Where would you draw the line? Would you say the same thing about young people who are physically or mentally disabled, or those who apparently have no future–prisoners under a life sentence, for example, or people with an incurable cancer or a disease like AIDS? Once a society starts down this road, the potential for evil and abuse is enormous.

But the real issue is much deeper than this. The Bible tells us that human life is sacred; God gave it to us, and only God can take it away. You and I aren’t simply a higher form of animal; we were created in the image of God. God gave us a spirit or soul that will live forever–and this makes all the difference. The Bible says, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27).

This is why we must never destroy any life casually (from the unborn to the old). Life is precious, even when it nears its end on this earth. It is so precious that God sent His only Son into the world to open heaven’s door for us by His death on the cross. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

My prayer is that you won’t only reexamine your views on this issue, but that you will reexamine your own life and realize your need of Christ. He alone can give us peace and hope, even in the midst of life’s most difficult situations.