Thursday, April 06, 2006

Engaging the Freshman Culture - Duke style

Since working at Duke, I've been exposed to many things within the University that has caused me to think. This is the latest. The Summer Reading Committee has decided on the book all incoming freshman will be reading before they enter in the Fall.
At first I was appalled that they would be making them read it, but now I think I'll go get the book myself. The ethics profs at SEBTS would love to read it (if they already haven't). Anyone interested in theological and medical ethics or the sanctity of human life should get this book. No, I haven't read it yet, but plan on getting it with a coupon that I have.
I need to be able to engage the culture of college students. Since we have many Duke students who attend the Summit, and I work at Duke, I need to be on top of this. When they have to discuss it in small groups when they arrive at the U in the Fall, I need to be ready to engage them in their thoughts of this book.
This book is about a girl who has luekemia and needs someone to be a match for transplants. Her parents biomedically engineer (conceive) her sister for this purpose. At 13, the sister sues her parents for medical rights of her body. There is surpise ending...don't know what it is. So, is the sister's life only valuable because she is going to give up a "normal" life to help her sister live? Her life isn't valuable in and of the fact that she was created to be a human being - formed in the image of her Creator. Anyway...this is fiction - but isn't this where our ethics in the medical field will soon take us?

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