According to your worldview, what value does a human person have?

My worldview is that every human being has intrinsic value, which stems from their creation as the image of God. It means that each individual should be respected and treated with dignity regardless of his or her age, gender, ethnicity, or other features. In this way, I am a believer in the sacredness of life. It should be protected throughout its entire span from conception until natural death.

This worldview heavily influences my position on bioethical questions that are controversial. As an example, abortion involves the taking of a human life. I also do not believe in the concept of “designer babies” because they involve manipulating a person’s genetic make-up for reasons other than medical ones, and I find this to be morally dubious. Stem cell research using adult stem cells is something I support because it doesn’t involve the destruction or harming of life.

As Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision Making in Health Care notes, “Christians view life as a sacred gift from God, which imbues every person with inherent worth and dignity” (Burke & Golding, 2020, p. 8). Christian bioethical beliefs on abortion and stem-cell research are influenced by the belief in the sacredness of life. Other sources, such as the Bible or Christian tradition, provide additional guidance for how to address these issues with Christian values.