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My daughter walked through the front door in tears. Cradled in her arms was a hen who was dying. She found her in the chicken coop lying by the feeder. The hen had been pecked to death by the other hens! They continued to eat from the feeder and walked on her as if she were nothing! My first response was anger at the chickens. How could they be so callous? I had to remind myself that they are animals and do not have a moral thought process or conscience and rely on instinct for survival. They are incapable of valuing life.
When our team attended the Rocky Mountain Conference a few weeks ago, our keynote speaker, Megan Almon, addressed the issue of the value of life from an apologetic point of view. She showed the historical trajectory of the separation of science/facts and philosophy/values that has led to the prevalent world view today. She asked an important question: who decides the value of human life? The answer in our present culture is, I do. I decide if I value the life of my elderly parent, I decide if I value the life of a person with a genetic disorder, I decide if I value the life of a terminally ill person and I decide the value of my unborn child. I might decide based on if I can afford my child, can I finish school if I have this child, will I have financial and emotional support if I have this child? Life is now an option based on my values.
The question then becomes, who's values are greater? Or is it up to each person to decide? When deciding values, we need an objective foundation. Using both science and philosophy, there is an answer. "The science of embryology establishes that from the earliest stages of development, you and I were living, distinct, and whole human beings. While it’s true that you were immature and didn’t look like you do now or even like you did when you were born, the kind of thing you were was not in question. And there is not any essential difference between the embryo you once were and the adult you are today that would justify killing you at that earlier stage of your development. Differences of size, level of development, environment, and degree of dependency are not good reasons for killing you then but not now.” – Megan Almon
The Christian worldview answers the question of human value by reuniting science/facts and philosophy/values. “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” -Psalm 139:13-16. God intricately forms each person in the womb, showing his deep care for the unborn child and the life they will lead. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I sanctified you.” -Jeremiah 1:5. “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me…” -Galatians 1:15. God is the Creator of life, and He alone can take life. “So, God created man in his own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female he created them.” -Genesis 1:27.
God has declared we are all valuable from conception to natural death. He is faithful to help us find a way through our difficult and unexpected circumstances. You are not alone! We are here to walk beside you in this journey.
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