A Question of Values
By Joanna Griffith

In the context of this week's discussion of abortion the issue arises, “What is the underlying value (or lack thereof) that has brought our society to this point?”
Clearly, selfishness is exalted in our culture, as children and life in general are devalued. Our society and those of other Western nations often view children as a drain and a burden. Families with more than a few children are seen as strange, while many couples have 1-2 children as almost an item on the checklist of life goals. Get a Master's degree, get married, have a couple kids, travel to Europe . . . We create at least a mental list of experiences that would seem to define a successful life and then try to have each of those experiences and be able to say we have “been there, done that”.
But what is happening here? When we group having children with other “life goals”, we are creating a world of self-centeredness. Having a child is a benefit because it makes us feel good about ourselves, it helps us feel fulfilled and accomplished. When a child is seen as simply a tool to complete our life goals, aborting unwanted babies seems like the obvious path.
Secondly, we are devaluing life. The controversy over the value of life is clearly seen as the debate unfolds on multiple fields. The dramatic story of the fight for Terri Schiavo's life and death was played out on national news last year as Americans watched a woman starve to death amidst a family duel over the value of her life. This issue continues to be debated in regards to Euthanasia, assisted suicide, and abortion. In all of these issues, the foundation of the debate is a clash over the value and definition of life.
The need in our society is a change in value. We must come to value children, not as a tool to further ourselves, but as a gift from God. We must come to recognize that all men and women are valuable human beings made in the image of God. If our culture adopts these values, abortion, Euthanasia and other similar procedures will be seen in their proper light as the murder of valuable human beings.