From the moment of conception to the last breath, human life is an unbroken continuum. Some lives are more vulnerable than others, including the unborn, the less abled, and the elderly. As Christians, God requires us to stand alongside of those who cannot defend themselves, who are without strength. No more compelling support can be found for this fact than that in James where we read: "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27, NLT) James’ reference to the plight of orphans and widows, is not simply an economic statement. Those without a father or husband in that era were at the mercy of many. The larger truth wrapped in his words is that disciples are given a mandate to stand with the weak!
Our President came down on the side of expedience yesterday, choosing to ignore the compelling facts about the sanctity of human life, with a stroke of his pen restoring government support and sanction for stem cell research from human embryos. I understand the collision of two ‘goods’ that complicate his choice. Watching the Michael J. Fox, the actor with Parkinson’s disease, twitch and jerk uncontrollably on camera moves my heart especially when I know that his illness will end his life prematurely. Seeing people with spinal cord injuries who hope that they could walk again, if only a cure were found, makes me feel compassion, too! Pointing to the ‘possibility’ of a cure for such afflictions that might arise from stem cell research, our President and his advisors say that any moral concerns about life of the unborn is trumped by need for scientific inquiry.
Ignoring a fundamental fact about humanity by adopting a utilitarian view of the value of life may lead to some gains in the short-term, but it will inevitably lead us to terrible choices not too far down the road. One only has to consider the shocking views of a man most Americans have never heard of, Dr. Peter Singer, a bioethicist from Princeton University. While his views are not currently mainstream, they are the logical outgrowth of the same line of thinking that justifies using human embryos for medical research. Singer advocates, among other things, allowing parents 28 days from birth to decide whether to let their baby live or die! He bases this claim on his assertion that newborn infants have limited consciousness and rationality, therefore they are not fully functioning human beings. Singer disavows the belief that all human life has equal dignity. He assigns value to individuals based on their contribution and usefulness to society at large.
If we become utilitarian in our ethical base, which is what Dr. Singer is in an extreme form, nobody’s life is safe! Watch out unborn children, people who are disabled, or those who are terminally ill, or even the aged! Singer’s radical views are rooted in his non-belief in God or Creation. In his view, human beings are simply an extension of evolved life, having no more right to exist than a pig or an ape! What we see in Dr. Singer is what we will see should we become a secular society.
Let’s be clear; I do not believe President Obama espouses Dr. Singer’s views! Very few Americans presently do. But, I firmly believe that taking a step towards taking a tiny life of a helpless human being to benefit another is immoral and ignores the biological facts concerning conception and life and leads us further along the way to a redefinition of our culture that will be ugly.
Disciple, our faith is not simple. The world in which we live it out, day by day, does not make it easy to hold to absolutes. Formation of those absolutes must be done with careful thought, prayer, and deep reverence for the discovery of Truth. However, Jesus says that “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32, NIV) One of the most basic Biblical concepts and a cornerstone of Christ’s teaching is that everyone matters, that all individual persons are precious and loved in the eyes of God, regardless of whether they are male, female, rich, poor, strong, or weak.
May God forgive us the choices made in our names in Washington, DC yesterday and help us to find our voices as well as the courage to stand with all those who are ignored, oppressed, or exploited. If we will not, then may the words of Ezekiel fall on us!
"Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, “This is what God, the Master, says …” when God hasn’t said so much as one word.
Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’
“I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it. I couldn’t find anyone. Not one.
So I’ll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they’ve done. Decree of God, the Master.”
(Ezekiel 22:28-31, The Message)
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