Tag Archives: bioethics

Adventures of the Dark Side of Medicine, a Book Review 6

by • Bioethics • Tags: , , , , ,

By Fr Joseph Tham, LC , PhD, MD

Recently, I wrote this book review on an interesting work, White Coat, Black Hat: Adventures of the Dark Side of Medicine, by Carl Elliot.

In this work, the author delves into the well known problems that medicine faces as it divides its attention between patient care and profit making. More…

Challenges for a Catholic Doctor in the Changing World 14

by • Bioethics • Tags: , , , , , ,

Fr Joseph Tham, LC, MD, PhD

In this article, I will discuss four challenges that Catholic doctors face in the world today:

1) The secular and Catholic divide that gives rise to two contrasting visions of bioethics: the secular vision based on utilitarianism and materialism, whereas the Catholic vision is based on natural law and human dignity; 2) This divide is most evident in beginning of life issues, on the moral status of the human embryo More…

The Scream of Nature 4

by • Art and Culture, Bioethics • Tags: , , , , , ,

Br Fr Joseph Tham, LC

Munch Edward — The Scream

Recently, Edvard Munch’s emblematic painting “The Scream” was sold for $119.9 million, and became the most expensive artwork ever sold at an auction. This painting is one of four similar works by the Norwegian expressionist artist and is also the only one to include a poem on the frame. He explained the inspiration behind this composition: More…

Why Have Children? 2

by • Bioethics, Culture War • Tags: , , , , ,

By Fr Joseph Tham, LC

As the month May rolls by, the smell of spring is in the air, and it is a month that motherhood is celebrated all over the word.  For Catholics, it is also the month we celebrate the maternal closeness of Mary.  It is therefore a strange contrast with some recent comments that surfaced about the irrationality of having children. More…

Plant Personhood? Nuts! Now They’re Saying That Peas Are People Too! 14

by • Fuzzy Science • Tags: , , , , ,

You can’t make this stuff up.

Imagine living in fear and uncertainty under the imminent threat that this could happen to you:

Whirled Peas – no pun intended

According to a recent scientific study, peas, that’s right, peas, live in communities, communicate with each other, have memories, and feel stress; therefore, we need to open the discussion concerning the ethical treatment of vegetables. More…

Is Neurotheology the Latest Trend in Bioethics? Reply

by • Bioethics • Tags: , , , , , ,

What is the latest in bioethics?

Fr Joseph Tham

One of the buzzwords of bioethics in the next few decades will likely be “neuro”.  When I was in medical school, we were told that little is known about how the brain works.  However, neuroscience has gained a lot of knowledge in these last 30 years because of the advances of imaging techniques coupled with powerful computer technology.

The tremendous progress on understanding how the human brain works can revolutionize our comprehension of ourselves and our society.  Hence, there are important ethical implications on how to apply this new knowledge. More…

Theology of the Body and Bioethics Reply

by • Bioethics • Tags: , , ,

Fr Joseph Tham

In my first year of medical practice, I still clearly remember the case of a patient who came to me, truly distressed because he had committed an act of adultery with his secretary.  He wanted me to test him for AIDS, since he was unwilling to put his wife at risk, not knowing if this casual encounter would have infected him. More…

When Does a Person Become a Person? 6

by • Cultural Conversion, Culture War • Tags: , , , ,

This morning, a Facebook-friend (more than a FB-friend, but a good old friend I have not seen in quite a while — Cheers, Johannes!) asked me a question:

Can you help me with this question? A question to the scientists and philosophers out there: some argue that the moment brainwaves start during fetal development is the moment it is a human being. Response? More…

Does Science Need Ethics? Reply

by • Bioethics • Tags: , ,

Last May, I was invited to give a talk on this topic at the Faith and Leadership Conference, organized by Renewal in the Spirit Community in Hong Kong.   At first, it seems like an odd question.  It is evident that science and scientists needs to be ethical in their research and their work.  One only needs to recall the haunting images of the atomic bomb explosions over Japan and the Nazi doctors forcing experimentations on concentration camp prisoners.  Science can certainly offer many important advantages to improve our lives, but if it ignores ethics, it could also be used against humanity. More…