Pro-Life Basics - 1: The Dignity of Human Life

The Pro-Life ethic is based primarily on one inescapable, undeniable fact: the dignity of human life. The dignity of human life is rooted in the sovereignty of God and His will for mankind.

1. Created in the image and likeness of God

   "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Gen 1:27)

   Mankind "created in the image and likeness of God" stands apart from the rest of creation because of certain unique attributes that are attributes of God himself.

   1. Rational soul
   2. Moral sense, conscience.
   3. A sense of the transcendent.
   4. A free will.
   5. The ability to love, a desire to be loved.

2. Life and death are in God's hands

   "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." (Psalm 139:13-16)

   "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)

3. Affirmed in the Incarnation

   "The word became flesh." (John 1:14)

   "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:5-8)

   For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)

4. God's plan for mankind - a godly life on earth

   "God our Saviour. . . wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:3-4)

   "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1)

   "You are the light of the world. . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14, 16)

5. A divinely ordained destiny

   "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ." (Ephesians 1:4-9).

The mother's womb, created by God to be the safest and most caring place for the unborn child, has become the place where life is at its greatest risk. More murders take place in the womb than anywhere else.

The culture of death is not limited to abortion. It has spread to threaten even the aged and infirm, More murders take place in the family than anywhere else: abortion, infanticide, bride burning, dowry deaths, sati, euthanasia.

Love and Life:

With the gift of life, we have received from God the gift of being able to procreate new life. The gift of life has been given by God in love. Therefore the gift of being able to procreate new life must always be used in love, and never without love. True love is always open to life. Denial of love is a negation of life. Rejection of Gift and Giver - When we choose abortion, we reject the Giver of Life. Therefore the widespread violence of today should come as no surprise to a society that has accepted abortion.

The Gift of Life

a. Procreative: "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number;" (Genesis 1:28).

b. Unitive: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." (Genesis 2:24).

Note: When the sperm and the ovum unite in fertilization, a new life is conceived. Two cells literally become one cell.

Sex is not a concession for married people, it is an intimate and very personal expression of conjugal love. (The word "conjugal" means, literally, "yoked together.")

"The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." (Genesis 2:25)

The dignity of marriage

Contraception, onanism, perversion, masturbation, casual sex-without-commitment, even sex-without-love between married people.

"Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)

"If a man looks at his wife with lust, he has committed adultery in his heart" - Pope John Paul II .

Lust is not just sexual desire, it is sexual desire with no regard for the personhood of the other. It treats the other as a sex object, for the purpose of self-gratification. In a case of lust, the person does not matter. Sexual desire between married people expressing their love is a blessing. (See Genesis 1:28).

Next: The Rejection of the Gift of Life

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