Tomorrow is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Celebrated annually on the third Sunday of January, it’s a day set aside to celebrate and remember the sanctity of every human life. Sadly, in our Western culture, human life is no longer viewed as sacred, so we desperately need the reminder that all human lives have intrinsic worth and value.
According to evolutionary teaching, humans are just highly evolved animals. The only thing really special about us is how far we’ve evolved. Following this thinking, there’s nothing sacred about a human life. We get rid of spare cats, so why not spare kids, if we’re just animals too?
But we’re not animals. God’s Word is clear that we were specially made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). We’re unique from the animal kingdom and have special worth and dignity because we are made in the image of our Creator. That’s why God gave us permission to eat animals after the Flood, yet, at the same time, instituted the death penalty for anyone who killed another image bearer (Genesis 9:3, 6)—we’re different from the animals.
We’re so special that God’s Son—the God-man Jesus Christ—stepped into history to become a member of the human family. He became a perfect man so He could pay the penalty for our sin and offer us the free gift of salvation. Now you can’t get any more special than that! “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And that means for each human—right from the point of fertilization!
A fertilized human egg has all the information, and a unique combination of information different from the parents, to make a specific human—none is added or taken away. A human is a person at fertilization. Abortion is nothing less than murder.
In reality, abortion is no different from child sacrifice—it's the sacrifice of children to the god of self—it’s the murder of human beings.
In reality, abortion is no different from child sacrifice—it's the sacrifice of children to the god of self—it’s the murder of human beings. Our culture condemns pagan rituals involving the sacrifice of children. Why isn't our culture condemning the sacrifice of children in their mother's wombs? And why is our culture so interested in hiding this reality—and the reality that the unborn are fully human—from young women who may not fully realize what they’re doing and may have to live with that regret later in life?
When we think of the sanctity of life, we usually think of the unborn and abortion. But our culture doesn’t just need a reminder that unborn life is sacred. Euthanasia (which usually amounts to the killing of the disabled or elderly) and assisted suicide are gaining acceptance in many places throughout the West. The disabled and elderly, just like the unborn, are made in God’s image and have intrinsic worth and value. Their lives deserve to be protected until natural death.
As Christians, we must respect the sanctity of all life and boldly stand against abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, or other measures that prematurely end a human life.
This past week, just days before Sanctity of Life Sunday, a new Planned Parenthood facility opened in Washington, D.C. Sadly, it was reported that religious leaders blessed this opening and called it “sacred work.” No, it’s not sacred work—it’s evil work! This new abortion facility is nothing but a human-killing machine celebrating the death of children.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)
We need to celebrate life, not death.
The folks over at Living Waters, an evangelism ministry well known for their powerful videos such as 180, Evolution vs. God, Audacity, and The Atheist Delusion, have produced Choice, a short video on the abortion issue. This riveting spoken word poetry video features Living Waters Publications President Emeal (“E. Z.”) Zwayne driving home the truth that abortion is a tragedy of epic proportions because it destroys a precious life and that our only hope is the gospel. I encourage you to watch and share this powerful video:
You can hear E. Z. speak at our upcoming World Religions Conference, July 24–27, 2017.
Learn more about the sanctity of life from Dr. Tommy Mitchell, Dr. Georgia Purdom, and Dr. David Menton in the DVD set The Sanctity of Life: Created in His Image.
Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken
This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.