The Covid Vaccine And Abortion Pt1 - When Good And Evil Intertwine
This is the first of a three-part series on the ethics of the Covid vaccine for Christians. Part 2 and Part 3
Late in 2020, news broke that we now had two vaccines available to combat the Covid-19 virus, both having been approved by the American Food and Drug Administration and both touted as highly effective and safe. This was received almost universally as good news amidst the pandemic, however a significant ethical question has come to light for Christians: Are either of the vaccines created with the use of aborted fetal tissue, and if so would it be unethical for Christians to take it?
First, an illustration for context.
The Italian Renaissance man Leonardo Da Vinci is considered one of the fathers of modern science. His findings on the anatomy of the human body (you might be familiar with the iconic Vitruvian Man drawing) as well as overall contribution to scientific principles of observation and empirical testing no doubt form a foundation for medical science that we benefit from today. And yet history buffs might also know that Da Vinci’s insatiable curiosity over the human body meant that he was almost definitely a grave robber, digging up human corpses without permission in order to dissect them.
Here’s a question: If I benefit today from the scientific research of a man who did unethical things to the human body five hundred years ago, am I complicit in his evil? If I go see the physio for my shoulder pain and the physio is able to diagnose my supraspinatus injury in part because of Da Vinci’s detailed study of the musculo-skeletal system, am I morally responsible for his desecration of the body?
To many people, this is a no brainer of a question, because intuitively, we understand that there is a difference between benefiting from someone’s evil actions and being complicit to those evil actions. Just because I benefit from Da Vinci’s work doesn’t mean I’m okay with his wicked deeds. In ethical philosophy, this idea is sometimes known as the principle of “Moral Distance”. It is the idea that we are responsible for our own decisions, and in many situations we are responsible for the actions of others adjacent to us*. But beyond a certain “distance” to us, it would be unreasonable for us to be considered complicit in evil.
*For example, it would be unethical of me to bring my friend who is a recovering alcoholic to a party where I know there is free-flowing beer. Even if I’m not holding a gun to his head and making him drink, it is in a way wicked of me to even put him in this situation. This is, by the way, a discussion related to Paul’s warning to the Corinthians not to let their exercising of their rights become a stumbling block to the weak.
Tragically, so much of our modern knowledge of science and healing are owed to the evil deeds of those in the past. The “father of modern gynecology” performed experiments and perfected his surgical techniques on black female slaves. Grotesque human experimentation (warning: graphic descriptions) conducted during World War II gave us much medical insight that continues to save lives and cure diseases today. And if you or anyone you know has ever had cancer and received medical care for it, then you absolutely should be aware of the story of Henrietta Lacks, whose tumor biopsy was taken without her consent and became the first ever immortalized cell line. Through her, an untold amount of valuable medical data has been learned over the last half century, even though all of it was without her permission.
Theologically, this conflict we experience is a result of an eschatological tension. Right now in our world, Jesus reigns as King (Ephesians 1.20-22) AND YET we struggle against dark spiritual powers (Ephesians 6.12). The Apostle Paul affirms both truths in the same letter! The reason for this is because when Jesus came to the world, God’s kingdom definitively arrived, but the old kingdom of wickedness hasn’t been fully destroyed. In the present, Satan’s is defeated, but not powerless. And until Jesus returns, his kingdom is partially realized, but not yet fulfilled. Bible scholars sometimes call this phenomenon the “Now But Not Yet”.
So back to our problem at hand: How do we determine what is right or wrong when our collective medical history is scarred with deeds that should gravely concern Christians? We must first and foremost recognize that God is sovereign over all of human history. He does not condone evil and abhors wickedness, but in his divine forbearance, he has chosen to let sins go unpunished in order to demonstrate his righteousness in Christ. But out of the evil of the world he wroughts good as a form of common grace. Out of love he often turns evil into good. This finds its ultimate expression in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter says to the Jerusalem crowd at Pentecost: “(Jesus Christ) was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” but he states that God purposed this so that Jesus will be exalted, his enemies will be defeated, and we may receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ death on the cross was the most wicked act performed by humans, but God turned it into the redemption of his kingdom and salvation for all.
We can recognize that today God continues to produce good out of evil. This does not excuse us from careful self-examination, and it does not license us to participate in evil. But it does show us that when we benefit from evil, it does not necessarily mean we are being evil ourselves.
In my next post, I will suggest two attitudes that we must use to approach the subject, and seek to define the covid-19 vaccine problem with clarity and precision.
Late in 2020, news broke that we now had two vaccines available to combat the Covid-19 virus, both having been approved by the American Food and Drug Administration and both touted as highly effective and safe. This was received almost universally as good news amidst the pandemic, however a significant ethical question has come to light for Christians: Are either of the vaccines created with the use of aborted fetal tissue, and if so would it be unethical for Christians to take it?
First, an illustration for context.
The Italian Renaissance man Leonardo Da Vinci is considered one of the fathers of modern science. His findings on the anatomy of the human body (you might be familiar with the iconic Vitruvian Man drawing) as well as overall contribution to scientific principles of observation and empirical testing no doubt form a foundation for medical science that we benefit from today. And yet history buffs might also know that Da Vinci’s insatiable curiosity over the human body meant that he was almost definitely a grave robber, digging up human corpses without permission in order to dissect them.
Here’s a question: If I benefit today from the scientific research of a man who did unethical things to the human body five hundred years ago, am I complicit in his evil? If I go see the physio for my shoulder pain and the physio is able to diagnose my supraspinatus injury in part because of Da Vinci’s detailed study of the musculo-skeletal system, am I morally responsible for his desecration of the body?
To many people, this is a no brainer of a question, because intuitively, we understand that there is a difference between benefiting from someone’s evil actions and being complicit to those evil actions. Just because I benefit from Da Vinci’s work doesn’t mean I’m okay with his wicked deeds. In ethical philosophy, this idea is sometimes known as the principle of “Moral Distance”. It is the idea that we are responsible for our own decisions, and in many situations we are responsible for the actions of others adjacent to us*. But beyond a certain “distance” to us, it would be unreasonable for us to be considered complicit in evil.
*For example, it would be unethical of me to bring my friend who is a recovering alcoholic to a party where I know there is free-flowing beer. Even if I’m not holding a gun to his head and making him drink, it is in a way wicked of me to even put him in this situation. This is, by the way, a discussion related to Paul’s warning to the Corinthians not to let their exercising of their rights become a stumbling block to the weak.
Tragically, so much of our modern knowledge of science and healing are owed to the evil deeds of those in the past. The “father of modern gynecology” performed experiments and perfected his surgical techniques on black female slaves. Grotesque human experimentation (warning: graphic descriptions) conducted during World War II gave us much medical insight that continues to save lives and cure diseases today. And if you or anyone you know has ever had cancer and received medical care for it, then you absolutely should be aware of the story of Henrietta Lacks, whose tumor biopsy was taken without her consent and became the first ever immortalized cell line. Through her, an untold amount of valuable medical data has been learned over the last half century, even though all of it was without her permission.
Pursuing good in this present evil age
It’s a theological truth that in our present world good and evil are inextricably intertwined. This is obvious to both Christians and nonChristians. With the same technology we create nuclear power and atom bombs. The Internet is simultaneously the sum totality of all human knowledge and it’s also a festering cesspool of fake news, alternative facts, and malicious trolling. Wicked people still sometimes do good deeds. People we call good do terrible things. All. The. Time.Theologically, this conflict we experience is a result of an eschatological tension. Right now in our world, Jesus reigns as King (Ephesians 1.20-22) AND YET we struggle against dark spiritual powers (Ephesians 6.12). The Apostle Paul affirms both truths in the same letter! The reason for this is because when Jesus came to the world, God’s kingdom definitively arrived, but the old kingdom of wickedness hasn’t been fully destroyed. In the present, Satan’s is defeated, but not powerless. And until Jesus returns, his kingdom is partially realized, but not yet fulfilled. Bible scholars sometimes call this phenomenon the “Now But Not Yet”.
So back to our problem at hand: How do we determine what is right or wrong when our collective medical history is scarred with deeds that should gravely concern Christians? We must first and foremost recognize that God is sovereign over all of human history. He does not condone evil and abhors wickedness, but in his divine forbearance, he has chosen to let sins go unpunished in order to demonstrate his righteousness in Christ. But out of the evil of the world he wroughts good as a form of common grace. Out of love he often turns evil into good. This finds its ultimate expression in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter says to the Jerusalem crowd at Pentecost: “(Jesus Christ) was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross” but he states that God purposed this so that Jesus will be exalted, his enemies will be defeated, and we may receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ death on the cross was the most wicked act performed by humans, but God turned it into the redemption of his kingdom and salvation for all.
We can recognize that today God continues to produce good out of evil. This does not excuse us from careful self-examination, and it does not license us to participate in evil. But it does show us that when we benefit from evil, it does not necessarily mean we are being evil ourselves.
In my next post, I will suggest two attitudes that we must use to approach the subject, and seek to define the covid-19 vaccine problem with clarity and precision.
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