In reply to Rev. Daniel A. Hinton.

This is patently incorrect, and gives further evidence why a mere M.Div. degree (obtained in 2011) is no license to practice bioethics.

The fetus's life was terminated, which was tragic and immoral. However, the mother gave voluntary consent for the dead fetus to be used for scientific purposes.

Helpful here is to separate the two acts: first, the act of killing, which is immoral, and second, the act of donating human remains for research, which is not.

If one is going to allow for the latter, which most people in the LCMS do, then there is nothing wrong with the mother donating her child's body in the hope that someone might benefit from it.

The mother was wrong, not the child, and certainly not anyone who might benefit from this research.

Robert C. Baker, M.Div., M.S.
St. Louis