In beginning our series on Ethical Issues, we considered abortion. We all seemed to be in agreement with respect to the biblical position on abortion: God values human life from conception on to and beyond death. Psalm 139.12-17, Jeremiah 1.5, and Luke 1.15, 30-37, all show God’s attitude toward the unborn. Before birth, Jesus was known as the Holy Child.
As we continuing investigating today’s ethical issues, we will see among them all a common thread: the value of human life. Regardless of whether we are talking about sexual issues, economic issues, political concerns, or a whole range of other, important ethical topics, the worth and dignity of human life must be taken into consideration.
Sunday, we’ll be looking at human sexuality. I think we will need at least two weeks to cover adequately this topic. We want to talk about sex outside marriage, STDs, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and other, pertinent topics.
How does the value and dignity of human life figure into a discussion of human sexuality? Well, the answer to that question is easy: what is your worth in your own eyes? How much you think of yourself will determine how you express yourself sexually. How you value yourself will determine how you treat others.
We should never degrade ourselves or others. Sometimes, human sexual conduct is degrading. Sex should never be degrading. Sex is degrading when the act is primarily selfish. So, if you are concerned only with your sexual pleasure, you will always use someone else to find pleasure.
This is a short article. I want to talk for the most part in class about this issue. You can prepare for Sunday by going to another blog I have, http://baptistblog.blogtownhall.com. There, you will find posts about two issues: two articles about homosexuality and genetics, and three under the title: sex, enobling or degrading (the homosexuality articles follow the three on sexuality).
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Ethical Issue No. 1: Abortion
Considering the value of human life requires us to deal with a number of issues. High on the list are abortion and fetal stem cell research. Most of us have a position on abortion. Frankly, one must be either pro-abortion or anti-abortion. Most of the time, we and others call ourselves either pro-life or pro-choice.
How are abortion and human worth connected? Our discussion this past Sunday was intended to help you understand why we should affirm the worth or human life. We saw, from the perspective of Scripture, the importance of creation as a basis for understanding the value of human life. God created us to be who and what we are; we did not get here as the result of a time-chance process. Our existence and our being is intentional.
By the way, we need to realize our lives are not the point of creation. God put us here as a part of a greater plan. We live so God can show the richness of his wisdom and grace. Paul said to the Ephesians, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world . . . to the praise of the glory of His grace.” (Eph. 1.4, 6). He also said God did what he did “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 3.10) We are not here just to exist; we are here as a part of a far-reaching, far greater purpose.
So, as we showed Sunday, God has made us the way we are and wants us to be responsible in all we do. God commanded humans, after he created them, to be fruitful, to be great, to bring the earth and all in it under control, and, thus, to rule the world. To do so as God intends requires us to be responsible. To do otherwise, to pollute, to litter, to abuse, is to be irresponsible and sinful.
We also saw how unique humans are from a genetic point of view. Our DNA is specific to us; our DNA is different from other primates and all other life forms. We share some DNA with other life forms (with chimpanzees and nematodes, for instance), but sharing genetic information does not mean we are part chimp or part worm, or that chimps or worms are part human.
But, the most important distinctive we humans possess is the value God has given us; God made us to be separate. Among all life forms, God gave only humans the capacity to be responsible for more than their own lives, and to have an awareness of the immeasurable complexity of the world. We are the only ones who can change our world and convey to one another our deepest convictions and feelings. Chimps do not go on diets; humans do. Chimps do not have hospitals or orphanages, chimps are not humanitarian or altruistic; humans are all these and more.
Our special nature and uniqueness, though, stems from the fact God has declared us to be special; thus, we are to act in a way appropriate to our special place in creation. We are to take responsibility for ourselves and our neighbors and the world around us; we are indeed our brothers’ keepers.
One of the strange things chimps do is to kill their infants. Both male and female chimpanzees have been observed killing infants; no one knows for sure why they do such a thing. So, we should ask, are we more like chimps, or are they more like us. Chimpanzee females are not known to kill their own babies, but have been observed killing the baby chimps of other females in their troop. Sadly, we humans kill our own children and call it choice.
The current nominee to be the next secretary of Health and Human Services has stated, “ My Catholic faith teaches me that all life is sacred, and personally I believe abortion is wrong. However, I disagree with the suggestion that criminalizing women and their doctors is an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the number of abortions in our nation. There is another way. By working in support of the common good we can better protect human life and the dignity of all people. If we work hard and match our rhetoric with our actions, we can create a culture that is more welcoming of mothers and treasuring of our children.”
One cannot be pro-choice and pro-life. Neither can one support abortion and think such a stand will lead to making children more treasured. Abortion on-demand is a reality in our country. Yet, abortion is never the choice one should make if human life is valued and children are treasured. When a child is aborted because of the inconvenience of a pregnancy, human life has been devalued.
How are abortion and human worth connected? Our discussion this past Sunday was intended to help you understand why we should affirm the worth or human life. We saw, from the perspective of Scripture, the importance of creation as a basis for understanding the value of human life. God created us to be who and what we are; we did not get here as the result of a time-chance process. Our existence and our being is intentional.
By the way, we need to realize our lives are not the point of creation. God put us here as a part of a greater plan. We live so God can show the richness of his wisdom and grace. Paul said to the Ephesians, “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world . . . to the praise of the glory of His grace.” (Eph. 1.4, 6). He also said God did what he did “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 3.10) We are not here just to exist; we are here as a part of a far-reaching, far greater purpose.
So, as we showed Sunday, God has made us the way we are and wants us to be responsible in all we do. God commanded humans, after he created them, to be fruitful, to be great, to bring the earth and all in it under control, and, thus, to rule the world. To do so as God intends requires us to be responsible. To do otherwise, to pollute, to litter, to abuse, is to be irresponsible and sinful.
We also saw how unique humans are from a genetic point of view. Our DNA is specific to us; our DNA is different from other primates and all other life forms. We share some DNA with other life forms (with chimpanzees and nematodes, for instance), but sharing genetic information does not mean we are part chimp or part worm, or that chimps or worms are part human.
But, the most important distinctive we humans possess is the value God has given us; God made us to be separate. Among all life forms, God gave only humans the capacity to be responsible for more than their own lives, and to have an awareness of the immeasurable complexity of the world. We are the only ones who can change our world and convey to one another our deepest convictions and feelings. Chimps do not go on diets; humans do. Chimps do not have hospitals or orphanages, chimps are not humanitarian or altruistic; humans are all these and more.
Our special nature and uniqueness, though, stems from the fact God has declared us to be special; thus, we are to act in a way appropriate to our special place in creation. We are to take responsibility for ourselves and our neighbors and the world around us; we are indeed our brothers’ keepers.
One of the strange things chimps do is to kill their infants. Both male and female chimpanzees have been observed killing infants; no one knows for sure why they do such a thing. So, we should ask, are we more like chimps, or are they more like us. Chimpanzee females are not known to kill their own babies, but have been observed killing the baby chimps of other females in their troop. Sadly, we humans kill our own children and call it choice.
The current nominee to be the next secretary of Health and Human Services has stated, “ My Catholic faith teaches me that all life is sacred, and personally I believe abortion is wrong. However, I disagree with the suggestion that criminalizing women and their doctors is an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the number of abortions in our nation. There is another way. By working in support of the common good we can better protect human life and the dignity of all people. If we work hard and match our rhetoric with our actions, we can create a culture that is more welcoming of mothers and treasuring of our children.”
One cannot be pro-choice and pro-life. Neither can one support abortion and think such a stand will lead to making children more treasured. Abortion on-demand is a reality in our country. Yet, abortion is never the choice one should make if human life is valued and children are treasured. When a child is aborted because of the inconvenience of a pregnancy, human life has been devalued.
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