Currently, we are witnessing how the world has made great strides regarding science, technology and social media; but it is alarming that with these 
advances morality and respect for life have been deteriorating simultaneously. Throughout history, people have condemned many ideologies for their anti-human nature, but also new ideologies have emerged and continue to marginalize and to eliminate specific groups in society threatening life and dignity. This time the victims are not only slaves and people from certain races, so are the unborn, elderly, marriage institution and family.
We must remember human beings have a right to life, a right that is based on the same dignity that every person has, no matter how many ideologies contradict it. The right to life does not means that everyone can do whatever he/she wants, it implies not only rights but also duties to limit us from any harmful act against an innocent human life. In the case of the unborn child, he/she has the right to life because is procreated by a direct action of the mother. Abortive acts are unjust when they deliberately, freely, and directly consent aim at destroying the child by either act or omission. Even in the case of rape, R. Barry stated that it would be unjust to have an abortion, as both, the baby and the mother are victims from the rapist. A homicidal act is not immoral because it destroys human life but rather because human life is destroyed.
Even more alarming is that a wave of ideologies are trying to impose through the media, the legal system and the education system, using the strategy that promotes pro-choice as a social welfare under the name of “human rights”; proposing the so-called reproductive rights as a health benefit, affirming that abortion is not a crime but a right, euthanasia is presented not as a murder or a suicide, but as the right to a dignified death, conceiving IVF as a right to children at any cost, even death or freezing of embryos; all supported by hedonistic and relativistic ideas that undermine human dignity.
So the question arises again, why to defend life and to promote the rights that defend the dignity of the person; a single truth can answer this question, that truth is the inherent value every human being possess. This is the key to understand why the right to life of the unborn can never be violated. Pope Francis tells us that indifference has reached a global dimension, we are saturated with news and images showing human suffering and at the same time, we feel all our inability to intervene, but therein lies our answer of why to defend the innocent and defenseless life. We have forgotten the greatness of human beings, and we must recogonize the value we have as men and women in order to win the battle for life. The reason to respect the person, and the limit of any action that attempts against the self, is dignity. However, human dignity has been threatened by a scientism (reductionism of man serving science, not science in the service of man), where no matter knowledge but technique, i.e. what can be done with that knowledge in benefit of science not human life. Scientism states that dignity is a kind of impossible cognitive, something that cannot be scientifically tested and therefore impossible to prove. For this reason, it has opened its way to human beings manipulation. This is where pragmatism and utilitarianism treat persons as objects, labeling them as “not worth living” if their features or capabilities are not “useful or valuable” to society. We can take the example of Descartes who suggested replacing science of knowledge by science of manipulation.
Man cannot be treated as an object, so we must be the ones who defend life above science manipulation and reductionism. On the other hand, Jaime Balmes states that we are all human beings first and then we exercise our professions; taat means that we must always promote human dignity in all areas of our life, in order to prevent crimes against mankind in the name of rights (reproductive rights, the right to sexual education, right to decide, etc.). In relation to this, Joseph Ratzinger reminds us that from a scientific perspective the human being is nothing but a collection of cells, but if seen from a metaphysical perspective, we are able to respect the dignity of every person because we appreciate the real human value.
It is very serious and disturbing the amount of destroyed lives by scientific 
interests, but no less disturbing is the fact that consciousness ceases to differentiate among the good, the bad and the ugly of science. This is why the topic of discussion in this article is how the tyranny of science has led to a loss of dignity, using methods against life. A clear example is Plan B (emergency contraception or the Morning After Pill). This Birth Control Pill is included in the group of emergency contraception (post-coital), and like this, there are a number of tools/products used for the purpose of preventing the implantation of the fertilized egg after a sexual act, which may or may not be fertile. This product is used in approximately 72 hours after unprotected sex in order to prevent unwanted pregnancy. However, these misnamed post-coital contraceptives have as ultimate goal the interruption of the natural process of fertilization (a chemical abortion).
The Morning After Pill (high dosage of estrogen) does not prevents conception, but prevents implantation of an embryo. J. L. Guzman, in the book “Christianity Controversial Issues”, states that contraception term used to refer to the pill, is misused, because it would be more appropriate to use the term emergency interception or termination of pregnancy, because the conception occurs from the moment of fertilization. Therefore, contraception is the one that prevents sperm-egg binding (male and female gametes), but the post coital method seeks to directly remove the implanted embryo. The post coital method of the Pill, is offered as a plan B for an unwanted pregnancy and an “alternative” to abortion as it is said that an embryo is not a human being at the time of conception but a biological and experimental material during the first 14 days of conception, in the benefit of science (scientism).
It is interesting to study the effects that the Morning After Pill has, as it is essential to analyze from a moral perspective how it undermines the real value of the sexual act into a simple act of pleasure, leaving aside the procreative and unitive value of sex. This has led to see pregnancy as a bad consequence, by offering solutions to an act that has been undertaken voluntarily by two persons. This is how some radical feminist groups defend any method that promotes “safe sex“, instead of promoting an education with values. These same groups are the ones who claims that contraception prevents abortions, when in reality the only safe sex that prevents unwanted pregnancies and consequently abortions, is abstinence. This hedonism in societies has promoted the loss of the true meaning and value of what is life itself.
Contraceptives are not a remedy for teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases or remedy for social and economic problems. We must focus the problem in raising awareness of the true value of the person and the sexual act. It is not about protecting us from the consequences of sexual intercourse, it is about respecting ourselves and giving the true meaning of what the gift of self-giving to another person is. Carlos Lara said that if the person is the being of everyone, dignity lies in the perfection of their act of being, in their spiritual being. Dignity is inherent to all human beings an ontological attribute, and therefore the use of abortifacients goes against the nature of being humans. Man is a moral being, holder of rights/duties, is an individual who is morally respected and legally protected; dignity becomes the limit of the scientific intervention on life (i.e. is lawful everything that is not harmful for the person and is unlawful everything that suppresses or harms the person and his/her dignity).
Finally, lets highlight that prohibit abortion is not to reject the rights of women, but to respect the obligation of every human being to respect the lives of others. The problem is the philosophical and anthropological reductionism that has been given to the person, as society has forgotten to consider his/her true value. It cannot be a science against life (tyranny of science), but in the service of life. There are many ways in which man has found to self-destruct, and unfortunately many of these practices have treated man as a laboratory object, with the help of misused science that has openly declared war on human dignity. Humanity itself is a dignity in which no man can be treated as a means but as an end in itself, and that’s where his/her dignity comes from (Kant).
About The Contributor
