"Playing God" with Birth and Death
"Playing God" with Birth and Death
Two Movies Illustrate Technology's Temptation
The temptation to control the beginning and ending of life is powerful. That desire, Brett McCracken says, has been amplified by modern technology. We believe that we can eliminate inconvenience and discomfort from our lives. Because of tech, we have the power to “play god” with birth and death, to create life on demand in a laboratory or to end it through abortion or euthanasia.
Citing Hartmut Rosa, McCracken argues that while technology has made children more “accessible” and “engineerable,” it cannot completely overcome the uncontrollability of birth and death.
Using two movies, “Tuesday” and “Hit Man,” McCracken then explores the desire for control over death. The movies portray the temptation to resort to euthanasia or murder-for-hire to eliminate inconvenience and maximize pleasure.
“But there’s beauty … in the world’s uncontrollability. There are lessons in not getting what we want. There’s wisdom in limitation. God is God and we are not.”
For McCracken, these lessons can have great benefit—and even bring happiness—if we are willing to abide by their terms.
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