Why does human life have value? Many people struggle to answer this question, not because they believe human life is valueless, but because they do not understand what makes us unique. Most people we interact with probably believe in God and teach that humans are made in his image. In our country, this is not the majority view. The Declaration of Independence boldly states that all people are created equal and are “endowed by their Creator” with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What happens if God is removed from the equation? On what basis can we say that every human being possesses equal and inherent value?
We do not have to look too far back in history to see the importance of having a standard for human value that rises above the opinions of individuals, cultures, and governments. Without some kind of unifying standard, like God, people can attempt to justify and rationalize some pretty appalling actions. Consider the pleas of the Civil Rights Movement. Not only did advocates and reformers claim that things needed to change, but they also connected the necessity of change to a higher law and order.
Our country has made considerable strides in recognizing the value of human life, but we often struggle to apply that principle consistently. Consistency becomes especially difficult when circumstances are uncomfortable or complicated. Both Christians and non-Christians can fall into this trap. For Christians, however, the standard should be clear. If human life has value because God created every person in his image, why do Christians make fun of people, speak crassly about someone, talk down to others, gossip about individuals, or curse them? James tells us that we cannot bless God with the same tongue that then turns and curses another human who is made in the image of God (James 3:9).
If we struggle to be consistent in something as ordinary as the way we speak about other people, what happens when we encounter more difficult questions involving life and death? Much of the problem people have with the abortion debate has to do with consistency. Most people know without the need for an argument that the life in the womb is a human being. There are certainly some individuals who try to suppress the truth, but their conscience has a powerful way of convincing them if they do not let it become callous. The challenge is not convincing someone that the life in the womb has value, but rather will they be consistent treating that life equally like any other human. Both Christians and non-Christians get into difficult situations when they let their circumstances dictate their beliefs and make them compromise on the truth.
We can easily say that human life has value, but how consistently do we live by that truth? For Christians, we know God is the giver and sustainer of life. Even a non-Christian can know life is more than the result of random chance if they will consider the evidence. The challenge is not simply to affirm that human life is precious, unique, and invaluable. The challenge is to live consistently with that truth.
Billy Camp
Dalraida church of Christ is a congregation of Christians that meet in the mid-town area of Montgomery, Alabama. Our goal and purpose is to seek and follow God and His Word in everything that we do in life.