The Sanctity of Human Life
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“We believe that human life is of inestimable worth and significance in all its dimensions, including the unborn, the aged, the widowed, the mentally handicapped, the unattractive, the physically challenged and every other condition in which humanness is expressed from conception to the grave” (Focus on the Family’s Fourth Guiding Principle).
Human life is sacred. You’ve probably spoken these words in one form or another in an attempt to explain your pro-life view on issues like abortion and euthanasia. While respect for the sanctity of human life is the foundation of the pro-life movement and a founding principle of Focus on the Family, what does this respect look like in the real world? How can we as Christians incorporate this reverence for human life into our daily lives?
What Is the Sanctity of Human Life Ethic?
Recognition of the sanctity (or sacredness) of human life is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The sanctity of human life is first described in the Holy Bible in Genesis 1:27 (NIV): “So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Scholars note that being created in the image of God (imago Dei) means more than having certain abilities and attributes. It means that humans are the images of God, regardless of what they can or cannot do.1 To bear the image of the Creator is a privilege extended uniquely to humans. No other “creation” of God can make this claim.
In God’s eyes, we are each endowed with a touch of Himself. Each human carries within his or her being the likeness of the Creator. Therefore, each human life exists as an expression of God and His character. We are not merely flesh and blood. We are all image-bearers of the living God. Since we embody God’s image, the sacredness of our lives — and the dignity it demands — is based on something beyond our characteristics or abilities: it is rooted in the essence of God Himself. This image or likeness of God that is present in each human life is not tangible: you cannot see, touch or smell it. It’s part of the mystery of life.
The image of God in humankind provides direction and guidance regarding how we treat one another. Men, women and children created in God’s image should be respected, regardless of their mental capacity, physical ability, faith (or absence of faith) or social position. Characteristics we attribute to God (benevolence, love and creativity) may or may not be evident in each of His created human beings. The recognizable presence or absence of such desired characteristics does not determine the worth of the individual. The value of each person is firmly established on the basis of the nature of God, who is the quintessence of dignity and holiness.
Unlike the Christian experience of being indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God, the sacredness of human life is not based on accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. Every human life, Christian or not, is sacred and of inestimable value because each life is created in the image of God. The likeness of Yahweh is impressed upon each human spirit. This status is not reserved for Christians but extends to every member of the human family.
What Does it Mean to Be Human?
This is a core question as we examine how to embrace the sanctity of human life ethic. To be human means to be part of the human family. To be human is identifiable by species (homo sapiens) and genetic code. Life, biologically speaking, begins at fertilization. We all began with the same raw materials: an egg and a sperm. We are fully human when these gametes unite at fertilization, as nothing else is added to us — only nourishment and time to grow.
This biological definition of human life is critical as society attempts to redefine what it means to be human based on more subjective criteria. Arbitrary standards — such as physical ability, intelligence or age — can shift with the tide of public opinion or cultural trends. Such measures are not reliable for this critical definition. The presence or absence of characteristics and capacities cannot determine humanness.
The biological component of our humanness is as sacred as our souls, as God created and sanctified both. Perhaps the most poignant example of the sacredness of the human body is seen in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who took on the frail likeness of humanity. By coming to earth as a human embryo and dying a painful death on the cross, Jesus Christ sanctified the entire life process from fertilization to natural death.
What Is Human Dignity?
Human dignity is innate, bestowed on us by God. It is not based on the ability to care for ourselves or competence to complete a task. Being dependent upon others does not cause us to lose our dignity. Dignity is not a characteristic we can forfeit — it is an inseparable attribute woven into the fiber of our being.
However, we live in a culture that does not recognize the intrinsic distinction of individual worth. Therefore, we must reinforce the immutable existence of human dignity through the affirmation of those who are dependent and weak. In this context, dignity takes on a second form, becoming a recognized quality in all members of a society. Your dignity is affirmed and strengthened when members of your family and community care for you in a weakened state.
Those who love and care for you during times of reduced ability (e.g., senility, incontinence) declare your dignity and value apart from the tasks you can no longer accomplish independently. Our willingness to serve and be served in this time of physical weakness demonstrates our recognition of human dignity.
Our society’s failure to honor human dignity is evidenced in the sentiments of our age. We live in a time in which people would rather die than continue living with less than a perfect “quality of life.” This attitude is reflected in comments such as, “I would rather die than live in a wheelchair,” or, “If I had cancer, what would be the point of living?” Such proclamations are the byproduct of a society that reserves dignity for those who exhibit physical ability and control.
Therefore, it should be no surprise that dependency is looked upon as the ultimate weakness. Disability or end-of-life circumstances potentially situate each of us where we would rather not be: in need of the care and comfort of others. Demanding independence as a criterion for human dignity promulgates a cultural acceptance of solutions such as euthanasia, rather than compassionate care for those who cannot care for themselves.
A common fear among the disabled or terminally ill is that of becoming a burden. In reality, few of us are immune to this fear. We fear losing our independence (e.g., incontinence or using a wheelchair) because dependence is viewed as a weakness. These fears are based on an unspoken, yet dangerous, understanding in our culture that independence is required for an acceptable quality of life. Human dignity is restored as we counter this view through our witness of caring for each other in our times of dependence and need.