The Value of Life

by Michael Corthell

Matthew 10:29-31 ''Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father(God). And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.''
-- Jesus Christ (God incarnate)

So what does that mean to us in 2018?

For one thing we are to love ourselves as well as all humanity, because if we do not we slap God in right in the face.

God reminds us in the above verse that we are infinitely valuable in his eyes. Knowing this can bring comfort and perspective in the midst of life's difficulties. Yet this familiar verse also supports the essence of human bioethics. Bioethics largely concerns decisions about human life at its extremes.

When does a very young human life acquire moral status? Can an accident or illness incapacitate a person to the degree that he loses this moral status? Does the worth of human life change during different developmental stages? Or, as we see many times today(2018), does the value of a human life depend on a person's bank account?

Finally in this short essay, I want you to think about this, and think hard:

While Genesis 1:26 teaches that God gave mankind dominion over the rest of the animals, we must be careful to remember that humans have a stewardship role to play in creation (Genesis 2:15). We honor God, the Creator of both man and animals, when we diligently and properly care for His creation. Embracing the sanctity of human life need not devalue the worth of animals.

How we value each human and sentient life impacts our views on human rights, our health care opinions, and our approach to healthcare. By laying a firm ethical and moral foundation we can think and reason carefully about the important human issues our society is currently debating. Where will this lead? To a new world.