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EcumenyandLaw,vol.3(2015)
pp.9—24
PawełBoRtkiewicz
AdamMickiewiczUniversityinPoznań,Poland
Rights(Claims)ofParentsandtheChild’sWelfare
Keywords:righttohave/nottohaveachild,reproductivehealth,reproductiverights,
legalpositivism,rightsofthechild
Inmanycontemporarydebatesandethicaldisputes,inparticularin
thosewhichconcernbioethicalissues,anargumentovertherightofpar-
entstohaveornottohaveachildarises.Ontheonehand,wehearsome
quitecommonargumentssuchas:“Wehavetherighttohaveachild.”
Thisargument,putforwardinthedisputesconcerningtheinvitrofer-
tilization,comesfromthecouplessuferingfrominfertility
,whofurther
strengthentheirstandpointwithastatementsomehowespeciallyjus-
tifyingthis“right”—“weloveeachother.”Thus,aclaimincludedin
theformoflawandsupportedwithstrongethical-soundingarguments
appearsasaconsequence:“Sinceweloveeachotherverymuch,wehave
therighttohaveachild.”Thesamereasoningappearsinthediscussions
concerningthelegalizationofadoptionofchildrenbyhomosexualrela-
tionships:“Ifthesepeopleareinloveandwanttohaveachildandraise
it,theyshouldbeallowedtoexecutethatright.”
Ontheotherhand,thereappearargumentswhichinacomparable
styleandbasedonananalogous“legal”structure,expressfirmopposi-
tiontowardhavingachild.Weoftenhearthat“awomanhastherightto
abortion.”Behindthisstatementliesamoreorlessimmediatelyrealized
opposition—betweenthearticulatedwoman’srighttoterminatethelife
ofthefetusandtheallegedrightsofthechildtolife.
Theproblemofthisoppositionisthehallmarkofourcivilizationand
theconceptofdemocracy
.SaintJohnPaulIIinhisencyclicalEvangelium
Vitaewroteverydistinctlyandunequivocally:“Certainlythepurposeof
civillawisdiferentandmorelimitedinscopethanthatofthemorallaw
.
