The Value of Human Life

I am pro-life. On an obvious and most basic level, this means that I am anti-abortion. Sure, I am pro-choice, too. I believe women have the right to be responsible about their own reproductive choices. When you choose to have sex, you choose to accept the potential consequences, one of which is pregnancy. Except in cases of rape and incest (where obviously the victim did not make a choice), that pregnancy represents a choice that was already made, and therefore, choosing to kill the unborn baby represents another choice - the choice to kill an unborn baby. Just as murder is not a choice we "allow" in our society, I don't think that abortion is a choice we should allow if we truly value the sanctity of life (except in the rare cases I mentioned above).

So, I am pro-life on the issue of abortion. But, that is not all. I am also pro-life on the issue of animal rights. I read this article about how extreme animal rights activists are terrorizing medical researchers into giving up their research for fear of their families' safety. What are some of the tactics of these animals rights activists? Early Saturday morning,

a firebomb erupted in the townhouse of assistant biology professor David Feldheim. As smoke and flames filled the first floor, Feldheim, his wife, their 7-year old son and 6 year-old daughter were forced to use a drop ladder to escape from a second floor bedroom.

Jerry Vlasak, who, as a spokeman for the Animal Liberation Press Office, serves as an apologist for animal rights zealots, issued this statement: "This is historically what happens whenever revolutionaries begin to take the oppression and suffering of their fellow beings seriously, whether human or nonhuman. It's regrettable that certain scientists are willing to put their families at risk by choosing to do wasteful animal experiments in this day and age".

Wow, really? These attempted murderers are "revolutionaries"? The nonhuman "fellow beings" have more value than the family of a scientist? Animal rights activists have no problem potentially killing or maiming children to try and stop animal research? What exactly is this research? Feldheim studies neural connections in the brain and their effect on vision using mice.

Other scientists who use animals in their research develop drugs to treat (or even eradicate) cancer, Alzheimer's, AIDS, etc. They develop compounds, and when they think they have one that appears to work on a cellular level, they test it in mice for effectiveness and toxicity. What exactly are the extreme animal activists hoping to accomplish in terrorizing scientists? Have scientists test the drugs on actual humans first instead of mice so that humans can suffer side-effects (possibly death) if the drug or the dose proves too dangerous to go to market? Stop the development of drugs altogether that have the potential to save lives or significantly improve the quality of life for humans? Both of these "solutions" show a clear preference for animal life over human life.

Are these activists the same ones advocating for embryonic stem cell research that would destroy viable embryos in the name of scientific research that could "save lives or significantly improve the quality of life for humans"? Oh wait, that DOES devalue (embyonic) human life. Well, as long as they're consistent . . .

But, that is not all. I am also pro-life when it comes to the environment. I read this article about couples who are choosing sterilization so they don't "pollute" the environment with children.

Toni Vernelli was sterilized at age 27 to reduce her carbon footprint . . . "Having children is selfish. It's all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet" says Toni, 35. "Every person who is born uses more food, more water, more land, more fossil fuels, more rubbish, more pollution, more greenhouse gases, and adds to the problem of over-population".

While most parents view their children as the ultimate miracle of nature, Toni seems to see them as a sinister threat to the future. But when she was 25, disaster struck.

"I discovered that despite taking the pill, I'd accidentally fallen pregnant by my boyfriend. I was horrified. I knew straight away there was no option of having the baby. I went to the doctor about having a termination, and asked if I could be sterilized at the same time [the doctor said no - sterilization took place two years later as noted above]. I didn't like having a termination, but it would have been immoral to give birth to a child that I felt would only be a burden to the world".

Yeah, good thing she did the "moral" thing and chose to have an abortion.

Toni is not the only one. Sarah Irving and fiance Mark Hudson opted for Mark to have a vasectomy. From a young age,

Sarah dreamed of helping the environment - and as she agonized over the perils of climate change, the loss of animal species, and destruction of wilderness, she came to the extraordinary decision never to have a child . . .

"I realized then that a baby would pollute the planet - and that never having a child was the most environmentally friendly thing I could do" . . . Mark adds, "we do everything we can do reduce our carbon footprint. But all this would be undone if we had a child. That's why I had a vasectomy. It would be morally wrong of me to add to climate change and the destruction of earth . . . What makes us happy is knowing we are doing our bit to save our precious planet."

Oh, there's that whole morality thing again. Funny how "morality" is a taboo word when it comes to chastity because it is associated with religion, but perfectly fine when it comes to environmentalism (the religion of some). Anyways, back to post - sure, each of us is responsible for our own choice of whether or not to have children (before we choose to have sex, of course). People who don't want children definitely should not have them - that is just common courtesy to the child! But, I found some of their comments to be a bit chilling. Children are a burden to the world? A sinister threat to the future? Doing "our bit" to "save the planet" means not having children because they will add to climate change and the destruction of the earth?!?!?

Since when is "the planet" worth more than a human life? Why does "the planet" even have value? It seems to me that "the planet's" whole purpose is to sustain human life. D&C 104:17

For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.

Sure, I am all for doing reasonable things to preserve our environment (particularly for future generations of PEOPLE), but holding the "morality" of environmentalism above the value of children and people in our world reeks of disdain for human life.

But, that is not all. Oh, no! That is not all! I am also pro-life when it comes to dying. Barbara Wagner of Oregon was denied cancer treatment by the Oregon Health Plan (the state health program), but was offered pallative care, which includes assisted suicide. Since assisted suicide in Oregon is legal, offering assisted suicide is just one of the many "benefits" of state health care. (Well, that certainly increases my desire for a national health care plan [eyes rolling]. Incidentally, the pharmaceutical company that sells the drug stepped up and is offering a year of treatment to the woman for free - those evil, nasty, for-profit capitalists.) On the other hand, this does have the potential to solve our aging population problem. Instead of actually helping to care for all these elderly people, let's just deny them medical care and instead offer to "assist" them in passing on. When we deem that their cost to society outweighs their contribution, let's put them out of their (and our economic) misery. Plus, it will help the environment! Those liberals think of everything.

So, yes, I am a champion for human life - life before birth, life before death, life before the environment, human life before animal life. Considering that so many liberal causes seem to have it the other way around, what does that say about the sanctity of human life?

We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan. (The Family: A Proclamation to the World)

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