Playing God

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Ethics A popular term for the usurping by physicians—or by the health care system—the role of a higher power or God—e.g., rationing limited medical resources in underserved areas or underinsured populations, deciding who is entitled to a limited number of organs for transplantation, or terminating life support in the terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state
Genetics A popular term for the ethical issues regarding manipulation of the human genome and whether gene therapy usurps God’s omnipotence
Medspeak A generic term for the role that doctors, especially surgeons, play in saving lives

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References in periodicals archive ?

The second meaning of playing God has to do with the practical wielding of "power over life and death" (Peters 1997: 10).

Playing God in Nigerian political experience: towards a Christian responsibility/Dievo vaidmuo Nigerijos politiniuose potyriuose: link Krikscioniskosios atsakomybes

Neither The Liturgy of Motherhood: Moments of Grace or A New Dad's Guide to Playing God: Reflections on the Vocation of Fatherhood addresses practical details of parenting.

Two books explore parenting as a doorway to the divine

"When it was pitched to me, all I had to know was that it was Jim Carrey playing God for a week and the decision was pretty clear cut," he adds.

Anthony Marcoly & Stuart Salter

"The executive director of the commission later wrote that one of the best features of the report was that 'by carefully dissecting the complaint that gene therapy amounted to "playing God," the report was able to differentiate important concerns about means and consequences from rhetorical claims'" (101).

From eugenics to eugenics. (Books)

"Every time penicillin is prescribed to combat infection...or a C-section is performed to ensure a safe delivery; or an organ is transplanted rather than allowing nature to take its course - a doctor is playing God. The history of human survival is the history of man playing God."

Warning: bioethics may be hazardous to your health

A second theological framework that has shaped the discussion of these contemporary topics in genetics concerns the question of whether or not humans, by intervening in the very material that constitutes life, are exceeding their limits, and thus playing God. Of course, where one stands on this question is partially determined by which theological model of the imago Dei one adopts.

THEOLOGICAL ISSUES IN GENETICS

Former Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop emeritus Oscar Cruz on Thursday advised House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez against playing God following the latter's threat to remove those who opposed the death penalty bill from plum posts in the Duterte-allied supermajority in Congress.

Former CBCP head tells Alvarez: Don't play God

The Spamalot Charity Gods has been created to raise money for the charities supported by the actors playing God while the show is on tour across the country until June.

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He said: "When are we using responsibly the Godgiven gifts of mind and science, and when are we simply 'playing God'?.

Primate in challenge to Church; SYNOD

AGREE with Mrs Jeanette Walker (Words Add To The Pain, 11.03.10) when she disagrees with Mr G B Butler's assertion (Playing God, 18.02.10) that medical science is playing God in the organ transplant field.

Shield or cure; Your Say

The very fact that we are here now reading this newspaper is proof of evolution's policy of playing God. All we are doing now is accelerating the process of natural selection.