VOLUME 3: DIFFICULT MORAL QUESTIONS

The User's Guide and Preface includes a key to the references within the text and in the footnotes along with other information likely to be helpful to serious readers.

While each question can stand on its own, readers will do well to study a question that interests them as a whole. Readers interested in a group of related questions will find that studying them in the order in which they are presented will develop their understanding of their area of interest.

Preface and User’s Guide

200 Specific Moral Questions

Religious and family responsibilities

  1:  Should a man act on his religious belief and risk damage to family unity?
  2:  What should parents do when a child questions a truth of faith?
  3:  May twins in conflict over Church teaching stop corresponding?
  4:  In which cases should nurses baptize babies in danger of death?
  5:  May one support charities sponsored by non-Catholic religious bodies?
  6:  Should one expect that nobody will go to hell?
  7:  Should a man set out to be both a scholar and a priest?
  8:  Should a person distracted in prayer pray less?
  9:  What are the responsibilities of a professional suffering from burnout?
 10:  Must one participate in questionable Sunday celebrations in the priest’s absence?
 11:  What should the faithful do about a priest’s liturgical abuses?
 12:  May a Catholic family whose parish is bad join a Greek Orthodox parish?
 13:  How should one help a housebound neighbor seemingly neglected by the priest?
 14:  Must a family participate in a parish tithing program?
 15:  Must a businesswoman do voluntary parish work?
 16:  How can an elderly man make up for many years of fraud?
 17:  Must a widow leave tainted money to charity?
 18:  Should social workers adhere to rules or compassionately evade them?
 19:  May a woman tolerate her husband’s incest with their daughter?
 20:  What should a woman do about the possibility of being raped?
 21:  May a man wish that his sister would kill herself?
 22:  Should a parent say: “If you can’t be good, be careful”?
 23:  May a parent condone a son’s homosexual activity?
 24:  May one lend money to co-workers who need it to commit sins?
 25:  Should a woman be friends with an acquaintance of poor character?
 26:  What should a woman do to rectify a friend’s fraud?
 27:  Should one intervene when parents mistreat their children?
 28:  May an oppressed wife who should avoid pregnancy practice contraception?
 29:  What sexual activity is permissible for elderly married couples?
 30:  How should a wife conduct a separation from her violent husband?
 31:  May a woman deliberately risk having a baby her husband does not want?
 32:  May a man continue a friendship with a woman against her husband’s wishes?
 33:  Should NFP be taught to a couple whose marital intercourse might transmit HIV?
 34:  Should parents consent to their underage daughter’s marriage?
 35:  Should parents sponsor their born-again daughter’s Protestant wedding?
 36:  Should the family of someone marrying invalidly participate in the wedding?
 37:  Should the father of a financially pressed family agree to a costly wedding?
 38:  Should a separated Catholic get a divorce to seek an annulment?
 39:  May a gangster’s sister accept his money for her college expenses?
 40:  Must a graduate student risk his academic career to support his illegitimate son?
 41:  May a woman who was adopted try to contact her natural parents?
 42:  Should a man stop his elderly mother from driving?

Heath care health care for caregivers and patients

 43:  Is it wrong to wish for death?
 44:  What must an elderly person do to stay alive and healthy?
 45:  Will one spouse’s rejection of euthanasia for the other violate the Golden Rule?
 46:  Should a wife consent to removing her husband’s respirator “to get it over with”?
 47:  May a husband consent to stopping feeding his permanently unconscious wife?
 48:  May a woman agree to inducing delivery of her nonviable defective baby?
 49:  Must life support, once begun, be continued?
 50:  May a person with kidney failure accept a transplant?
 51:  Should a woman try to bear her dead sister’s frozen embryo?
 52:  May an infertile married couple try tubal ovum transfer with sperm?
 53:  May a woman whose uterus is badly damaged have a hysterectomy?
 54:  May a tubal ligation be done on a woman who is severely retarded?
 55:  Should a hospital agree to a hysterectomy on a mentally handicapped girl?
 56:  May an HIV-positive student keep her infection secret?
 57:  May a woman have a face-lift to gain a more youthful appearance?
 58:  May physicians, to protect themselves, order unnecessary examinations?
 59:  Must a physician tell patients the whole truth about their bad prospects?
 60:  May a physician prescribe a placebo for an anxious patient?
 61:  May a physician treat a wife’s syphilis without her informed consent?
 62:  How freely should physicians prescribe psychoactive drugs?
 63:  Under what conditions may surgeons attempt to separate Siamese twins?
 64:  May a physician working in an emergency unit embrace “emergency ethics”?
 65:  How should a physician advise possible carriers of genetic diseases?
 66:  May a physician refer patients who desire morally excluded services?
 67:  May a physician prescribe contraceptives?
 68:  May a physician remain in a group that provides morally excluded services?
 69:  May a physician help unmarried couples achieve pregnancy?
 70:  Must a company physician maintain the confidentiality of employee-patients?
 71:  May a pathologist examine tissue from immoral procedures?
 72:  May a hospital give blood transfusions despite patients’ conscientious refusal?
 73:  May a hospital serve a patient who refuses food in order to die?
 74:  May physicians and dentists try to maximize income?
 75:  May a physician waive coinsurance payments required by insurers?
 76:  May a dentist do costly work before patients’ insurance ends?
 77:  Should a nurse stay on in a hospital to oppose injustices against patients?
 78:  Must a nurse report a patient’s plan to commit suicide?
 79:  Must a nurse give up her hospital job to avoid assisting at abortions?
 80:  Should nurses inform the bishop of a hospital’s wrongly made decision?
 81:  May a computer programmer help produce deceptive statistical reports?
 82:  May medical trainees participate in immoral procedures?
 83:  May pharmacists dispense pills to be used for ending human lives?
 84:  May one certify that one has counseled a woman seeking an abortion?
 85:  May a researcher use tissue from deliberately aborted fetuses?
 86:  May a person work for an organization that funds research using fetal tissue?
 87:  How far may Catholic hospitals cooperate with providers of immoral services?
 88:  Should a head nurse cooperate with her hospital’s United Way campaign?
 89:  May NFP programs inform clients of alternatives so as to obtain funding?
 90:  What should a patient do about a physician who made a serious mistake?
 91:  May one get health care one would forgo if one had to pay its full cost?
 92:  Should a veterinarian provide futile treatment demanded by pet owners?

 

Environment, property, business, work,
advertising, and public relations

 93:  May islanders using primitive methods slaughter whales for food?
 94:  May a retiree accept a job to get extra money for optional expenditures?
 95:  Must charitable giving involve an immediate personal relationship?
 96:  Should a man donate to the very poor rather than to a college?
 97:  What costs and risks may a man impose in launching an apostolic business venture?
 98:  What percentage of donations may fund raisers spend on overhead?
 99:  What moral norms should one follow in tipping?
 100:  Should a pharmaceutical firm develop a drug as a philanthropic act?
 101:  Should an exasperated manager quit or stay to shield his subordinates?
 102:  May an entrepreneur locate a factory in a third-world country?
 103:  What should a factory owner have done about downstream environmental harm?
 104:  May businesses try to drive competitors out of business?
 105:  Must a man make up for various losses resulting from his bankruptcy?
 106:  What know-how may people use in serving their employers’ competitors?
 107:  May a company’s president discharge a colleague to obtain his stock?
 108:  What should an executive do about superiors’ misuse of corporate resources?
 109:  May attractive people be preferred for certain jobs?
 110:  Should a manager voluntarily adopt an affirmative action plan?
 111:  May a major stockholder dump his holdings in a troubled firm?
 112:  May one invest in morally tainted businesses?
 113:  Is it morally wrong to increase efficiency at the cost of jobs?
 114:  May a manager use lie detector tests to deal with employee fraud?
 115:  What measures may a business take to deal with employee fraud?
 116:  Is it fair to fire a sexually harassed woman for vengeful industrial sabotage?
 117:  Should a woman who tried to use sex as a bribe be denied a promotion?
 118:  May a manager discharge a good employee at another’s unreasonable demand?
 119:  Should a supervisor make a labor-saving suggestion to management?
 120:  Should a union member who considers a strike unjust be a scab?
 121:  May a union leader bargain for what he or she considers unreasonable?
 122:  Should a pilot resign to avoid involvement in the airline’s immoralities?
 123:  May a mechanic continue working for a business that cheats people?
 124:  Must clerical employees give up jobs that involve cheating people?
 125:  May a woman take a job handling complaints evasively?
 126:  May a desk clerk implement a hotel’s devious pricing strategy?
 127:  May employees allow an employer’s defects or wrongdoing to hurt others?
 128:  Must an engineer warn the government about a life-threatening safety problem?
 129:  May an employee obediently carry on a pointless and wasteful dispute?
 130:  Must an employee abide by an agreement limiting postemployment activities?
 131:  May a man use an executive-training program to prepare for another job?
 132:  May an employee keep expense money saved by economizing?
 133:  May a man claim the hours his wife spends helping with his work?
 134:  May salespeople push products on which extra commission is paid?
 135:  Is it fair to price substantially similar products very differently?
 136:  Should a business pay a higher price out of loyalty to a good supplier?
 137:  May customers take advantage of generous guarantees?
 138:  May one ever violate the terms of a computer software license?
 139:  May one retain certain payments from insurance companies?
 140:  May a farmer continue planting tobacco?
 141:  May a company pay a bribe to obtain a third-world government contract?
 142:  How far may a taxi driver go in cooperating with patrons’ immoralities?
 143:  May a club owner book acts with morally questionable elements?
 144:  Must sellers and buyers reveal relevant information?
 145:  Must one tell potential buyers that a car’s engine needs to be replaced?
 146:  May someone who buys used goods take advantage of sellers’ ignorance?
 147:  Should landlords concern themselves with tenants’ lifestyles?
 148:  May one use unordered merchandise and reuse uncanceled postage stamps?
 149:  To what extent may advertisers appeal to subconscious motives?
 150:  What advertising aimed at children should an organization oppose?
 151:  May a public affairs firm serve a government that mistreats its citizens?
 152:  May a spokesman defend something he considers wrong?

Education, civic life, and legal and political matters

 153:  May an adviser adjust advice on one matter to gain a hearing on another?
 154:  May a librarian select morally objectionable and propagandistic books?
 155:  Must a student do his best in every subject?
 156:  May a student cheat when a teacher plainly expects it?
 157:  May students use former students’ notes and say in tests what they believe false?
 158:  How can Catholics in a secularized school avoid being of their world?
 159:  How should a professor of comparative religion bear witness to his faith?
 160:  Must teachers try to tell their students the whole truth?
 161:  How candid should one be in writing letters of recommendation?
 162:  May scholars republish the same material?
 163:  How should a Catholic college tighten its rules of student conduct?
 164:  Should a college dismiss a misbehaving professor?
 165:  How should a Catholic college deal with employees’ sexual misbehavior?
 166:  How should a Catholic college set employees’ wages and benefits?
 167:  Should law violations on a college campus be reported to the police?
 168:  May a whole group be held liable for the wrongdoing of some?
 169:  May people whose government is grossly unjust evade income taxes?
 170:  May homeowners oppose rezoning to allow nearby lower-cost housing?
 171:  May undocumented workers be employed in violation of the law?
 172:  May an automobile supply store sell items often used illegally?
 173:  Must a person pay tax on past income unreported by an honest mistake?
 174:  May a man impoverish himself to get public funding for long-term care?
 175:  Should parents report to police a priest who sexually abused their son?
 176:  May a lawyer serve clients whose cases seem hopeless?
 177:  Must a lawyer seek an acquittal against a client’s best interests?
 178:  Must prosecutors drop cases they believe they will not win?
 179:  May a defense attorney impugn the testimony of an honest witness?
 180:  May a lawyer select potential evidence for probable destruction?
 181:  May lawyers lead clients to make possibly untruthful statements?
 182:  May a lawyer help a client violate the law?
 183:  May a lawyer seek a court order believing it would be unjust?
 184:  Should a lawyer insist that potentially lifesaving information be disclosed?
 185:  May a lawyer, seeking restitution for a client, threaten criminal charges?
 186:  Must a lawyer admit how much a client is ready to concede?
 187:  Should a lawyer help an unreasonable client disinherit her children?
 188:  Must a lawyer make restitution of a contingency fee paid by a lying client?
 189:  May a lawyer handle matters that clients themselves could handle?
 190:  Should lawyers limit their earnings to a certain level?
 191:  May professionals bill two clients for the same time?
 192:  May a person serving on a jury compromise on a verdict?
 193:  Should those in authority seek consensus or make decisions unilaterally?
 194:  Should a subordinate pretend to follow an irrational directive?
 195:  May legislators follow public opinion against their own judgment?
 196:  Should the city council vote to supply needles to drug addicts?
 197:  When should law override parents’ religious objections to health care?
 198:  May a state legislator support casino gambling to get tax revenue?
 199:  Should morality limit public funding of the arts?
 200:  Does everyone have a duty to try to stop abortions?

Appendixes

 Appendix 1:  Human acts and moral judgments
 Appendix 2:  Formal and material cooperation in others’ wrongdoing