by Simon
The pastoral letter by the Rt. Reverend Laish Boyd Sr., Anglican Bishop of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, on the numbers business is a welcome contribution to the dialogue on the ethical dimensions of a complex issue of public policy.
In important ways, it is an improvement on his statement on marital rape in that this letter is timelier and considerably better written. It is clearly motivated by pastoral concern for his religious community and a spirit of goodwill for the broader Bahamas.
Still, with great respect for his office and his intentions, Bishop Boyd’s pastoral letter misses the mark. It is poorly constructed on a foundation of dubious reasoning and premises leading to flawed conclusions. He has taken a complex and multidimensional moral issue and offered his moral analysis in the form of assertions that are unfortunately overblown.
Civic Education in the Bahamas
by Simon
From 1997 to 2000, one of the leading medical research universities in the United States hosted a novel project dedicated to a pair of perennial values critical to the ongoing renewal of our commonweal.
Under the leadership of Professor P. M. Forni, Johns Hopkins University sponsored the Civility Project which was dedicated to civility and good manners. Why did this elite institution, bustling with discoveries in nanotechnology and genetics, devote resources to such seemingly mundane subjects?
Professor Forni and Johns Hopkins appreciated that cutting-edge advances and ancient values are necessary companions. This is as true in bioethics, as it is in the basic ethical norms essential for socializing new generations and maintaining a civilized society.
The ability to extend life through scientific and technological advances does not mean that we will lead more moral or even happier lives. This is why ethical reflection is imperative in these fields.
And, ethics is not simply about the big issues in the life sciences and other areas of ethical concern. The ethics of care also involves the ordinary and daily interactions of the human community.
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