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This is the second in a Series of three papers about faith-based health care
Introduction and ethics
More than 80% of the world's population reported having a religious faith,1,2 but attribution of individual health-related viewpoints to this faith is very difficult because of variations in acceptance of the authority and interpretation of sacred texts and viewpoints that might be substantially modified by culture, education, economics, politics, and laws. We describe a series of common religious faith-related controversies in health care, reviewing some teachings within the different faiths. We also examine ways in which faith-inspired groups are advocates for, and provide, health-care services, and we make a plea for improved analysis and documentation of faith and health-care interactions to provide improved health-care services, especially for marginalised populations.
Codes of medical ethics can be considered on four levels: motivation; the source of reference and method of analysis; the ethical principle, theory, or value; and the consequences. Secular ethics is based on humanist values whereas faith-based ethics is based on sacred texts and teachings that are interpreted by faith-grounded experts.
The humanist approach has four fundamental principles:3 autonomy (recognition that every person has intrinsic value and dignity, often viewing autonomy as the most important ethical principle), non-maleficence (do no harm), beneficence (the moral obligation to help others in need), and distributive justice (which requires that rights and assets should be distributed in an equitable and appropriate manner within society). Faith-based ethics and secular bioethics share many principles, but differ in several ways.4 Faith-based ethics give varying weight to each of the previous four ethical principles. A high value on the sanctity attributed to human life might conflict with expectations of rights and emphasises the need for mutually shared values and solidarity, which might lessen the overriding importance of autonomy. Ethical issues are also important, though less frequently discussed, in public-health medicine and health-care policy.5
Faith-linked controversies
Family planning
Different viewpoints exist on when human life begins. Buddhists,6 Catholics,7 and Hindus8 teach that human life starts at the moment of conception. Protestants vary; some believe that human life starts at conception whereas others believe it starts at implantation or even later.9 Islam teaches that human life begins after 4 months...