The Restoration of Life

I'm in coursework on the ethical issues of human life.


The technological considerations are considerable (hyuk).


Moreover, solving the ethical problems and claiming any moral high ground, assuming that's possible, isn't sufficient. Example: I might conclusively demonstrate it is wrong to genetically screen out and destroy abnormal children in utero, but that demonstration of rightness is unlikely sufficient to change societal law or behavior.


Technological advancement is a beast, our collective conscience and mores are not at all collective, legislative wield is anything but wieldy on such issues.


The sanctity of life is something that good Christians have always endorsed. Bp. Tom Wright makes the point that one way early Christians drew attention from skeptics was by attending to life: Christians did not expose infants (especially infant girls), the starving and sick were taken in and taken care of, lives were laid down that others might live and not the other way around.


In the face of overwhelming technological amorality, human dignity seems pretty up for grabs. I think though that once again Christians will have the opportunity to show emphatically that life matters and that it is good that you exist.


Churches must embrace our modern foundlings, must carry children to term no matter what, must show by example that all are welcome and fully-included members in the body of Christ. Success in such commitments is the kind of unequivocal behavior that cannot help but draw the attention of a world so desperately needing moral high ground to climb upon. In such a way the world can be changed. It's happened before.


My grave concern is that disrespect for human dignity is much closer to the belief and practice of churchdom than we would like to believe, let alone practice. Lord have mercy.