ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVES ON THE STATUS OF THE EMBRYO
ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVES ON THE STATUS OF THE EMBRYO

Summary/Abstract: This article describes the nature of the embryo from a religious (Orthodox Christian) point of view. The issues associated with the beginning of a human life and the present state of scientific developments has made the status of the embryo a major controversial issue. For some religions, the human embryo is a human person from the moment of conception, but for the others, the more important moment is the moment of ensoulment- when the embryo or foetus develops or obtains a soul. The official Church texts express the orthodox anthropology which is based on Christological doctrine. The common guideline of all the Churches is that the embryo is regarded from the standpoint of having both a human beginning and a human potentiality. From the very moment of conception, the embryo is not considered simply as a fertilised egg but as a perfect human being. Over time, the status of the embryo has been formed so that today we might appear to have a new way of thinking, but we have to accept that this way of thinking has actually persisted for more than two millennia. This question of the status of the human embryo has been debated by many in the medical field, secular philosophy and by religious scholars. The conclusion reached is that the human embryo must be regarded as a neighbour.

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