The other day at work I came across a file that had been marked "life - do not destroy." Since I work at an insurance agency, this was obviously a life insurance folder (which we don't have very many of) that was needed for future use. But it struck me as profound. It's a good policy to live by actually. Life - do not destroy - in all its various forms. I can think of so many applications... from murder, to abortion, to meanness...
There is an inherent dignity to human life for believers in God (by virtue of the fact that He created us and did so in His image), which I'm not sure atheists can find so easily. For example, there's a man at Princeton University named Peter Singer, who has carried out the abortion argument to its logical (though horrifying) conclusion. Of course, at present the case for abortion largely rests on some assertion that the baby (or "fetus") is somehow not really human until a certain vague and undefined point of pregnancy (though doctors are able to sustain life at earlier and earlier stages). Anyway, Mr. Singer defines human-ness as being linked to the ability to conceptualize a future time, thus giving him leeway to "abort" children up to two years of age - yes, two years. He even suggests these little non-humans could be used as a source for harvesting organs. It sounds insane, but at least he is honest about the logical implications and conclusions of the whole abortion/ fetus/ not human argument. However, that line of thought is dangerous because it embarks on a slippery slope, a sliding scale of morality. But how does anyone know right from wrong anyway? Right? (That would be wrong - see http://www.whataboutjesus.com/ for some help with that.)
"Life - do not destroy." Life is precious. We need to nurture it, or at the very least, give it a fighting chance. Maybe we should do more to save and enhance the lives of those who would like to live on this planet, as opposed to making lives harder in a vain attempt to affect what amounts to an insignificant impact on the global climate. End abortion; fight malaria, cancer, AIDS, and a long list of others; free the market to find better solutions; feed the world. Instead of: ranting about choice (which often should have been considered earlier); socializing everything into inefficiency; burning our food for fuel while people are starving. Just some ideas...
"Life - do not destroy." I can imagine Martin Luther would expound on that (as he was so inclined to do)... Love one another. Build each other up. Don't just withhold destruction, but promote the wellbeing, wholeness, liberty, and happiness of others. Be your brother's keeper. Bear one another's burdens. Love one another.
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