‘Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie’: Die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiek

Thou shalt not murder’: The meaning of the sixth commandment for medical ethics In this article the author analyses the meaning of the sixth commandment in terms of medical ethics. According to this command no life may be taken illegally. Although life should be treated with respect, this respect i...

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Published in:HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies
Main Author: L. O.K. Lategan
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: AOSIS 1994-01-01
Online Access:https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/2574
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author L. O.K. Lategan
author_facet L. O.K. Lategan
author_sort L. O.K. Lategan
collection DOAJ
container_title HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies
description Thou shalt not murder’: The meaning of the sixth commandment for medical ethics In this article the author analyses the meaning of the sixth commandment in terms of medical ethics. According to this command no life may be taken illegally. Although life should be treated with respect, this respect is not an absolute value. Life is God-given. It is God who deserves absolute respect - not life. People who want to preserve life at any cost treat life as an abstract, biotic object rather than a subject that is part of personhood. This is also the reason why nobody has the right to decide whether he wants to live or not. In conclusion, the author emphasizes that it is not always possible to fulfil the meaning of the sixth commandment - especially in borderline situations. A borderline situation occurs when one is confronted with two equally unacceptable possibilities. When one chooses between these equally unacceptable options a conflict of duties emerges. The Christian has no choice left to him in a borderline situation other than that of the lesser of two evils. It is in this situation that the compromise is discussed
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issn 0259-9422
2072-8050
language Afrikaans
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spelling doaj-art-e8115259efef46ce9c0d005ae24a09f42025-08-20T00:06:52ZafrAOSISHTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies0259-94222072-80501994-01-0150361963210.4102/hts.v50i3.25742251‘Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie’: Die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiekL. O.K. Lategan0Universiteit van die Oranje VrystraatThou shalt not murder’: The meaning of the sixth commandment for medical ethics In this article the author analyses the meaning of the sixth commandment in terms of medical ethics. According to this command no life may be taken illegally. Although life should be treated with respect, this respect is not an absolute value. Life is God-given. It is God who deserves absolute respect - not life. People who want to preserve life at any cost treat life as an abstract, biotic object rather than a subject that is part of personhood. This is also the reason why nobody has the right to decide whether he wants to live or not. In conclusion, the author emphasizes that it is not always possible to fulfil the meaning of the sixth commandment - especially in borderline situations. A borderline situation occurs when one is confronted with two equally unacceptable possibilities. When one chooses between these equally unacceptable options a conflict of duties emerges. The Christian has no choice left to him in a borderline situation other than that of the lesser of two evils. It is in this situation that the compromise is discussedhttps://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/2574
spellingShingle L. O.K. Lategan
‘Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie’: Die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiek
title ‘Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie’: Die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiek
title_full ‘Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie’: Die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiek
title_fullStr ‘Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie’: Die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiek
title_full_unstemmed ‘Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie’: Die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiek
title_short ‘Jy mag nie moord pleeg nie’: Die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiek
title_sort jy mag nie moord pleeg nie die betekenis van die sesde gebod vir die mediese etiek
url https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/2574
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