Value of the human life.

[Confused]

The question for this thread is quite simple to ask, though may not be so simple to answer.

Is there anything that can be found in scripture, the teachings of Christ or the teachings that preceded Him, that gives value to human life on earth? Is there anything to indicate that God gives value to human life?

[Flail]

The Bible,like many books and ideas of men,contains valuable lessons about struggle and doubt and striving and finding worth in helping need....Christianity under Paul takes all of those ideas and wraps them into a worthless selfish dogma which drags followers to their knees

[cnorman18]

The question for this thread is quite simple to ask, though may not be so simple to answer.

Is there anything that can be found in scripture, the teachings of Christ or the teachings that preceded Him, that gives value to human life on earth? Is there anything to indicate that God gives value to human life?

Well, since you ask about the teachings that preceded Jesus, I can tell you this; in Jewish teachings, long before Jesus, human life is held to be among the highest and most sacred values.

First, there is the principle that "thou shalt not stand idly by while the blood of thy neighbor is shed," from Leviticus 19.16. (The principle that "blood = life" is found in several places in the Torah). This clearly shows that humans are commanded to value human life, and thus that God does as well.

Further: In Jewish practice, the principle of pikuakh nefesh, "when life is endangered," trumps virtually all others; any commandment (or Commandment), excepting three only, may be broken to save a human life. One may steal or lie, for instance, if life is in danger; and it is not permitted, but required, for a Jew to drive a sick person to a hospital on the Sabbath - even if there is a non-Jew (who is not bound by that commandment) available to do it.

The three laws that may not be broken even to save a life are, first, the law prohibiting murder. One may kill in self-defense, or to save the life of another; that is not murder. But one may not murder an innocent to save one's own life. The saying is, "Who says your blood is redder?" That in itself shows that life is sacred and of value.

Second, one may not worship an idol, even to save one's life. This exception is much disputed; some say one may pretend to do so, others say not.

Third, one may not commit adultery. This is a traditional exception, but it does not appear to be meaningful; it's hard to see how committing adultery could save a life, and in any case it does not seem to hold up in practice, since a woman is not required to die rather than be raped.

Further, there is a very ancient teaching in Judaism that "to save one life is as if one has saved a whole world, and to take one life is as if one has destroyed an entire world." This is drawn directly from Scripture; The world was initially populated by the creation of one man and one woman (this is an example of Genesis as "teaching story"). A single human life is of literally infinite value, because it contains not only one life, but the potential of many more.

There is much more. The repeated injunctions that contact with the dead renders one tamei (ritually impure; not "unclean" in a hygienic or moral sense) also shows that life, especially human life, has a positive value - as do the kosher laws which revolve around the avoidance of shedding blood, or "life."

Like many other very fundamental principles - free will and the existence of God come to mind - Scripture itself does not so much explicitly declare the value of human life, but assumes it as a baseline axiom. In Judaism, those principles are made explicit in the tradition, since Scripture is not itself the repository of teaching but only one of its sources - and it will be remembered that Jesus was a Jew before he was anything else.

[JoeyKnothead]

The question for this thread is quite simple to ask, though may not be so simple to answer.

Is there anything that can be found in scripture, the teachings of Christ or the teachings that preceded Him, that gives value to human life on earth? Is there anything to indicate that God gives value to human life?

Well, since you ask about the teachings that preceded Jesus, I can tell you this; in Jewish teachings, long before Jesus, human life is held to be among the highest and most sacred values.

First, there is the principle that "thou shalt not stand idly by while the blood of thy neighbor is shed," from Leviticus 19.16. (The principle that "blood = life" is found in several places in the Torah). This clearly shows that humans are commanded to value human life, and thus that God does as well.

Further: In Jewish practice, the principle of pikuakh nefesh, "when life is endangered," trumps virtually all others; any commandment (or Commandment), excepting three only, may be broken to save a human life. One may steal or lie, for instance, if life is in danger; and it is not permitted, but required, for a Jew to drive a sick person to a hospital on the Sabbath - even if there is a non-Jew (who is not bound by that commandment) available to do it.

The three laws that may not be broken even to save a life are, first, the law prohibiting murder. One may kill in self-defense, or to save the life of another; that is not murder. But one may not murder an innocent to save one's own life. The saying is, "Who says your blood is redder?" That in itself shows that life is sacred and of value.

Second, one may not worship an idol, even to save one's life. This exception is much disputed; some say one may pretend to do so, others say not.

Third, one may not commit adultery. This is a traditional exception, but it does not appear to be meaningful; it's hard to see how committing adultery could save a life, and in any case it does not seem to hold up in practice, since a woman is not required to die rather than be raped.

Further, there is a very ancient teaching in Judaism that "to save one life is as if one has saved a whole world, and to take one life is as if one has destroyed an entire world." This is drawn directly from Scripture; The world was initially populated by the creation of one man and one woman (this is an example of Genesis as "teaching story"). A single human life is of literally infinite value, because it contains not only one life, but the potential of many more.

There is much more. The repeated injunctions that contact with the dead renders one tamei (ritually impure; not "unclean" in a hygienic or moral sense) also shows that life, especially human life, has a positive value - as do the kosher laws which revolve around the avoidance of shedding blood, or "life."

Like many other very fundamental principles - free will and the existence of God come to mind - Scripture itself does not so much explicitly declare the value of human life, but assumes it as a baseline axiom. In Judaism, those principles are made explicit in the tradition, since Scripture is not itself the repository of teaching but only one of its sources - and it will be remembered that Jesus was a Jew before he was anything else.

A very good post, and an ideology I'll try to adhere to (I've yet to murder so that's a start).

I'll be saving this one for the 'best post' elections.

[jgh7]

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows." (Mathew 10: 29-31)

According to this verse, humans are of high value to God, and all life on this earth great or small does not go unnoticed by God.

[JoeyKnothead]

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows." (Mathew 10: 29-31)

According to this verse, humans are of high value to God, and all life on this earth great or small does not go unnoticed by God.

I challenge you to show anyone has the hairs on their heads "numbered" by some god.

[myth-one.com]

The question for this thread is quite simple to ask, though may not be so simple to answer.

Is there anything that can be found in scripture, the teachings of Christ or the teachings that preceded Him, that gives value to human life on earth? Is there anything to indicate that God gives value to human life?

Yes. The Bible states:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Your life is your most valuable possession. Given enough time, every other item you own can be replaced.

[bernee51]

The question for this thread is quite simple to ask, though may not be so simple to answer.

Is there anything that can be found in scripture, the teachings of Christ or the teachings that preceded Him, that gives value to human life on earth? Is there anything to indicate that God gives value to human life?

To answer your last question first….no.

As to the ultimate value of life…that rests with the an individual realization that value rests with the individual deciding for themselves how THEY want to value life and is, in fact dependent upon how they value themselves. If ‘life’ is seen as common to all living things – if I value my life how can I not value the life of others?

And as for 'scripture' - if only those who held 'scripture' is such high esteem could realize there is so much more to human thought and experience...

The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore expressed this idea, "The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers."

From a Buddhist perspective, given the mind-boggling number of life-forms that fill the universe, human life is rare privilege with special responsibilities. Nichiren , a Japanese Buddhist monk, referring to a passage from the Nirvana Sutra (c. 150BCE), describes this: "It is rare to be born a human being. The number of those endowed with human life is as small as the amount of earth one can place on a fingernail."

The value of human life does not originate from some god given gift – it’s value rests in life itself.

I give value to my life – as you give value to yours.

[Zzyzx]

The Bible states:

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Your life is your most valuable possession. Given enough time, every other item you own can be replaced.

Did you need a bible to figure that out?

Some of us reach a similar conclusion without spiritual guidance or religious baggage.

[cnorman18]

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows." (Mathew 10: 29-31)

According to this verse, humans are of high value to God, and all life on this earth great or small does not go unnoticed by God.

I challenge you to show anyone has the hairs on their heads "numbered" by some god.

In all fairness, Joey, Confused asked if there was anything in the Bible, including in the words of Jesus, that showed that God places a value on human life, and jgh7's quote qualifies. It's quite to the point of the OP.

Besides, I doubt that even Jesus intended that that should be taken literally. Hyperbole is common in both the OT and the NT. Isaiah says somewhere that "the trees will clap their hands," and I doubt that anyone is prepared to prove that that's gonna happen either.