The Value Of Life

The Value of Human Life

Caryn Luming speaks.

Thank you Caryn.

Slide

As we have heard, today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.

So often, this issue often gets talked about in sound bites.

“pro-life or pro-choice”

“a women’s right to choose” or “protecting the unborn.”

I think sometimes in this discussion we can lose perspective, and just turn it into a debate.

I don’t think that is always helpful so, this morning, I want to seek to regain some perspective so we can make proper judgments on the value of life.

Illustration

I want to begin with an illustration

(from Jeff Strite – The Gift of Life)

Here is a $20 bill.

If I offered this to you, would any of you want it?

(Crumple it up)… Now, who would want it?

(throw it on ground and stomp on it)…What about now? Does anyone still want it?

Why would any of you want this dirty, crumpled, $20 bill?

Because it is still a $20 bill and it is still worth $20.

But why is it valuable?

Is the paper it is printed on worth $20?

Is this ink more rare or valuable than other inks? Is that why someone wants it?

No.

Then what is the reason that this piece of paper is worth $20?

It is because the creator of this bill, Government of the United States of America says it is worth $20 and takes steps to make sure it retains its value in the creation process.

(Limits to what it produces, differentiation from other paper, ink)

Now in regards to human life, who is the creator of Human life?

For Christians, that answer is easy.

God is the creator of life

Slide

We read in the very beginning, in Genesis, that

Genesis 1:27, 2:7– 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them…2:7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

God is our creator and as our creator, He determines our value.

And He has given us value in a very unique and special way.

He has given us value by creating us in His own image and then breathing into us the breath of life.

What if I don’t believe in God?

Well, maybe you sit here today and you don’t really believe in God or you may know someone that doesn’t believe in God so you don’t believe that your value is determined by God. Maybe you think your value is determined by what you add to society or what others believe about you.

It is nice when others think we are valuable. We all like to feel valued.

But I would argue that when we base our worth or other people’s worth on what other humans believe to be someone’s value, we begin to tread in areas that we have seen through history cause great tragedies.

Slavery

Several hundred years ago, when human men brought Blacks here as slaves, they considered them less than human. This wrong thinking about the value of another human allowed slavery to continue for years, even among many God fearing people because they believed the lie that others can determine a person’s value apart from God.

Hitler/Holocaust

In the last century, we have also seen those who have gained power who have no regard for God, and have sought to value some humans differently than others.

Slide (Picture of Hitler and the Holocaust)

This type of belief and thinking led to the Holocaust were 6 million Jews were killed along with 5 million others because they were valued less by those who were in power.

When we remove God and take away the value He has placed on all men by creating them in His own image and breathing into them the breath of life, we begin down a path that will lead to great tragedies.

Transition

Now what would you think if there were those today that said,

“You know, those Nazi’s were just making choices consistent with their beliefs. Who are we to mandate our beliefs on someone else?”

We see the flaw in that because their choices are affecting the life of someone else. But they arrive at this place through a devaluing of human life.

In slavery, Blacks were devalued by others, they were considered less than human.

In Germany, Jews were devalued by the Nazi’s, not of the same value of the Arian race

In America, and much of the world, the abortion argument hinges on a belief that a baby in the womb is not really human.

Is that true? Does the location of a baby determine if it is really a human baby?