MOV:Can a Christian be involved in Eugenics?

   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)
