Does life have value?

Stripping away all religious connotations from the word, human life, to me, is 'miraculous'. - Recently however i'm left wondering if Christians are of the same mind. Three Christians in particular seem very casual about human death, with the philosophy that 'we're all going to die anyway' so what does it matter if God decides to nonchalantly wipe us out. (God apparently resides outside the realm of culpability). In the last few days I have read:

"You seem very upset about the bears killing the slandering young men. Are you vehemently Pro-Life ?" - Sonship.

"We are all going to die at some place and time if God wishes to make a point, He can to show it wasn't a natural death, by doing something way out of natural causes." - Kelly.

"Everyone dies at some point. God is not another human being so he doesn't kill. He gives life and he takes life." - FetchMyJunk/another account.


Does an atheist give more value to a mortal life than a theist?

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Stripping away all religious connotations from the word, human life, to me, is 'miraculous'. - Recently however i'm left wondering if Christians are of the same mind. Three Christians in particular seem very casual about human death, with the philosophy that 'we're all going to die anyway' so what does it matter if God decides to nonchalantly wipe us ...[text shortened]... etchMyJunk/another account.


Does an atheist give more value to a mortal life than a theist?

The value of the human life is incredible, I don't look at the life you and I see here as all
there is to human life. I view our lives as eternal creatures, who have the ability to make a
choice. There is nothing casual about human life, from my view point, I believe we were
fearfully and wonderfully made, we are not just some creature thrown together by some
cosmic accident with a short life span like a flower here today gone tomorrow.

Without God I don't see why you'd be upset about the prospect of death, since death is
only part of the process. Without God it isn't like there was a promise made to you about
living a sec longer than you have up till now. Only with God does death actually have
an end date, where we see that life will lives on, just not in this sinful state we currently
find ourselves in.

Does an Atheist give more value to mortal life, please...let’s get everyone who agrees with
you to say yes and win the point. If there is not point to life, the value is only there if you
want it, otherwise no. With God even one of us calling another a fool is so bad it could
put you in danger of Hell, yet the name calling, the slander, the evil way people are
treated here speaks volumes about how human life is valued.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Stripping away all religious connotations from the word, human life, to me, is 'miraculous'. - Recently however i'm left wondering if Christians are of the same mind. Three Christians in particular seem very casual about human death, with the philosophy that 'we're all going to die anyway' so what does it matter if God decides to nonchalantly wipe us ...[text shortened]... etchMyJunk/another account.


Does an atheist give more value to a mortal life than a theist?

I think the better question would be does human life have intrinsic value? If not the value you give it is meaningless. From a Christian perspective I would say it does since we are created in the image of God.

Originally posted by KellyJay
The value of the human life is incredible, I don't look at the life you and I see here as all
there is to human life. I view our lives as eternal creatures, who have the ability to make a
choice. There is nothing casual about human life, from my view point, I believe we were
fearfully and wonderfully made, we are not just some creature thrown together by ...[text shortened]... he slander, the evil way people are
treated here speaks volumes about how human life is valued.

"Without God I don't see why you'd be upset about the prospect of death..."

Because sir, without God there is no immortal soul. For an atheist, all we have is here and now. That is why our mortal life is precious, is miraculous. Of course i'm upset about the prospect of death. I love life!

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
"Without God I don't see why you'd be upset about the prospect of death..."

Because sir, without God there is no immortal soul. For an atheist, all we have is here and now. That is why our mortal life is precious, is miraculous. Of course i'm upset about the prospect of death. I love life!

Well, after a hundred years or so you'd be gone no matter what happens in this life time.
A flower here today and gone tomorrow, that shows why I think you'd value your own life,
but it doesn't always translate how you would value another. I love life too, and the Author
of life as well, and all we see now is how bad it can get in a world full of sin. What is
coming is far better.

Bottom line, no matter which one of us is right, we both know there is a day coming when
we will no longer be here. The "belief" of who is right or wrong now isn't going to change
that no matter who is right, but the reality of it will matter greatly.

Originally posted by dj2becker
I think the better question would be does human life have intrinsic value? If not the value you give it is meaningless. From a Christian perspective I would say it does since we are created in the image of God.

I agree, because if I alone get to pick what I value, then only those lives I value, have
value.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Well, after a hundred years or so you'd be gone no matter what happens in this life time.
A flower here today and gone tomorrow, that shows why I think you'd value your own life,
but it doesn't always translate how you would value another. I love life too, and the Author
of life as well, and all we see now is how bad it can get in a world full of sin. Wh ...[text shortened]... w isn't going to change
that no matter who is right, but the reality of it will matter greatly.

I don't live in a world full of sin Kelly. I live in a world where kindness and good people reside in abundance. I live in a world where perfection is not expected, and human frailties are immediately forgivable and understood. Life is all the more precious due to its transitory nature, not less so.

In the OP, Sonship asks me if I am 'vehemently Pro-Life ?' - as if that were a bad thing...

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Stripping away all religious connotations from the word, human life, to me, is 'miraculous'. - Recently however i'm left wondering if Christians are of the same mind. Three Christians in particular seem very casual about human death, with the philosophy that 'we're all going to die anyway' so what does it matter if God decides to nonchalantly wipe us ...[text shortened]... etchMyJunk/another account.


Does an atheist give more value to a mortal life than a theist?

Christians are commanded to care about the life of others but not their own. The reason is that God will take care of his people, the true followers, which are those who follow his commandments and who live righteously.

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. (1 Peter 3:12 KJV)

In turn these true followers are to love their neighbour as themselves and take care of others - help, give, feed, clothe, comfort etc... a life of love charity and good works. God will reward them accordingly. Regardless of who lives this life, Christian or atheist, God will see to it that they are rewarded. God is not unjust.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
I don't live in a world full of sin Kelly. I live in a world where kindness and good people reside in abundance. I live in a world where perfection is not expected, and human frailties are immediately forgivable and understood. Life is all the more precious due to its transitory nature, not less so.

In the OP, Sonship asks me if I am 'vehemently Pro-Life ?' - as if that were a bad thing...

I'm not denying there is kindness and we can do good to one another too, we can love
and care for one another. I do believe that is the goal, but it isn't the default with man now
days. I think if life were nothing but a transitory thing, than so too will its value be, since it
is limited no matter how precious it is to us now. Those around us will soon be gone, as
will we, with little left to show for our being here. If memories and some small impact on
the state of things are the only things we leave in this life that outlasts us, than out of the
billions that have come before us, how many of them do you know about, and what you
think you know how much of that is true?

The pro-life question does go to the value of life, is it only valued if it is X whatever X
happens to be to you, or is it valued because its life period.

Originally posted by dj2becker
I think the better question would be does human life have intrinsic value? If not the value you give it is meaningless.

Actually the value I give something has more meaning to me than any intrinsic value. Actually I would argue that 'value' is a necessarily subjective property and there can be no such thing as 'intrinsic value'. (or 'intrinsic meaning' for that matter)

Originally posted by Rajk999
Christians are commanded to care about the life of others but not their own. The reason is that God will take care of his people, the true followers, which are those who follow his commandments and who live righteously.

[i]For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them th ...[text shortened]... s this life, Christian or atheist, God will see to it that they are rewarded. God is not unjust.

Corinthians 3:16 asks us, "Don"t you know that you yourselves are God"s temple and that God"s Spirit lives in you?"

I have always understood that to mean that a Christian should value their own life, not just the lives of others?

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Corinthians 3:16 asks us, "Don"t you know that you yourselves are God"s temple and that God"s Spirit lives in you?"

I have always understood that to mean that a Christian should value their own life, not just the lives of others?

1 Cor 3 the way I read it speaks of Christians living a life of good works and righteousness as opposed to those who live in sin and evil. The second group will be destroyed while the righteous group will be rewarded. So its not about life itself but the kind of life that is important.

There are far too many passages which suggest that this life is of no real value since all would be made better in the next life and in the Kingdom to come. Christians are supposed to set their mind on future eternal things rather than earthly temporal things.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Stripping away all religious connotations from the word, human life, to me, is 'miraculous'. - Recently however i'm left wondering if Christians are of the same mind. Three Christians in particular seem very casual about human death, with the philosophy that 'we're all going to die anyway' so what does it matter if God decides to nonchalantly wipe us ...[text shortened]... etchMyJunk/another account.


Does an atheist give more value to a mortal life than a theist?

I would like to add that I believe God loves human life too, worth all the effort He has put
into us. God through the OT could have just ended it and started over, but didn't instead
He worked through setting us up to have Jesus born into human life, so we could grasp
Him in terms we would have a chance to understand. Even though we killed off His
prophets, then the Son of God made flesh, He used our wicked nature to bring about
salvation to us. God has been working to save the human race, as many as possible.

I know we disagree on many points, but if you would entertain this one, that for the sake
of argument I'm telling you the truth, not so much because I believe it, but because it is,
that God is love. He gets hated, yes, He is accused of many things, yes, but what if God
truly is love? If God is love and we are viewing all things through sinful eyes, wouldn't
God be the one most abhorrent to us, the One who is everything that should be, being
viewed by those so wrapped up in their twisted selfish world view that we only see things
as we want them, not as they should be.

Originally posted by twhitehead
Actually the value I give something has more meaning to me than any intrinsic value. Actually I would argue that 'value' is a necessarily subjective property and there can be no such thing as 'intrinsic value'. (or 'intrinsic meaning' for that matter)

If it is true that human life has no intrinsic value why should anyone feel bad if they took a life that they did not value?

Originally posted by dj2becker
If it is true that human life has no intrinsic value why should anyone feel bad if they took a life that they did not value?

They wouldn't. But if people value life then they would do so despite the absence of any intrinsic value.