A professor in a world-acclaimed medical school once posed this situation--and ethical problem--to his students: "Here's the family history: The father has syphillis. The mother has T.B. They already have four children. The first had died. The third is deaf. The fourth has T.B. Now the mother is pregnant again. The parents come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion, if you decide they should. What do you say?"
The students gave various opinions, and then the professor them to break into small groups for "consulation."
All the groups came back to report that they would recomend abortion.
"Congratulations," the professor said, "You just took the life of Beethoven!"