Recognition of the sanctity (or sacredness) of human life is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The sanctity of human life is first described in the Holy Bible in Genesis 1:27 (NIV): “So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Scholars note that being created in the image of God (imago Dei) means more than having certain abilities and attributes. It means that humans are the images of God, regardless of what they can or cannot do.1 To bear the image of the Creator is a privilege extended uniquely to humans. No other “creation” of God can make this claim.
In God’s eyes, we are each endowed with a touch of Himself. Each human carries within his or her being the likeness of the Creator. Therefore, each human life exists as an expression of God and His character. We are not merely flesh and blood. We are all image-bearers of the living God. Since we embody God’s image, the sacredness of our lives — and the dignity it demands — is based on something beyond our characteristics or abilities: it is rooted in the essence of God Himself. This image or likeness of God that is present in each human life is not tangible: you cannot see, touch or smell it. It’s part of the mystery of life.
The image of God in humankind provides direction and guidance regarding how we treat one another. Men, women and children created in God’s image should be respected, regardless of their mental capacity, physical ability, faith (or absence of faith) or social position. Characteristics we attribute to God (benevolence, love and creativity) may or may not be evident in each of His created human beings. The recognizable presence or absence of such desired characteristics does not determine the worth of the individual. The value of each person is firmly established on the basis of the nature of God, who is the quintessence of dignity and holiness.
Unlike the Christian experience of being indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God, the sacredness of human life is not based on accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. Every human life, Christian or not, is sacred and of inestimable value because each life is created in the image of God. The likeness of Yahweh is impressed upon each human spirit. This status is not reserved for Christians but extends to every member of the human family.
This is a core question as we examine how to embrace the sanctity of human life ethic. To be human means to be part of the human family. To be human is identifiable by species (homo sapiens) and genetic code. Life, biologically speaking, begins at fertilization. We all began with the same raw materials: an egg and a sperm. We are fully human when these gametes unite at fertilization, as nothing else is added to us — only nourishment and time to grow.
This biological definition of human life is critical as society attempts to redefine what it means to be human based on more subjective criteria. Arbitrary standards — such as physical ability, intelligence or age — can shift with the tide of public opinion or cultural trends. Such measures are not reliable for this critical definition. The presence or absence of characteristics and capacities cannot determine humanness.
The biological component of our humanness is as sacred as our souls, as God created and sanctified both. Perhaps the most poignant example of the sacredness of the human body is seen in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who took on the frail likeness of humanity. By coming to earth as a human embryo and dying a painful death on the cross, Jesus Christ sanctified the entire life process from fertilization to natural death.