The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Kelcey W. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Research on the Sanctity of Life
One of the unique elements of Christianity is the importance it puts on life. Through the influence of Christ and His teachings, women went from being basically the property of their husbands to being equals. The vile Roman practice of leaving unwanted infant children on the rocks to die of exposure was also abolished after Christians became more prominent. Life, no matter what stage, was valued, because God had given Himself so that we could enjoy life abundantly. However, in the last thirty years life has cheapened considerably in America. Now it is all right to kill an unwanted baby if the timing is not convenient. Some nations are even considering euthanasia as an option for getting rid of their elderly. They have decided that the elderly and infirm have no impact on society. Unfortunately they are very, very wrong.
The Bible says that the older and wiser members of the community are to be treated with great respect. No young person should greet an older person while seated, and everyone is to respect gray hair as a sign of wisdom. In modern culture today, emphasis is placed on youth and health. Thousands of dollars are put into looking younger, getting rid of gray hair, and smoothing away wrinkles. Those who have wisdom from years of experience are getting pushed aside. However, as we do this, our morals are declining. Some of the problems we experience today would not exist if we consulted the older generation – they have faced the same things and can look at a problem in a way we never could while facing it. Unfortunately, no one is listening to them and their ideas and solutions. This is a tragedy. Life is of value no matter what stage it is in. We need to celebrate old age instead of rue it, because with time and experience come great knowledge. The nation that has decided the elderly are not important is the nation destined for ruin.
Likewise, the beginning of life is also very important to God. Job stated that God fashioned him, and even his enemies, in the womb. God commanded Israel not to make their children pass through the fire and punished the kings who did this to their own offspring. ("Passing through the fire" meant sacrificing their children as a burnt offering before other gods.) Life is important to God because man is created in His image. He commanded His people to refrain from killing anyone (except in self defense) and put harsh punishments on those who took a life.
The Bible had more to say than I thought about the unborn. Sanctity of life is not just an extension of an element of our "religion." While the Bible does not say, "You shalt not abort," it does say that we are not to murder, sacrifice children to false gods, or cause little ones to stumble. One of the biggest arguments pro-choicers are fond of calls to question the humanity of the unborn. They like to say that a fetus is not a person and has no feelings. However, the Bible does not use a different word when talking about an unborn child versus a young child under the age of twelve. In God's eyes, there is no distinction. God is intimately involved with the development of every unborn child: "You formed my inward parts and covered me in my mother's womb . . . I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139: 13, 14) After they are born, Jesus still cares deeply for children. He told His disciples not to hinder them from coming to Him, and He also warned the crowd, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones . . . for their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven" (Matt 18:10).
The church, for the most part, has condemned abortion, and its members are not always very accepting of women who have made the wrong choice but have realized it and asked forgiveness. I was surprised to find a similar situation in the Old Testament. There was a king named Manasseh in the book of Second Chronicles. He made his sons pass through the fire to a false god of his day. He did many other bad things, and God sent him into exile. While there, he realized that he had been wrong and had sinned. He also recognized who the real God was. When he repented of his sins, God forgave him, and even restored some of his kingdom. Like Manasseh, there is hope for those who have killed their children, because God can forgive anything, and He can make broken things whole again. Life is precious, but God is bigger than any sin, and through the sacrifice of His own son, He can forgive if a person turns to Him and cries for mercy.
