Our weekly Activate vlog series uses clips from Educe® online courses to illuminate the truth behind the cultural battles of today (and tomorrow) and move Christians from education to action in their communities, churches, and circles of influence. 

In the mid-1970s, driven by the horror of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and other injustices at the behest of science, the U.S. government tasked an 11-member panel to define the ethical principles at the foundation of human subject research. The three principles established by these 11 people, written in what’s known as The Belmont Report, have had an enormous impact on medical research and practice. Exposing these principles, and the eugenic philosophies that inspired them, helps us shine light on common arguments for abortion, reproductive technologies, embryonic stem cell research, genetic engineering, and even assisted suicide. This excerpt from our Foundations online curriculum provides critical context for much of what we see and hear today. As you watch the clip, consider:

  • How might this context help you connect the dots in conversations about life and death issues, given that many of these issues are masked as health care or the advancement of it?
  • In what ways does this information help strip away rhetoric and make the crux of current events more clear, such as Sofia Vergera’s court battle for the right to destroy her embryonic children or Iceland’s pursuit to eliminate all pre-born children with Down Syndrome?

We welcome your comments below.