Made In God’s Image

Guest Opinion by Brady Johnson 

Throughout the course of human events, there have been many evil acts and unspeakable crimes that have been committed against entire populations. One recurring theme throughout history is the astonishing amount of evil that one group can do to another. Whether it be the Holocaust, the Gulag, or the tens of millions of Chinese who died under Mao, the 20th century alone is replete with examples of this sad reality. In many of these cases, the evil is not made possible because a majority supports it. Instead, the evil is made possible because a vast number of well-intentioned people fail to confront it. As the saying goes, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” In America today, we are witnessing the murder of millions of unborn babies each year. Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade in 1973, the American medical system has facilitated more than 60 million abortions. Even after the repeal of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, abortion has remained legal in many of the 50 states. And yet, too many Christians stand by and do nothing.

The debate over abortion is one that Christians must weigh in on, because it concerns something that is fundamental to what the Bible teaches and what Christians believe: the sanctity of human life. If it is true that God created human beings in His own image, as it says in Genesis 1:27, then all human life is valuable and worthy of protection from the moment that life begins and irrespective of whatever level of physical development society says must be reached in order for one to be considered fully human. If we are made in the image of God, and if we all have a soul, then there is something inherently valuable within us that transcends the physical. The fact alone that we are human is what gives us our worth, regardless of how we look, or what stage of development we are at. 

To argue that the unborn are less valuable than everybody else, simply because they are smaller, or less developed, or completely dependent on the mother, is extremely dangerous. After all, this would mean that we have a right to murder anyone who is smaller than us, or less developed than we are, or totally dependent upon other people. This is the same sort of reasoning that was used to justify many of the evil atrocities carried out by tyrannical regimes in the 20th Century. The problem with almost any argument for abortion is that it can easily be extrapolated outside the womb and applied to people who are already born, people whom society deems to be an inconvenience, or a burden, or a problem. And if it is not wrong for us to kill the unborn, then why is it wrong for us to kill these people also? If we accept the arguments in favor of abortion, we are only one step away from this dangerous idea becoming a reality.

But how is it possible for this to happen in a nation which prides itself in defending the rights of the individual? Once again, a portion of the blame lies with those people who simply do nothing. The people who choose not to act. The people who choose not to speak out. It is a sad truth that many of the people who oppose abortion and have the ability to do something about it, fail to make a difference, because they are either too afraid, or they think that they are powerless to affect any real change. Many Americans have fallen captive to a spirit of disinterest and disengagement. Again and again, we see evil triumph over good because too many people choose to ignore the moral dilemmas facing our society.

There are many reasons why people choose not to get involved. One of the most common is that they don’t believe they can actually make a difference. They don’t realize the impact they can have on the people around them. Contrary to what many think, just about anyone can have a huge impact on other people’s lives. People can accomplish real change in their communities, if they set their minds to it. Although one person cannot singlehandedly change the world in a day, he or she can join a movement of pro-lifers all across America who are working together to change the entire trajectory of our nation.

In the two years since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, the lives of many babies have already been saved. This is a major victory for Christians and conservatives in this country, because we have a responsibility before God to protect those who can’t protect themselves and speak out for those who don’t have a voice. However, our responsibility doesn’t stop there. Instead, it is the duty of every Christian and every conservative who supports the pro-life cause, to do their part in making sure that these babies are able to live happy, healthy, and flourishing lives after they are born. This is how we will persuade more and more people to join our movement—by showing them that we really do care. We care about the babies whose lives are being saved. We care about the mothers who have brought these babies into the world. And, we believe in the sanctity and the beauty of each and every human life. 

This is a cause that Christians and conservatives should be enthusiastic about supporting, because we believe that all human life matters. We should be willing to turn our deeply held beliefs into action. Not only should we stand for life in principle, but we must also support life in practice. We must become a movement centered around life. Only then will people begin to see the dangerous assumptions that lurk behind every argument in favor of abortion. Only then will people realize how important it is for us to reject these assumptions and instead hold firm to the truth that all human beings have a right to life, and that right to life does not come from society. It does not come from any government. Rather, it is given to us by God. If we judge people by God’s standard, then we must conclude that the moral value of each and every human being is the same for all people everywhere, because everyone is made in His image. 

Brady Johnson is a Senior at Vinemont High School and the President of Student Eagles of Cullman, one of two Eagle Forum of Alabama-affiliated student groups in the State. For more information, contact Student Eagles of Cullman through their Facebook page.

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