There are many ethical issues concerning the value of life and medical practices which are tied directly to whether one comes from a creationist or evolutionary worldview. The creationist view draws directly from Genesis 1:27:
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Although animals possess life, and we should not abuse them (Prov 12:10), mankind is very different. Men and women are made in God’s image. We have body, soul, and spirit (Job 33:4, 1 Thess 5:23). The evolutionist sees man as simply a higher evolved animal. Some, such as those in the animal rights movement, would even put animals on the same plain as mankind. But it is clear that man possesses many attributes not held by animals. We have the ability to communicate through spoken and written language. Our minds are not just random eletro-chemical impulses evolved over time. We can think abstract thoughts and reason. We have the ability to appreciate and create things of beauty and to worship our Creator. Human beings, whether in the womb or a wheelchair have intrinsic value. As a personal God, He “walked” with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:8), showing how He loved and enjoyed fellowship with those He made in His image. God instituted capital punishment in Genesis 9:6 because murder is eliminating His image.
Evolution denigrates the value of human life and forms the foundation for abortion, Nazism, Communism, and racism. Evolutionists, perhaps because of the influence of Ernst Haeckel’s fraudulent drawings, consider the unborn baby as not fully human. But from the moment of conception, the embryo has all the genetic information necessary for being a human. We will never know until eternity how much the 60 million[1] aborted persons (since Roe v. Wade) could have enriched our nation. Because of their evolutionary foundation, the evil ideologies of Nazism and Communism resulted in the murder of over 100 million souls. And it was evolutionary thinking, early in the 20th century, whereby people justified eugenics and sterilization programs of “lesser evolved races” – clearly a misguided and wicked practice.
Human cloning and embryonic stem cells are two other bioethical issues on which people hold different views depending on their worldview. Human cloning has been banned in a number of countries because of its likely harmful or lethal results. When Dolly the sheep was successfully cloned in 1997, only 1 out of 29 implanted embryos survived. We would likely see the same percentage of death if human cloning were attempted.
Stem cell ethics rides on the source of the stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, although unlimited in their use, pose risks of immune system rejection and the formation of tumors. Most importantly, they require the death of at least one embryo. Adult stem cells, on the other hand, although somewhat limited in their use, show great medical promise and do not require the death of any embryos. Creationists who believe in the sanctity of life say it is wrong to kill an embryo. Evolutionists who say the embryo is not fully human will take the pro-abortion position and say it’s just tissue and ignore the dangers and ethical ramifications of using embryonic stem cells.
In summary, from a creationist perspective, human life has intrinsic value because we are made in the image of God. We should protect it, from conception until death. Evolution however, does not put great value on human life. During the 20th century, evil ideologies sprung from an evolutionary foundation resulting in the deaths of tens of millions. Abortion has resulted in the deaths of millions more. We would be wise to avoid altogether the dangers of human cloning, and when it comes to stem cell treatments, opt for the more promising adult stem cells to avoid the ethical controversy of killing embryos. There is no way life evolved from non-life by time and chance. God Himself gives life and simply put, human life is sacred. Jesus Christ in particular said I AM the life (John 14:6). In the fullest sense, Jesus gives eternal life to all who come to Him by faith (John 17:3, 1 Cor 15:45).
[1] http://www.numberofabortions.com/ (accessed: 5/29/18)
Great article. There very important sudject matters, human life, abortion, stem cells and cloning.