The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Philip H. during the 2009-2010 League.
Mission: Research on the Sanctity of Life
As a child, Haleigh Poutre was frequently abused by her foster parents. At the age of twelve she was admitted to the hospital for brain trauma so severe that she was never expected to recover. After taking her out of the custody of the foster parents the Massachusetts Department of Social Services was granted a court order which authorized them to euthanize her because of the state that she was in. Today's culture, as evidenced by the treatment of Haleigh, has little remaining respect for the sanctity of life. Euthanasia is now legal in multiple states and abortion is not only accepted, it is in many cases expected. Sadly, this is a problem that cannot be fixed unless there is a fundamental shift in the culture's view of life and its importance. In order for there to be lasting change it is not merely Supreme Court decisions that we need to overturn – it is heart attitudes.
Biblically, there can be no doubt about the importance of life. Throughout the Bible there are many different laws designed to protect people's lives. The sixth commandment, which prohibits murder, is an excellent example of how God has established laws which are designed to highlight that God values life so much that nobody can kill without just cause. If a murder is committed then the criminal is to pay with his life. This was established in Genesis 9:6 when God says, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image," and reaffirmed in the Ten Commandments. The punishment for the crime is reflective on how grievous it is in God's eyes when somebody's life is taken without just cause.
Furthermore, God says in Genesis that we have been created by Him in His image. All of us are fundamentally different from animals because we are made in the likeness of God. We are all His image bearers; therefore, our lives are far from worthless. It doesn't matter what your personal opinions are on the subject of life, God has made it clear that we are made in His image and because of that we must value life.
However, simply overturning legal precedent in our favor or passing laws that support pro life principles will not fix the problem. As long as the corrupted heart attitudes exist there can be no relief from such practices which erode the right to life. Roe vs Wade and other laws protecting the "right" to abortion are not the root of the problem – they are merely a symptom. Only the gospel will be able solve this fundamental problem, perhaps the best thing we can do to aid the pro life cause is to fulfill the great commission by evangelizing to others.
When people lose sight of the sanctity of life, we see cases like Haleigh's or Terry Schiavo's where the value of life somehow vanishes because of the circumstances. However, there is a bright side to Haleigh's story. Just six days before she was scheduled to be euthanized she showed signs of life and started on the long recovery process. God can work miracles in every situation showing that it is he, not us, who has made life and is in control of it. Unfortunately, there is no happy ending like Haleigh's for the 47 million aborted children. Life is full of worth and value. No matter how big the problem is that we face, in this case the sanctity of life, we can know that God is in control. Our job is to trust Him and obey what he has called us to do – spread the gospel to others. With His grace, that will change people's minds and strengthen the cause which highlights the sanctity of life. In the end, we must simply trust the sovereign omnipotent God and obey what it is that he has called us to do.
