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???LIFE IS PRECIOUS??? blazed across a woman??™s sweatshirt stood
out in bold letters. ???It??™s her way of telling the world
she??™s opposed to abortion,??? I thought. Then I realized
those three words on this walking billboard were more than a
protest; they were a positive pronouncement, a plea to
recognize the value of life for all ages.
Historically, we have seen life as a
gift from God. This high view of life has its roots in the
teachings of the Bible and our documents of liberty. Now
something sinister is happening to us: we??™re being seduced
by death and many are responding to this callous call. How
did we get on this slippery slope that began with snatching
life from children before it was time to be born and now
slides us toward ending life for the old and ill before it??™s
time to die?
In his moving argument for the value of
life, David, the Psalmist, wrote: ???You have covered me in
my mother??™s womb. I will praise You for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made??? (Psalm 139:13-14). C.H. Spurgeon, the
highly respected and often quoted English minister of the
past, wrote: ???The psalmist had little knowledge of the
nerves, sinews and blood vessels of his body, but he had
enough to arouse his admiration of its creation and his
reverence for the Creator. We need not go to the ends of
the earth for marvels, nor even leave our homes; they abound
in our bodies.
We are not merely blobs of flesh and
hair, whether in the womb or nearing the tomb. Instead, we
are creations of God and therefore valuable to Him. This
ought to convince us life is never to be taken lightly.
Many have hit low points that caused
them to wonder if life was worth living,
moving Suicide from being unthinkable
to a viable possibility.
This tragic exit that leaves lifelong
scars on families is the choice of thousands every year.
Now some want us to believe ending it all may be the best
way out of a difficult situation, especially a painful or
expensive one. Experience shows the ???I don??™t want to be a
burden to my family??? frame of mind to be the most likely
cause of choosing physician assisted suicide where that
cruel option is legal and available.
The third Reich produced films to sell
euthanasia to the public. Hitler??™s smooth talking narrator
tried to convince his audience that keeping suffering people
alive was a waste of resources, a drain on the nation. It
all seemed so merciful and logical: suffering would be
reduced as well as public expense. But the tragedy of
losing respect for life is revealed in the losses it
produces.
When the old and ill are terminated
because of expense, we lose life-changing examples that can
only be modeled by those who have lived and loved long. We
lose their wisdom and our self-respect because we??™ve not
returned their lasting love.
When a child is denied birth we lose a
person who bears the image of both parents; one who reaches
back through generations, combining all family roots in one
special person. No one else will have the same appearance,
voice or temperament. No other eyes will carry the same
expressions. No one will be the same mix of past and
present.
When life is denied a baby, we lose a
family historian; one who seems to step out of old family
portraits to walk among us. We lose part of our heritage
and the reward of that person??™s presence in the world. No
wonder the Psalmist said, ???Children are a heritage from the
LORD. The fruit of the womb is His reward??? (Psalm 127:3).
The walking woman was right: life
should be precious to all.
?© 2004 by Roger Campbell
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To read archived stories, click on this link:
http://archives.zinester.com/9516/2004
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Blessings to you today
Bob Johnston
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