OUR society has sunk low indeed when there are so many in it who, while fighting tooth and nail for “animal rights” and “conservation of the planet”, enthusiastically promote abortion, euthanasia and the self-destruct practice of sodomy. While we condemn cruelty to animals, and the despoiling of the earth’s resources which the Creator requires us to use wisely, we are appalled and alarmed by the increasing devaluing of human life.
The last recorded figures for abortions in Britain show that one in five pregnancies were deliberately terminated. This represents the slaughter of 160,000 children in the womb – a shocking statistic. We cannot doubt that a living person exists in the womb of the mother-to-be when we read that “when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb;” and that Elizabeth said to Mary, “Lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy,” Luke 1:41, 44.
Campaigners for the legislating of euthanasia are beginning to scent victory, following Lord Cameron’s decision to allow doctors at Law Hospital, Lanarkshire, to withdraw artificial feeding from coma patient, Mrs Janet Johnston, and to let her die a “dignified” death. Doctors and relatives who wish to withdraw treatment from a patient in Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) will not now necessarily have to apply for the approval of a court.
As we write, Mrs Johnston is dying a slow death, not because of her coma but because she is no longer being given food and drink. She is dying of starvation and dehydration – and this is termed “dignified” dying. How contrary to God’s law, let alone cruel and barbaric! We cannot but agree with the correspondent to a daily paper who said, “The judicial decision sanctioning what can only be described as medical killing shames Scotland and dehumanises its people.” We are well aware that doctors are faced with exceedingly difficult ethical decisions with regard to the care of certain medical cases, and that it is not easy for the layman to appreciate these circumstances, but we believe that Ann Winterton MP was right when she said, “We are now seeing a determined attempt by doctors to bring more cases to the courts with a view to opening the door still wider to euthanasia.”
God requires that everyone, not excluding members of the medical and legal professions, makes “all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life and the life of others.” On the other hand, the sanctioning of the unlawful taking away of life, whether of unborn infants, PVS patients, or terminally ill geriatric patients, brings not only shame but also guilt upon the nation.
How long is God to bear with us? Must we not sorrow over our national sin of taking away life contrary to God’s command, “Thou shalt not kill”? There was national mourning, and rightly so, for the little ones slain at Dunblane. Where is the mourning for the slaughter of the 160,000 unborn children? And where is the sorrow for the sin of unlawfully killing them?
If we, as a professedly Christian nation, are to be obedient to God’s word with regard to preserving human life, we must repeal the abortion law, and promote pro-life teachings and laws. We should also build on the good base which has been laid in the field of palliative care. Human life is precious.
It is true that we, as sinners, are unworthy and do not deserve any blessing whatsoever. Indeed, because of our sins we deserve to be cast away as of no value. But Scripture also teaches the worth of man as the creation of God. So valuable is the soul that the whole world is insufficient in value to exchange for it. And the body, as the house of the soul, is of incalculable worth. Human life is more valuable than we can estimate.
The value and sanctity of human life is clear from the fact that man was made in the image of God. “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him,” Gen.1:27. Also, man was given dominion over the rest of creation and therefore he is above and apart from every other creature. We must therefore conclude that human life is precious and that to treat it as of little worth is to belittle the divine Creator.
It is to God that we owe our existence. In Him we live, and move, and have our being. Life is a gift given by God when He determines to give it, and taken away when He purposes. For man to claim that he has a “right” to die is to claim what is not his and to rebel against God. Much less does man have the right to unlawfully take away the life of a fellow human being. Let us strongly resist the increasing trend to regard life as cheap.
Let us also remember that God has given us life so that we may glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. One of the martyrs said, “Life is sweet, and death is bitter. Eternal life is more sweet, and eternal death is more bitter.” May our own lives upon earth issue in everlasting life in glory.