Beginning of life, ending of life: which dilemmas

Scientific developement gives us more and more control to decide between life and death. Currently it is possible to decide in which way a human being will be born and to influence its genetic heritence. We are more and more capable to slow the evolution of potential fatal deseases down and to deminish the physic and psychic pains.

In contrast we can  notice a constant increase of value awareness of the individual freedom, seen as a right for everyone to deside in function of his desires and in function of what he thinks is best for him/her.

The confluence between biotechnological development and the exaltation of the individual freedom raises new questions and confronts practicians with very difficult dilemmas: Which limits the unborn child poses at the legitimate human desire of child ? Do we have rights on our own life at the point to be able to decide that one puts an end to it deliberately if the suffering becomes unbearable and that death is close?

This forum will handle these questions by concentrating on two main problematics in Belgium: the refuge to surrogate mothers and the extension of the law concerning euthanasy.