Smede’s respect for human life is immeasurable. He emphasizes the importance for the sacredness of “persons.” “The simplest reason is that human beings are persons, and their sacredness as persons puts them off limits to killers.” (105) Smede has little tolerance for disrespect for human life. He preaches that man’s respect comes from “astonishment, humility and awe…” (105) Smede writes about how the value of life traps people into “abstract absolutism.” (107) This creates a respect for human life that is above the value of other life including animal life. This is because humans relate to humans and humans should have reverence for one another.
Smede would not be happy with some of the young women featured in the abortion video. He might feel as though the respect for human life was not taken seriously. This point could be recognized in the case of the young woman who has had several children out of wedlock as well as an abortion. A man whom she did not want to marry impregnated this woman. She then had an abortion to kill the fetus with disregard to its value as a human. She continued her ways and was impregnated again by a man who attended her church. This child was unexpected and unwanted yet she stil
When Kidder’s resolution principles are applied to Smede’s arguments, ends- based and care-based resolution principles are the most applicable. In the ends based resolution principle the greatest number of benefiting people must be considered for life or abortion. This can be supportive in both the pro-life and pro-choice arguments. For pro-life, society may benefit from the fetus after birth if it becomes a contributing member of society. Also, an infertile mother or father would have the option of adopting the baby and surrounding it in an environment in which it would be loved and truly cared for. For pro-choice, the mother may have decided to abort with the support of her family as well as the father and his family who would all be affected by the birth of the baby. In this case, abortion would be beneficial if the parents were unable to care for the baby. The care-based resolution principle would place the mother in the life of the fetus. Imagining herself as an innocent creation placed in the difficult position of being conceived at the wrong time or unwanted. This is not the baby’s fault, and if the mother would do what she would want done to her, she would most likely allow the child to be carried to full term and give birth to it. Using this resolution principle, the mother would surely choose pro-life.
The other applicable paradigm is individual vs. community. The individual mother involved in the decision must chose life or abortion based on her circumstances or the eventual su
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