beatitudes. Similarly, Christian’s main goal is to honor and obey God their creator1. According to Christian virtuous ethical system, when God saves a person, He changes their very nature. More specifically, once they are saved, their rebellious heart is replaced by a desire to become Christ-like. This implies that a person, who was initially incapable of doing good, is filled with a new set of desires and righteousness2. This system also holds that the only way of becoming virtuous is through Christ who transforms their lives – the virtue develops in them through the process of becoming Christ like. As evidenced in class readings, Christians’ main goal is to be like Christ and unite with God the creator. Therefore, when faced with a dilemma, the focus is not on identifying the best outcome but instead ensure the decision reflect the character of God.

Chosen Topic

The topic selected for discussion is abortion which is defined as the termination of pregnancy by removing a fetus or embryo from the womb before it is ready for birth. The two commonly practiced forms of abortion are spontaneous and induced. The former can occur through miscarriage while the later involves ending a pregnancy with medication3. Induced abortion is widespread in most developed countries including the U.S. According to Biggs et al. this form is considered the most common and safest medical procedure in the United States – approximately 40 percent admit they have terminated a pregnancy at least once4. The authors further maintained that abortion is increasingly being performed by women from all walks of life with the majority being white, unmarried and above the age of 40 years5. While the reasons for terminating a pregnancy vary from one person to another, most of them opt for it because they were victims of rape or incest.

Abortion is one of the most controversial public issues of the 21st century. This is because the subject forces people to make a decision on when life begins and whether one should prioritize the life of the mother or fetus (Hendricks, 2019). Of the two, induced abortion continues to elicit mixed reactions among different scholars. On the other hand, spontaneous abortion is where the fetus is involuntarily expelled due to disease or accidents. The “pro-life” and “pro-choice” positions further make the issue more controversial. The pro-life position, as elucidated in Hendricks’ (2019) study holds that induced abortions is morally wrong and prohibited6. The pro-choice position, on the other hand, argues that termination of pregnancy is morally permissible or allowable. The critical issues in this topic are the moral and metaphysical status of the embryo as well as the moral rights of a person.

Christian virtuous ethical system

On-time delivery!

Get your 100% customized paperdone in as little as 1 hour

Let’s start

Christian virtuous ethical system is the right approach when it comes to discerning the right decision about the issue of abortion. This system help ensure individuals understand why it is important to act righteously. It argues that people can make the right decision with regard to abortion as long the agent is following the virtues prescribed in the nature of God. This