Defending the Sanctity of Human Life

What is Life?

In our textbook, Successful Marriages and Families, we learn the answer to this question.

"Life.  The etymology of the Old English word for life includes meanings such as 'body' and 'person,' or that which 'remains' and 'continues'.  Life can be defined as a condition of sustained regenerative activity, enrgy, expression, or power that human beings and other animate creatures experience."  (Hallen, 2012, p. 291).

The miracle of life created, is probably the greatest gift God has given us.  It is the closest thing we have, to become like God himself.  Each person is a reminder that we are the great masterpiece that God is making.  We know from studying The Family:  A Proclamation to the World on the family this semester, that each person "is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a diving nature and destiny".  No where did it say only a certain race, or certain number of people.  It is says EACH PERSON.  That means everyone we come in contact with, those we don't, even people who may not make choices we would agree with.

This video gives good examples of biblical stories that Human Life is created in God's image.  We need to reach out to all those who are struggling and support those.  We can make a difference.

Now, onto a topic that many don't want to discuss.  Abortion.  Whether you are for or against it, it tends to be one of the more controversial topics including politics.  Whether a politician is Pro-Choice or Pro-Life.

Abortion:  "The English word abort comes from the Latin ab, which means 'off, away,' and the Latin or-ri, which means to 'arise, appear, come into being,'  To abort literally means to 'cut off the existence of someone' or to cause someone to disappear'.  Abortion can generally be defined as the natural or deliberate termination of the life of an unborn or partially born child" (Hallen, 2012, p. 292).

Our church leaders made a statement on Abortion in 1973, that still holds true today.  “The Church opposes abortion and counsels its members not to submit to or perform an abortion except in the rare cases where, in the opinion of competent medical counsel, the life or good health of the mother is seriously endangered or where the pregnancy was caused by rape and produces serious emotional trauma in the mother. Even then it should be done only after counseling with the local presiding priesthood authority and after receiving divine confirmation through prayer.”



Reference:

Hallen, C. L. (2012). Defending the Sanctity of Human Life. In Successful marriages and families

            Proclamation principles and research perspectives (p. 292). Provo, Utah: Brigham
           Young University.