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Discussing the similarities and differences that exist between Catholicism and other traditional religions, Fr. Cristian Borgoño, who holds a PhD in bioethics, stressed what is uniquely Catholic.
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"There are naturally some nuances in a few of the more specific topics, which we can call 'a secondary category', so to speak, such as the themes of birth control, family planning, as well as certain topics regarding assisted reproduction."
"Nevertheless, when it comes to explicitly defending human life, there is a substantial convergence, not only among Catholics and Protestants -- which are distinct forms of Christianity -- but among all religions as well, including religions which are, let us say, not well know, such as African and Asian religions."
Joan-Andreu Rocha, professor and director of the master's program on the Church, Ecumenism and Religions, explained the presence of bioethics in the thinking of many religions, whether they come from China, such as Taoism, or whether they be monotheistic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
"It must be pointed out that bioethics is currently generating a lot of dialogue and debate among various traditional religions because it touches upon a fundamental subject: what exactly is human existence and its relation with life, with other human beings, and with nature as a whole."
Professor Rocha, an expert on intercultural and interreligious dialogue, when speaking about the existing relationship between bioethics and ecology during this summer course on "Global Bioethics: Science, Religion, and Human Rights in Dialogue", explained how different religions respect the natural world: while monotheists firmly believe in creation, other religions developed the idea of cosmic energy.
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"Each religious tradition has different understandings of nature. For example, the ideas found in monotheist religions like Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, this reality is seen as a created reality."
"However, within Chinese religions, for example, it is seen more as an encounter of different elements of energy. In any case, the human being's harmony and responsibility, as well as the respect for these elements of nature, is a common feature, and therefore it is one aspect in which the dialogue among religions has produced better results."
