Christianity & the Sanctity of Life (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Why Human Life is Holy for Christians

Why is Life Holy for Christians?

• Christianity states that human life is the most valuable and special of all life forms

• Religious believers think humans are the highest form of creation and within the highest levels of spiritual development

• This means that the value of human life is beyond measure, so it needs protection and care

• Most religious believers are ‘Pro-life’ in issues relating to life

• This relates to the Christian belief in the Sanctity of Life which means;

  • Life is a gift from God and to end life is to reject the most precious gift

  • God creates all life, and only God can take life away, so humans do not have the right to decide between life and death

  • God has a plan for all human lives and to end a human life is to prevent God’s plan from coming into action

Sanctity of Life v Quality of Life

• Belief in the sanctity of life means that life should be preserved wherever possible. This is sometimes at odds with the belief in quality of life

  • Quality of life describes how good a person’s life is, and the standard of health or happiness of a person

  • It can also refer to whether life is worth living if a person has a medical condition

• Sometimes the issue of quality of life affects decisions which are made about whether someone lives or dies

• Abortion and euthanasia are two examples of when issues relating to quality of life are relevant

• When discussing issues relating to life and death, a religious person might focus on the sanctity of life whereas secular views might prioritise the quality of life

• Issues relating to quality of life occur when life is so bad that some might argue it is not worth living

• This leads some to question if the sanctity of life overrules quality of life in life and death issues

Bible Interpretations of the Value of Life

The Bible and the Value of Life

• The Bible contains passages that advise Christians why they should value life

• Christians believe that all humans are made in God’s image, meaning in his likeness and that no other living creature was created this way

• This suggests that humans are a reflection of God and therefore we should not end life through choice

• The Bible states that killing is wrong. One of the 10 Commandments is ‘Thou shalt not kill’ (Exodus 20:12)

  • Some Christians view euthanasia and abortion as murder and would therefore be against it

• Some Christians believe that God gave life and only God can take it away

• This means that Christians may be against any situation where someone takes a human life

The Importance of the Sanctity of Life for Christians Today

• Christian beliefs about the sanctity of life influence Christian beliefs and actions about a range of subjects including;

  • Abortion

  • Euthanasia

  • The death penalty

  • War

  • Medical treatment

• It means that Christians value life and would want all life to be protected

• These beliefs would guide Christians when making moral decisions. For example;

  • The Catholic Church teaches that human life must be respected from conception until Natural death and are therefore against abortion and euthanasia

  • Many Christians give money to hospices who look after those whose quality of life is poor due to illness or injury

  • Some Christians will campaign against war, particularly modern warfare which can result in high numbers of casualties

  • Christians might avoid jobs which may be potentially harmful to living creatures