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The Sanctity of Life |
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(Editors note: this article
was written in January of 2003. The content remains
timely. Also in the news as of February, 2005 is the
ongoing battle over Terri Schiavo's life support -
more here)
January 19-26 was “Sanctity of Human Life” week. The
taking of life is abominable. It was a welcome alternative
to take time to revere life—in all its ways.
I’ve struggled over writing this article. It’s
painful to do the research. I’ve wanted to climb
into bed and pull the blankets over my head and pretend
such horrific things do not happen in the world I live
in. However, I keep getting reminded of what Jesus said,
“You must deny yourself, take up your cross and
follow me.” I don’t like confrontation, but
silence could be construed as complicity.
Sometimes I Feel
So Uninspired
It’s
easy to become numb to it all, to ignore the whole issue
of abortion, genocide, euthanasia, human cloning and genetic
manipulation. Sometimes it is comforting to be the ostrich
with your head in the sand.
You can be pro-life and still stand on the sidelines.
“I’m against abortion, but it’s not
my fight”. That’s a dangerous attitude. Who
will fight for the unborn? We all have a voice and there
is a platform to express it. Not in a hateful and judgmental
way. Yes, in a vigorous and alarmed manner. It’s
not a sin to be outraged at wrong.
There are many thorny issues raised by the debate over
sanctity of life. What about the brain-dead on life support?
Or, the terminally ill racked with constant pain? Shouldn’t
the serial killer pay with his life for his crimes? Each
of these issues, and others like it, raise a debate that
can sometimes sound correct on either side of the issue.
We should hear both sides, but we must pray for discernment
to know God’s truth. If you research these issues
you may discover that good intentions may actually result
in the wrong outcome.
For instance, living wills: do they really accomplish
what people who sign them think they will? According to
an article on Life
Corner, less than one in five doctors and nurses have
signed one . Maybe we need to get better counsel before
deciding on such a choice.
There is the current debate over stem cell research and
human cloning. Even if science can do it successfully
and without dangerous side effects there is still the
moral issue to address. It’s certainly wrong to
take life. Is it right to create life?
I think the answer to that is: We are not God. Man may
play creator and destroyer, but we are not the divine
architects.
One of the arguments against pro-lifers is that individuals
have the right to choose whether to give birth and even
when to die. Those making that point are, in essence,
correct. We do have the right to choose. Missing from
this argument are the consequences of free choice that
are morally wrong. Sure, we all have freedom of choice.
God deliberately made us with free will so that our choice
to love God and others will have meaning.
Forced love is not real love.
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Sanctity of
Choice?
Proponents
of killing, be it abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty
or war are not revering the sanctity of life. Instead,
they are putting the freedom to choose their own actions
ahead of the right to life. Their position is “sanctity
of choice” rather than “sanctity of life”.
One of the passages in the Bible that makes me squirm
is about King Herod ordering the killing of all two year
old boys and younger in Bethlehem (). It was
his attempt to eliminate the “new” King of
the Jews. Herod was quite paranoid. He would kill anyone
who stood in his way, so the order isn’t surprising
coming from him.
In our world today there is still so much killing. The
last century was the worst in recorded history. The way
we are starting this century could make a cynic out of
anyone.
What’s the message being sent in our society? I’m
afraid it’s that life is not that important. In
the name of personal choice we dishonor creation.
And we are surprised when kids shoot up schools and mothers
drown their children?
It’s an incredible individual challenge to be faced
with decisions that are life and death. If someone points
a gun at my children or wife my first reaction is to protect
them, even if it means violently—even to killing
in self defense. I’d want to stop the evil in a
way that is evil itself. Do two wrongs ever make a right?
Killing is wrong. Plain and simple. Oh, I wish it were
so simple. Actually it is simple, it’s just hard
to accept.
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Eye For An Eye
An “eye for an eye” leaves everyone blind. New
Hampshire State representative Robert Cushing said that
during a floor debate in his state over the death penalty
in 1998. His father had been brutally murdered—torn
apart by two point blank shotgun blasts. It would be easy
to feel hatred and seek vengeance, but Mr. Cushing was
able to rise above this. He saw the death penalty as victimizing
the victims twice.
He made some other strong points in his statement to
the New Hampshire legislature (more
here).
Especially poignant was that he didn’t know whether
he could get to the point of reconciliation with the
killers,
but he was glad that life without parole was the sentence
rather than execution. Because he could see how that
left
the possibility someday for him to be able to forgive
the killers.
The “Real” Jane Roe
It’s
been thirty years since the Supreme Court decision of
Roe vs. Wade that legalized abortion in the United States.
If you don’t already know, the “Jane Roe”
in the story is Norma McCorvey. At the time of the case
she was a lost soul. She wasn’t really aware of
her part in the case. Now, her life is radically changed.
She believes in the sanctity of life. You can read her
words here.
Once again, we must recognize that we are not God and
we have to stop playing the role.
During the week perhaps struggled with these issues. Ask
God to open your mind and your heart. See where life is
not respected and treasured and try to correct it. Be
grateful for the incomprehensible majesty of what life
is. Hold on to the hope for our eventual life everlasting.
Links:
Focus on the Family: www.family.org
President Bush also declared January 19 “National
Sanctity of Human Life Day”.
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Scripture taken from the
Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered
trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either
trademark for the offering of goods or services requires
the prior written consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy
Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used
by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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1 THESSALONIANS 5:23 |
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"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you
through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and
body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ." |
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