In a few minutes, I’m going to give you some important information that may be worth writing down. It’s regarding our conference on the topic of “Reclaiming Dignity in a Culture of Commodification” this July 12-14. So, grab a pencil and paper, or whatever electronic device you use to write things down!
How much time, money and emotional energy do you spend trying to hide the effects of aging? Maybe you’re just dissatisfied with your body. If you’ve thought about this—and who hasn’t?—then you can understand objectification. It simply means looking at human bodies as objects, for our own pleasure, or as things to be fixed or improved.
There is another aspect of treating bodies as objects, and that is commodification. “Commodification” means exchanging body parts or the body itself for something of value, usually money. In the US, this could mean selling sperm or eggs for assisted reproduction.
Outside the US, commodification becomes exploitative. It includes the black market in organs, which takes advantage of the poorest among us. Women in India are commodified for their wombs, as gestational surrogates. Meanwhile, women in Africa and Afghanistan are at an unacceptably high risk of dying during childbirth. Girls in China and elsewhere are targeted for death before birth, via sex selective abortion.
You’ve heard me talk about all these issues. Well, now we are devoting an entire conference to the concerns about how our culture and other cultures have eroded the value of our human bodies, particularly the bodies of women and girls. We must not turn a blind eye to the serious threats to their dignity.
Instead, we have a better way, a vision of theologically grounded human dignity that we all share. We are going to explore what’s happening in culture, the realities about medical care, the way abortion has distorted women’s lives, and a better way to live in community.
Our upcoming conference is designed with “everyday bioethicists” like you in mind. In “reclaiming dignity,” we are reclaiming territory that the rest of the world has abandoned: the dignity of every woman and every girl. We have a holistic view of the value of the human body and human beings from the womb to the tomb.
Our panel of speakers includes Dr. Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life; Dr. Ben Mitchell, professor of ethics at Union University; Dr. Monique Chireau, an obstetrician and epidemiologist; and Dr. Pia di Solenni, a moral theologian and TV commentator. I will be introducing the first project of our global women’s health initiative.
The time for this conversation is now. Come and join us. Here are the details: The conference is on the Deerfield campus of Trinity International University, Thursday evening through Saturday, July 12-14.[*] To register, go to our website, at cbhd.org. And remember: this conference is for men and men—for all of us who care about these serious threats. I hope to see you there!
[*] For information on registration, go to www.cbhd.org/conf2012