Central to ethical humanism is appreciation for the worth and dignity of human beings and for the capacity of people to live meaningful and purposeful lives. In Ethical Culture this is expressed through the call to “act so as to elicit the best of others and thereby elicit the best of oneself.” Ethical humanists are entreated to attribute unique worth to each person and work to help that unique worth be alive and active in the here and now. We are dedicated to realizing the potential that is latent within people. That means all people – and each person – without exception.

Except that there is another important factor about humanity – there are already so many people living on the planet and living in ways that put tremendous strain on the ecosystem; so many people that there are struggles erupting all over the world, and destructive wars tear at the landscape in many places.

We are left with a conundrum: if human beings are uniquely worthy shouldn’t we do all that is within our power to bring as many people to life as is possible? If human beings are so destructive, shouldn’t we be looking to limit the number of human beings and so reduce the devastation we bring?

In this talk WCEC’s clergy leader, Bart Worden, will explore ethical aspects of human reproductive choices and ask participants to consider:
· What is human worth from your perspective?
· How should we weigh the competing claims of the not-yet-born with those of existing people?
· In what ways ought we to weigh the impact of human lives against the health of the ecosystem humanity inhabits?
· What factors need to be considered in charting an ethical path for human reproduction?
· How would we apply those factors to real-world situations?

This is a hybrid Platform. You can join on Zoom or in person.