The Bible supports all humans are intrinsically valuable
Intrinsically valuable means a person has great worth simply because he or she is human. According to the Bible intrinsic value is given to all humans because we are all made in the image of God. On the other hand, instrumental value is judged by what we can or cannot do. Many people argue the unborn can be killed because he or she lacks instrumental value or is completely dependent upon the mother. The fetus makes no contributions to society and needs the help of others to survive. Therefore, the unborn can be killed. The same could be said concerning an older adult who no longer contributes to society. My dad is currently 95 years old and cannot walk and is completely dependent on my older sister, who lives in his house. Mentally he is still vibrant and carries on conversations. Since he can no longer contribute to society and is completely dependent, should he be euthanatized? This argument could be used to eliminate a sizeable portion of the world’s population. What about individuals currently in a coma who have no instrumental value? Should we simply eliminate them? How about quadriplegics? Should we kill them because they cannot contribute? How about babies who are completely dependent upon their parents, especially mom? Are they expendable?
In the movie “Million Dollar Baby,” the lead character, a woman boxer, becomes a quadriplegic and is helped by her trainer to commit suicide. Why? In her mind her quality of life wasn’t worth living; she felt she no longer had instrumental value and was dependent upon others. This movie was supposed to be a true story. However, in reality the woman boxer, who the movie was based on, is still alive. As a quadriplegic she saw the film and became extremely depressed. The fact that the movie was promoting a lie has motived her to speak out against this film and other individuals who promote ideas like doctor assisted suicide. Her mission is to let people to know that just because a person is a quadriplegic he or she is still valuable; that all humans, including those with special needs, have intrinsic value.
The movie “Million Dollar Baby” won an Oscar for best picture while promoting a lie. Obviously, the screenwriter was motivated to push a certain misleading philosophy. Humans by nature have intrinsic value, not by what they can do, but by the fact they are human. The Bible supports the intrinsic value of all humans, including the unborn.
- Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Since God is not physical, to be made in God’s image is to be given rationality, will, an immaterial self, and character traits that God possesses. Humans by virtue of being made in God’s image are intrinsically valuable. The unborn is human based on the evidence from science, philosophy, and the Bible.
- Psalm 139:13-16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” God oversees the birth of all humans. He created the process by which we all come into this world. God is sovereign and He knows us and has a plan for us even before we were born. Our value is intrinsic, founded upon the plan and purposes of God.
Part 12 supplied verses for the humanity of the unborn and here I have shown how the Bible supports the intrinsic value of all precious unborn human persons. Abortion is wrong for taking the life of a valuable unborn human, even if the Bible doesn’t have the words “abortion is an abomination.” Next I will show how the Bible prohibits the killing of the unborn.
