Biomedicine and Beatitude by Nicanor Austriaco

Biomedicine and Beatitude by Nicanor Austriaco is a well-written and clearly worded book about Christian medical ethics. However, it becomes a much broader argument that people are overlooking “natural law” thanks to “medical breakthroughs.”  The chapter Bioethics and Human Procreation raises questions that not only argue on behalf of Catholicism, but on behalf of basic morals as well. One issue he brings up is how condoms can prevent pregnancy and HIV, but what if you’re already engaging in risky behavior? Will condoms prevent all the other problems you can acquire? The chapter on organ donation doesn’t deride the practice; on the contrary, he argues that it’s a noble gesture. But at what point is the patient legally dead? Are you morally accountable if your donated kidney or heart wasn’t donated at all, but taken without consent?

Consent is another debate in this book with no concrete solution. The author makes very clear the church’s opposition to in vitro fertilization and fertility drugs. Take Nadya Suleman, the infamous “Octomom” as an example (though she’s not used expressly in this book.) She consented to having the embryos implanted in her uterus, so she wasn’t forced to do anything. But should her physician have said no? Look at it this way; dogs and puppies have lots of nipples with which to feed their massive litters. But humans only have two, and rarely give birth in multiples. This is one aspect of Evolution that even the church would probably agree with.

This book should be required reading for anyone considering a career in medicine. It’s a great treatise on ethics.