What Happened to the Sanctity of Human LIfe?

A fundamental tenet of Christianity is the belief in the sanctity of human life, all human life. As beings created in the image of God, the life of humans are held sacred, which means that actions leading to the loss of human life or causing human suffering are considered especially heinous amongst the followers of Jesus.

This idea is at the heart of God calling us to advocate for the oppressed, to lift up the poor and suffering, and to plead the cause of the widowed and the orphaned. The sanctity of human life is not reserved for the privileged, or for “believers,” or any specially designated group, it applies to all. In fact, if any group is favored, it is the poor, the oppressed, and the suffering that God holds most dearly in his heart.

In theory, it is this same sense of sacredness that motivates the religious right in their campaign against abortion, extending this sacredness of human life to the womb. The sacredness of human life is what makes them so passionate and resolute for their cause. The problem is that their passion for the sacredness of human life seems to begin and end with anti-abortion campaigns.

Never has this shown itself more clearly than in this first month of Trump’s 2nd presidency. Trump has proudly signed a seemingly endless barrage of executive orders without any hint of compassion toward those who will suffer as the result of his actions. But what is most disturbing is that with each flamboyant signature, the religious, “pro-life” right has not only approved, but they have enthusiastically proclaimed the “rightness” and “justness” of their leader’s mandate, displaying either ignorance or unconcern for the human suffering that will result.

For instance, when Trump abruptly suspended refugee resettlement, which denied the legal entry of thousands of refugees already thoroughly, and rigorously vetted, it was the religious, “pro-life” right that cheered. They did this despite the fact that many of those left abandoned are Christians fleeing persecution (real persecution that endangers their lives, not the perception of “persecution” that offends the sensibilities of conservatives). It also includes Afghans that aided U.S. troops who daily fear deadly retribution from the Taliban.

For all the bluster about coming to this country legally, there was noticeable silence from the religious right when refugees, following all the rules, were still denied entry. “Pro-lifers” did not seem so concerned about those lives, for some reason. The lives of Afghan refugees seemed much more sacred to “pro-lifers” when it was the Biden administration leaving them behind during the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Then, when Trump froze the funds of USAID and gave a stop order for their work, thousands more lives were put at risk, and many were almost certainly condemned to die, by halting the delivery of life-saving medication and food. It has also put the lives of the USAID workers themselves in danger, amidst the uncertainty of what they could and could not do while working in dangerous parts of the world. Suddenly lacking the funds to make their way to safer areas, workers were put in precarious situations that put their safety at risk.

The response of the “pro-life” religious right was to ignore the positive work being done. Instead, they were quick to voice their anger over the “waste” that was uncovered, thereby concluding the entire organization (which would necessarily include the many faith-based NGOs that partner with USAID) is corrupt and evil and deserved to be eliminated. They reached their conclusion with complete disregard for the disastrous impact this will have on countless human lives, including those of honest, well-intentioned workers. Denying that any good could be found in USAID, they gushed with praise for the recklessness of the savior of their kingdom.

Perhaps the most egregious example of “pro-life” callousness is the war being waged on immigrants. There is, no doubt, a problem in our country with immigration, and solutions have been difficult to come by, and there is universal agreement that immigrants engaged in illegal activity should be deported. It is difficult to imagine, however, that a faith that reveres the sanctity of human life, would be so enthusiastic above indiscriminately rounding up people by the thousands to deport them without any opportunity to be heard. There are countless stories of immigrants following all the rules but being arrested anyway that refutes the notion that only dangerous criminals are being targeted in these latest sweeps. But rather than being a voice for the oppressed, the religious “pro-life” right lusts for more, with no concerns about the overreach.

Despite countless examples to the contrary, the MAGA religious right has believed the lie that every person being deported, and every refugee denied is a threat to their kingdom. When Trump complained that immigrants were “poisoning the blood” of Americans, “pro-lifers” of the religious right were the first to agree with this dehumanizing and insulting characterization. Because of this, they have rendered individual stories, even the very lives of these neighbors, as irrelevant and insignificant. The sanctity of human life is null and void, in their minds, when one dares enter their kingdom without their permission. Banishment from their kingdom, even if that will certainly lead to immense suffering, if not death, is not only appropriate, but celebrated.

As the poor and marginalized are fearing for their safety and wondering how they will afford food and a place to live, the religious right appears oblivious and unconcerned about the suffering of others. Instead, they are leading campaigns for religion to return to schools, advocating for displays of the Ten Commandments, mandated prayer and Bible teaching in classes, while simultaneously advocating for the elimination of the Department of Education, which primarily provides funds to assist the poor and marginalized. The irony would be laughable if it were not so tragic.

Not all that it is being done by the new administration is leading to such drastic consequences. Nonetheless, even amongst citizens of the United States, people are being treated as nothing more than numbers on computer screens, spreadsheets of data, and faceless lists of names on papers. While thousands are losing their jobs in the name of governmental efficiency, they are also being implicated as coconspirators in federal corruption. As such they are expendable, immediately, thrown away way like useless scraps of paper.

The current administration feels no need to treat these government workers with any sense of respect or dignity, despite the fact that most have no control over the purported “waste” that the administration is trying to eradicate. There is no image of God seen in any of them, not by Trump and not by the religious right. Their firings are extolled as virtuous, and the savior of their kingdom is lifted ever higher as they bow ever lower. The sanctity of human life, apparently, does not apply when someone is merely losing the livelihood and source of income.  

I have lost friends, ostensibly because of my “politics.” I would argue, however, that I have lost friends because of my theology. My politics, as well as theirs, is merely a reflection of what I believe about God – who he is and what he expects of his people. My frustration with most conservative evangelicals, and especially leaders within the movement, has everything to do with the real life theology that is demonstrated by their political religion.

I actually don’t expect Trump to act any different. Over the course of the last few weeks, he has simply proven himself to be who I thought he was all along. What makes me angry, however, is that those who profess to be Christians, have distorted the gospel into something it is not. They are defending Trump with more vigor than they defend the teachings of Jesus Christ. They have embraced the destruction of human lives while calling themselves “pro-life.”

A former pastor often said, “we should expect non-Christians to act like non-Christians,” which is why I expect so little from Trump and his henchmen. The corollary to that statement, however, is that we should expect Christians to strive to act like Christians. Unfortunately, far too many have traded grace and mercy, for hate and anger. They have traded the power of love for the love of power. In the process they have sacrificed a basic tenet of Christian faith – the belief that every human being is created in the image of God. They have chosen not to be disciples of Jesus; they have chosen to be disciples of Trump. Nowhere is that more clearly apparent than in their attitude and treatment of human lives that do not share their same privilege.