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All of these are cases of innocent threats. They suggest that the unqualified natural law view, as stated here, does not always conform to widespread moral intuitions.

How do they compare to the case of mother and child? Ordinarily, in the United States, the fetus is not a threat to the life of the mother. But sometimes it is. Perhaps in these cases the fetus can be viewed as an innocent threat to the mother's life. Could the mother justly defend herself?

If she has a right to defend herself, does she also have a right to hire a doctor to help her? How can the doctor justify favoring her over the fetus when a choice must be made?