¶630.2.8 Sanctity of Life
All persons are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). As such, all human beings have
inherent dignity and worth. As Creator, God is sovereign over life (Acts 17:24-26). Further, the
resurrection of Jesus Christ is at the center of our conviction that God is also sovereign over
death (1 Corinthians15:20-28). Thus, as his creation, we cannot claim absolute sovereignty over
our lives. We are stewards rather than sovereign possessors of our life. As stewards, we must
value, respect and protect life at every stage. The Bible provides a general prohibition against the deliberate, intentional taking of innocent life (Exodus 20:13). For all these reasons, we affirm the sanctity of life.
The complex issues surrounding the sanctity of life involve religious and moral values, as well as medical and legal realities. Therefore, Christians may not determine their rights and privileges only by the extent of the permissiveness of the law or the possibilities of safe medical procedures.
