Are there biblical limits to medical experimentation?
Introduction
Medical science is viewed by Christians as a gift from God—a means by which He allows humans to exercise dominion over the Earth and work to alleviate the effects of the Fall (sickness, disease, and suffering). Experimentation is necessary for progress. However, all human endeavors, including science, must operate under God’s moral law.
For the Christian, there are clear biblical limits to medical experimentation. These limits are not arbitrary; they are derived from the foundational commands regarding human life and dignity. The goal of medical research must always be to heal and save life, not to violate its fundamental sanctity.
Two Non-Negotiable Biblical Limits
Biblical ethics places limits on medical experimentation in two key areas: the object of the experiment (the person) and the intent of the experiment (the action).
1. The Sanctity of Life (The Limit on the Subject)
The most absolute biblical limit is the protection of innocent human life, which is sacred because it is made in the image of God (Imago Dei).
The Command Not to Kill: The prohibition against taking innocent life is foundational: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6). This command is the primary limit on any experimentation that involves the intentional destruction of life.
Protection of the Vulnerable: Experimentation is biblically limited when it involves those who cannot consent or defend themselves. The Bible repeatedly commands the protection of the innocent and vulnerable (Psalm 82:3-4).
Embryonic Research: For most Christians, any experimentation that requires the destruction of human embryos (such as certain stem cell research) is a non-negotiable biblical limit because it ends a human life, violating the sanctity of life principle (Psalm 139:13-16).
No Unnecessary Harm: Even when experimenting on willing subjects, the experiment must not cause undue, permanent, or known unnecessary harm, as this violates the stewardship of the body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
2. The Command to Love Your Neighbor (The Limit on the Method and Intent)
The process of experimentation is limited by the command to love others, which requires proper consent, fairness, and a focus on beneficence.
Informed Consent (Justice and Fairness): The love command requires justice. Exploiting or coercing a vulnerable person (the poor, the sick, or prisoners) into an experiment for the benefit of others violates the dignity of the person. All human subjects must give truly free and informed consent without duress, recognizing that they are a person, not merely a means to a scientific end.
Beneficence and Non-Maleficence: The intent of the experiment must be to bring about a known good (beneficence) and to do no harm (non-maleficence). Medical research is limited by the moral imperative to relieve suffering, not intentionally cause it in a non-therapeutic context. The risks must be proportionate to the potential rewards, and the focus must remain on the patient's well-being, not just scientific gain.
No Commodification of Life: Any experimentation that treats a human body part (or a person, such as in surrogacy or genetic engineering) as a commodity to be bought, sold, or modified solely for selfish or non-therapeutic purposes violates the dignity inherent in the Image of God.
Conclusion
The Christian worldview embraces medical science as a blessing, but it maintains that the Creator's moral law is always supreme.
The biblical limits on medical experimentation are not meant to stifle progress, but to ensure that our scientific pursuit of knowledge and health never compromises the ultimate moral value: the sacred, God-given worth of every human life.
Medical research is godly when it seeks to fulfill the command to heal and alleviate suffering, never when it destroys life or violates dignity in the name of progress.
