Posted on 06/28/2008 4:39:21 PM PDT by LetTruthBeTold
The value of anything must always be set by something outside of that object. A coin is no more valuable than a pebble except by common agreement that it can be exchanged for something else. Humans are unique in their ability to assign abstract values to inherently non-functional and other wise useless objects. A diamond ring, a thousand dollar bill, or a gold bar have no more value to an animal than a smooth pebble, shiny rock, or fuzzy leaf. Animals cannot even assign value to their own lives. Apart from survival instincts and some mutually beneficial biological relationships, animals either ignore or eat one another. Tears are never shed as one group of animals seek to destroy another in their own quest for survival. Animals make no judgments concerning the value of biological life. Only man is capable of recognizing the value of animal life and seeking to protect it. but who is capable of assigning value to human life?
If human value is set by the mutual consent of other humans, it is subject to change at any time. this has happened countless times throughout history. Many ancient cultures sacrificed live children in attempting to economically prosper. Not all that long ago the U.S. Supreme Court declared slavery legal, effectively removing human status from Negroes. Aborigines in Australia were shot and skinned less than 200 years ago because they were not considered human. In the last 3 decades the abortion industry has profited from the destruction of 35 million unborn children whose rights, value, and lives were eliminated by the Supreme Court. The founding fathers of our country clearly understood both the human nature and the sordid history of mankind. They realized that only a source outside of mankind could assign a lasting value to human life. That is why the Declaration of Independence has, as its most basic assumption, the existence of certain inalienable rights such as: "...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Inalienable rights must be granted by someone greater than the writers of the documents, otherwise the rights could be changed by the next set of people to come into power. However, this does not imply that all forms of life are of equal value. Man has special value because he has free will and is not controlled almost exclusively by instincts. Man has special value because he is the only creature created in God's image. Most important, man has special value because his Creator has demonstrated His love for him through natural revelation (creation);special revelation (the Bible and the earthly visitation of Jesus Christ); and person revelation (the personal knowledge and peace which come with accepting Him as Savior).
There is a war of values raging in our country. Most of us are aware of the surface skirmishes, but all too few are aware that the basis of the war is a deep philosophical differences about reality. The basis of America's cultural war is the question of man's relationship to God. Either life's value is based on God's person existence (meaning absolute values do exist) or man set standards. There are no other possibilities.
The consequence of 150 years of indoctrination with evolutionary principles is the acceptance that man is part of the natural forces which shaped us. The inevitable result of this line of reasoning is the removal of an objective basis for determining the value of anything. Thus, mankind either arbitrarily assigns value to things (including people) or all life becomes of equal value. In the case of the former, atrocities such as human sacrifice or passive acceptance of abortion occur. In the case of the latter, absurdities occur such as animal rights groups equating the murder and mutilation of humans with the slaughter of chickens(1). Both of these responses are inevitable outcomes of following the evolutionary humanist philosophy to its logical conclusion.
Christianity is rooted in the fact that a personal God exists. Thus, life is inherently valuable. Furthermore, we have no right to do with life as we arbitrarily please. There is something special about all humans and no one has the right to remove the value by murder, abortion, or euthanasia.
(1)Charles Nicoll & Sharon Russell, "Animals Rights Literature", Science 244-903 (May 26, 1898).
Interesting article from May 26, 1898 by Charles Nicoll and Sharon Russell. Thanks for posting.
Who gets to define what is good, moral, charitable, evil, etc.? You? Me? MTV? A Saddam? A Stalin?
To ancient Aztecs - cutting out the still beating heart of a human sacrifices (including children) was the highest order of good.
To a large percent of Muslims - killing, raping and enslaving infidels is the highest order of good in Islam.
To Hindus - Attacking, ignoring, prejudicing against and letting die for people in lower order castes is perfectly alright.
To certain Pacific Tribes - eating your enemy was the highest form of good.
And I could go on for pages...
The works you mentioned are good works from a Christian viewpoint:
Matthew 22:37-40 — Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
And Jesus also said “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Luke 6:31; Luke 10:27 (affirming of Moses) and Matthew 7:12)
But by no means has this “philosophy” been accepted the world over as “good or moral.” Not by a long shot.
What makes murder inherently wrong (to Christians) is not that it feels wrong, but that a transcendent Creator to whom we are answerable commands: “Thou shalt not murder.” What makes kindness to others inherently right (to Christians) is not that human reason says so, but that God does: “Love thy neighbor as thyself; I am the Lord.”
What is “good or evil” without God? Without any footing for moral actions - anything can be rationalized as good or evil. You can just make it up as you go along. Good actions can be whatever society thinks it is with the popular culture at the time. If that be in Nazi Germany or Pol Pot’s Cambodia or North Korea - that means doing “good” is slaughtering millions of people and sending millions more into misery. But, by their own human standards at the time in history, they were all doing good.
You grew up and live in a country founded in Judeo-Christian values, so it may seem obvious to you what is “good.” But that is due to the Judeo-Christian influences on you (even if you don’t believe in God or have never been to Church). To others without that kind of influence, doing “good” can be radically different.
For instance, we are also a country that for all intents and purposes, allows abortion, for any reason, at any time, including up to 1 sec before birth (partial birth abortions). I can send you transcripts of debates in the house and senate on this. I have no doubt that 200 years from now, future Americans will wonder how we could have let such evil go on and did nothing to stop it for so long (a lot like we look back on slavery).
But all the “cool” people are pro-choice - so it is good.
Regards,
2banana
Sheesh. Thanks for the link.
Life is the standard of all value.
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