Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Letter: `Sanctity' of life

Emma Thorpe
Friday 15 May 1998 23:02 BST
Comments

Sir: Paul Vallely was wrong to say that ending the life quickly of a severely disabled suffering baby, who has no chance of survival, takes for granted that there is no difference between killing someone and allowing them to die - it is precisely that difference that Peter Singer is highlighting. It's just that he doesn't feel that we do well by the child if we allow "not killing someone" - a moral value - to have absolute trumping power over another morally valuable outcome, namely relieving great suffering.

Moral values should not be used as an excuse to avoid facing up to a difficult decision. Singer presents us with a real-life human moral conflict, and it is not resolved by saying that it is "absolutely right" not to kill - we are still left with a child in horrible pain. Human life is sacred - that is why this case presents a dilemma - but does that mean it is always good to preserve it at all cost to the baby whose life it actually is?

EMMA THORPE

Thames Ditton, Surrey

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in