Eugentics and Abortion

QUESTION: Is eugenics (the practice of methods such as abortion and selective breeding of mankind in order to genetically improve the race) something which a Christian in good conscience should advocate?

To know whether we “ought” to employ eugenics (or abortion or genocide or euthanasia, etc.), we must answer two questions:

1. Who is man?
2. For what purpose was he made?

We cannot simply base our answer on “what” is man, because it is impossible to derive “ought” (moral imperatives) from “is” (a description of a thing in terms of its constituent elements). True Science, in its consideration of any phenomenon, whether it be man, the action of the tides, or supernovas, only investigates HOW these things come into existence, what their constituent elements are, and what effect they have on other things. It never addresses WHY these things came into being. Evolutionary theory SEEMS to address “why” by ASSUMING all phenomena are the result of chance. But this is not a scientific idea. Why not? Because it is outside the perspective of science proper. Empirical observation and experiments capable of duplication provide no indication as to whether chance or God supervised creation. Indeed, the belief that chance governed the creation of the universe requires as much a leap of faith as does belief that God created the universe. Arguably more.

The belief in chance as the governing hand in the universe is not science but scientism: a religious faith in theories whose prestige is dependent upon their being associated with science, but which in themselves have no scientific validity. These theories are outside the bounds of the scientific method.

The Bible, God’s revealed Word to man, teaches that man is created in God’s image [Gen. 1:26,27] and that his purpose is to glorify God [Eph. 1:3-12]. All conscientious Christians who desire to be in God’s will on this issue must answer the above question in light of His word.

Therefore:

>>> The question that must be asked is: will eugenics (or abortion or euthanasia, etc.) further the end for which man was made? If the answer is no, then IT MUST NOT BE PRACTICED.

• Paraphrased from A MODEST PROPOSAL FOR PEACE, PROSPERITY AND HAPPINESS by Franky Schaeffer and Harold Fickett (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1984)