Killing humans to harvest organs is wrong

#1111 for broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 9 August 2015.

U.S. President Barack Obama told a group of young African leaders this week that harvesting the organs of albino Africans killed for bizarre ritual practices was wrong.

Mr Obama warned of “dehumanizing marginal groups” and of the problems that arise when “you are not able to see someone else as a human being,” calling the young leaders to do everything in their power to fight on behalf of the vulnerable.

He likened the sickening practice to racism, and to discrimination against gay people, urging consistent application of the doctrine of the sanctity of life as it applied to human rights.

The same principle arguably applies to the practice of harvesting and distributing the organs of aborted babies, even if it demonstrably saves lives.

In a moral universe, we don’t have the luxury of applying sanctity of life arguments to some but not others, or denying human rights to the unborn while defending the rights of others.

I’m Rod Benson for the NSW Council of Churches.