Christians believe that life is valuable because God created life. God values all that he created and as worshipers of God we too should value all God has created.
This means that Christians should care about the world. We should care about the environment, it’s resources, and how we use them. Christians should care about animal life. We are to protect God’s animal creations and this includes habitats, wild-life, cultivation and proliferation, etc. Finally, this means that Christians are to value human life. We are to care about the young and the old. This has implications regarding abortion, adoption, medical treatment, and end of life concerns. We should care about people equally without regard to gender bias. We should care about people of every ethnicity and from all walks of life. We should equally care for the rich, the poor, and everyone in between. We should care for the outcast, we should care for those with emotional disorders. We should care for those with physical or mental handicaps. We shoudl care for people regardless of national citizenship or languages spoken.
All people deserve to be treated with value and respect. People deserve to be treated with honor and dignity.
In Christianity there is no place for racism, bigotry, hate-crimes, etc. We should value all people because all people bear God’s image.
This is taught throughout the entirety of the Bible. It begins in the very first chapter of the first books: Genesis 1:26 reads, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. “
Because humans are created in God’s image, human life is not to be taken lightly. Christians care about the potential life of someone being knitted together in God’s image in the womb. This is why we do not support abortion or infanticide. Christians also believe that innocent life is not to be taken. This is why we oppose murder. It is also why we call for reforms in our justice system. It is why we oppose putting innocent people to death.
In Christianity there is no justification for supporting genocide whether in Armenia, Rwanda, or the Holocaust. In Christianity there is no justification for ethnic supremacy of any kind whether it be white-nationalism or tribalism. There is no justification for hate crimes based on religion, gender, sexuality, or the like. Everyone is valuable.
It is not that as Christians we like to stand against cultural norms. Rather, as Christians we desire to give a voice to the powerless. We desire represent those who are unable to speak for themselves, because we see their value. We see their value, because we love God, and we love God because he first loved us.
Five implications of treating all human life with value:
- No person should be used as a means to an end. Everyone is valuable just for being alive.
- No one deserves to be treated as less than human. It does not matter what struggles, bad decisions, or life choices someone has made. All lives matter and all people have value.
- The Gospel should be presented to all people. No one has the right to decide who would and who would not be someone that God loves. God loves all people as his creation. Everyone deserves to hear about God’s love and about the goodness, grace, and mercy that come from having a relationship with him.
- Christians should seek to do what is best for all people in culture and society. We should strive to create ministries that benefit all people, not just those who fit certain ideals or molds.
- We should lovingly pray for people. We should pray for those we disagree with. We should pray for our leaders in government. We should be praying for those with serious struggles. We should be praying for those who train our children. Etc.
