My Position (Part 4) Authority

Okay, so what have we covered so far, and what is my position?  First why are we here?  I think each must decide why we are here, but for me – I am a life created by God to be a part of this world and this humanity.  I have value, I have purpose and my life has meaning to both myself and to others who I affect.  When did my life start?  I believe it started at conception when an egg was fertilized and an embryo was created. If I were to die will the world go on without me?  Absolutely it will, but for some there would be a void.

So where does this leave us?  I have written, perhaps well, perhaps poorly, on what I believe to be foundation questions on the purpose of life and some concepts we need to consider in the discussion of life.  Now lets talk about who has the right to end life and where that authority comes from.

Starting with the issue of authority, I think there are only two possible answers.  Someone has either a legal authority or a moral authority to do, or not do, something.  The legal concept is quite clear and relatively simple to understand in concept, but as lawyers can point out we make it extremely complex in practice.  The state conveys on each of us a degree of legal authority to end life.  Each government is a little bit different but each holds the belief they have the ultimate right to govern the decisions of their population.  Some governments choose to not exercise the right to put people to death, but they fundamentally believe it is the states decision on this.

So what do I mean the state grants us the legal authority to end life?  I think this is easily explained in a simple illustration.  It is the middle of the night; you are awakened when a prowler enters your house.  In the dim light you see he or she is armed and when confronted threatens you.  You struggle and you kill the intruder.  Will you be prosecuted for murder?  Perhaps you will, but in all likelihood I think not.  You were protecting yourself, and the right of self-defense, especially in a home invasion, is viewed in most states as a justifiable use of deadly force.

Doctors have the authority to end life under certain circumstances and again this right is codified in the statutes.  In Roe v Wade the Court clearly vests the physician with the decision authority to terminate the life of the fetus, at least through the first trimester.  In today’s debate on pro-life and pro-choice it is always argued it is a woman’s right to choose, but in the landmark opinion the Justices never state it to be a woman’s right.  That has like most things been altered to suit the liberal agenda.

“(a) For the stage prior to approximately the end of the first trimester, the abortion decision and its effectuation must be left to the medical judgment of the pregnant woman's attending physician.”

So technically women in the United States don’t have a right to terminate a pregnancy, they only have a right to find a doctor who is willing to kill the fetus, and convince him of a medical need.  It is the doctor who has the authority to determine it is in the woman’s best interest.  Interestingly, convincing will usually involve little or no real consultation on the woman’s medical history.

What about moral authority?  What is it and who has the moral authority to end life? USLegal tells us moral authority is a philosophical concept that forms the basis for our government and our laws.  The other common definitions refer to the legitimacy of individuals who through their acts or their lives reflect back to us how we should live.

If we look at the life of Mother Teresa we see someone dedicated to the service of the poor.  She reflects what is good in us and as a result has great moral authority.  Billy Graham is another good example, a man committed to his religion and bringing people to God, he was respected, beloved, and I think would have great moral authority.   Gandhi, a man of peaceful resistance, committed to improving the lives of his people and securing for them the freedom from England,  his life shows us what we can be and as a result he had the moral authority to free a nation.

Perhaps it is my lack of research, or  my simple understanding, but I’ve not come across anyone who I believe has the moral authority suggesting the taking of  an innocent life is a good thing.