J.B. Hixson, Th.M.

HUMAN LIFE IS PRECIOUS Genesis 2:7

www.hixson.org 2005

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. When God created the universe He saved the best for last. The pinnacle of creationthe crown jewel, if you willwas the creation of human life. Something special happened in that moment when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being (Gen. 2:7). In that instant, the highest order of creation came into existence. Mankind is special. Mankind is unique. Mankind has an eternal soul. God is the author of all lifeplants, animals, etc.but no other created being in the universe was patterned after the image of God. It is human life that serves as the apex of creation and as such, the value of human life is without equal in the universe. God values human life so greatly that early in the history of humanity He instituted the moral principle of capital punishment. Whoever sheds mans blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man (Gen. 9:6). God takes human life seriously. The murder of Abel by his brother Cain in the infancy of humanity served as a battle cry from Satan himself against the sanctity of human life. And in the millennia that have followed, Satans onslaught against human life has only intensified. Approximately 800-900 years before Christ, a man named Agur spoke of a generation whose teeth are like swords, and whose fangs are like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men (Prov. 30:14). Today, that generation is still very active on the stage of humanitybut their fangs have grown longer and their knives have been sharpened. Never before in human history has there been such an attack on the sanctity of human life as the one we are experiencing today. Today, the value of human life is measured in terms of its usefulness or quality, rather than its inherent Godordained value as the highest pinnacle of creation. Those with physical abnormalities, or mental incapacitations, or painful ailments are all judged less valuable and worthy of a merciful death. The right-to-die philosophy is a matter-of-course in many of the more civilized, and intellectually refined European communities but until recently it still was viewed primarily as a fringe movement that represented a departure from the mainstream Judeo-Christian ethics of American life. Not so any more. The postmodern ethos that has engulfed American culture at large has crept into evangelicalism so that today euthanasia is accepted, if not embraced, even by many Christians as a merciful and loving option for those experiencing pain, suffering or a severe decline in the quality of their lives. Dr. Kevorkian paved the way and now the average American citizen is traveling naively and unwittingly down this road of death. At the risk of sounding alarmist or sensationalist, I have to say: When humanity turns on itself, it can only be a matter of time before humanity destroys itself. I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I do know that throughout history whenever mankind became too smart for his own good; that is, whenever mankind began playing God, the Creator intervened with swift universal judgment. Could a similar judgment be near?
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The Bible, Gods self-revelation to mankind, decrees the absolute truth about the sanctity of human life. No, the Bible does not mention abortion or euthanasia by name. But for that matter, it does not mention infanticide, the killing of babies. Nor does it talk about parricide, the killing of ones parents. Nor fratricide, the killing of ones siblings. Nor uxoricide, the killing of ones wife. Nor genocide, the killing of an entire human race. Examples of such crimes are mentioned, but they are not singled out for detailed treatment. In fact, the Bible does not even discuss suicide. There is however a very direct and unambiguous provision against homicidethe deliberate taking of innocent human life. The Bible expressly prohibits murder. And this prohibition covers all life, regardless of age, illness, capacity or stage of in utero development. We do not need a specific commandment against geriatricide (the murder of the elderly) any more than we need a specific commandment against uxoricide. The general commandment against homicide covers all attacks on human life. The modern erosion of the sanctity of human life began under the subtle but ominous mantra of a womans right to choose. Abortion was a fairly easy pill for our culture to swallow. After all, the tiny fetus is hard to hold and cuddle and see and feel and touch.and love. Technology was not advanced enough to show us vivid photographs of the developing human life in the womb. In 1973, when the Supreme Court abandoned its constitutional role and chose to legislate rather than interpret, the tiny human life was called protoplasmic rubbish. Whats done is done. Despite the efforts of pro-life organizations a reversal of this cultural norm does not seem to be anywhere on the near horizon. But what about the next phase in the attack on the sanctity of human life? Will America, like many of our European counterparts, devalue the lives of children with terminal illness, or the elderly for whom natural death is imminent, or others who are suffering from physical or emotional pain? The death of Terri Schiavo dominated the American conversation for weeks. To be sure, there were many who came to her defense as the talking heads on cable news debated the issues. But the simple fact that our collective culture sat back and did nothing while our federal court system heartlessly starved Terri to death for two weeks speaks to the dulling of our senses. This woman, unable to defend herself or even speak out on her own behalf, was deprived of water and food for two weeksand this action was fully sanctioned and encouraged by the judicial branch of the American government. We often decry the failure of the German populace to rise up against the genocide of Hitler. One wonders if the American culture will revolt against the euthanizing of the infirm now that the watershed Schiavo case has set the precedent. We lost the battle over abortion. We are well on our way to losing the battle over euthanasia. But before it is too late, let us stop and consider the next battleground in the war against the sanctity of human life. When life in the womb is terminated because it is inconvenient and when life outside the womb is terminated because it is in too much pain or interminably ill, is it really too much of a stretch to envision a society that terminates life for virtually any reason? Fast forward to the year 2023 and consider just how real the possibility is that we may be rationalizing the euthanizing of human life for any number of justifiable reasons. A few years ago I came across the following hypothetical letter that sent chills up my spine. At the time I convinced myself that the kind of America the letter envisions would never be realized. I am sorry to say that today the scenario depicted by the letter on the following page seems frighteningly close.
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Dear Mom, Can you believe its 2023 already? Im still writing 22 on nearly everything. Seems just like just yesterday I was sitting in 1st grade celebrating the century change! I know we havent really chatted since Christmas. Sorry. Anyway, I have some difficult news and I really didnt want to call and talk about it in person. Teds had a promotion, and I keep putting in those crazy hours. You know how I work at it. Yes, were still struggling with the bills. Timmys been OK at kindergarten although he complains about going. But then he wasnt happy about day care either, so what can I do? Hes been a real problem, Mom. Hes a good kid but quite honestly hes an unfair burden at this time in our lives. Ted and I have talked this through and finally made a choice. Plenty of other families have made it and are much better off. Our pastor is supportive and says hard decisions sometimes are necessary. The family is a system and the demands of one member shouldnt be allowed to ruin the whole family. He told us to be prayerful, consider all the factors and do what is right to make the family work. He says that even though he probably wouldnt do it himself, the decision is a personal one that each family must make on their own. He was kind enough to refer us to a childrens clinic near here, so at least that parts easy. Im not an uncaring mother. I do feel sorry for the little guy. I think he overheard Ted and me talking about it the other night. I turned around and saw him standing at the bottom of the stairs in his pjs with the little bear you gave him under his arm and his eyes sort of welling up. Mom, the way he looked at me nearly broke my heart. But I honestly believe this is better for Timmy too. Its not fair to force him to live in a family that cant give him the time and attention he deserves. And PLEASE dont give me the same kind of grief Grandma gave you over your abortions. Its the same thing, you know. Weve told him hes just going in for a vaccination. Anyway, they say the termination procedure is painless. I guess its just as well you havent seen that much of him lately. Give my love to Dad. Love, Jane

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