How we determine the value of life?

Often Christians take the firm stance on the sanctity of life. That life is created by God and is of immense value. However, the explanation is rather vague and difficult to convince people who are non-Christian to see what we are getting at. Rather than approaching the topic straight from the Bible, I would like to suggest we take an alternative by looking at these social issues from the general revelation point of view. Notably, the recent hot topic of conversation—euthanasia and many others such as abortion and suicide, boils down to a fundamental question—How much do we value life? 

It is difficult to place a value on life when there is no instrument to guide and measure it. The following test, known as the SLED test, is an easy and invaluable tool developed by Stephen Schwarz in his book The Moral Question of Abortion. Although the test is developed to defend the pro-life stance on abortion, I believe it can be adapted to suit the broader discussion as well. Schwarz argues that no matter what stages of development you are in, the value of life is determined from within and not without. 

1. Size: Are larger humans more valuable than smaller ones? If so, does that mean Shaquille O'Neal is more valuable as a person than me? Maybe in the NBA but not as a human person. It doesn’t matter whether you are an embryo or a full-grown person. Because no matter what size you are, albeit a baby, child, or adult, your value is determined by what is on the inside. 

2. Level of development: Likewise, you were less developed as an embryo, but two-year-olds are less developed than teenagers as well. Do teens have a greater right to life than others? What if someone who is degenerating or passing their prime years? Are old people considered less valuable than younger ones? No. 

3. Environment: where you are have no bearing on what you are. Unborn or born does not changes the value of life. A few inches away from the birth canal does not make you lesser when you are out. Similarly, a few days closer to the coffin does not make you lesser of a person. 

4. Degree of dependency: Dependence on another human does not grant us the right to kill the dependant. The dependency of a fetus, baby, or old person is irrelevant to the person’s value. Consider the life of conjoined twins, for ex-ample, or a terminally ill patient who relies on hospice care or palliative care. 

I hope this tool will help you as a conversation starter with people who have different values and beliefs from ours. Gradually we can redirect them to the biblical view on the sanctity of life. 

For more descriptions on the SLED test, visit https://www.sledtest.org/ 

— article submitted by Philip Wong