*Click on the references to read the Scripture passages.*

We believe human life to be precious, beginning with conception, and it should not be aborted
(Jeremiah 1:5Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”).

Human beings alone are created by God in His image, and so have a value beyond our unique characteristics or individual attributes (Genesis 1:27Genesis 1:27

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.). Every person, from conception to natural death, possesses inherent dignity and worth (Jeremiah 1:5aJeremiah 1:5a

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Psalm 139:13Psalm 139:13

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.; Psalm 116:15Psalm 116:15

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.). We are called to defend, protect, and value all human life (Exodus 1:16-21Exodus 1: 16-21

and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?” 19 And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.” 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. 21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.; Exodus 20:13Exodus 20:13

You shall not murder.; Proverbs 31:8-9Proverbs 31:8-9

Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.; Matthew 2:13-16Matthew 2:13-16

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.).

• The incarnation of God’s own Son fully affirms the sacredness of human life. Jesus took upon Himself the form of a servant, and was born in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7Philippians 2:7
  
  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.). Therefore, God has confirmed the sanctity of human life in both the birth and death of His Son.
• We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14Psalm 139:14
  
  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.). From the miracle of life in the womb to the body’s ability to regenerate cells and tissue for healing, we see God’s amazing hand at work.
• Man (male and female) is unique in the Creation: man was the pinnacle of the Creation (Genesis 1:27,31, 2:1-2Genesis 1:27, 31, 2:1-2
  
  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.); man alone was given authority by God to name and have dominion over all other creatures (Genesis 2:19-20aGen 2:19-20a
  
  Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field.; Genesis 1:28Genesis 1:28
  
  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”; Psalm 8:3-6Psalm 8:3-6
  
  When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? 5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.); only for man was God concerned to provide a helper (Genesis 2:18,21-22Genesis 2:18, 21-22
  
  And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.); only with man does God seek fellowship (Genesis 3:8a,9Genesis 3:8a, 9
  
  And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”; Job 7:17-18Job 7:17-18
  
  What is man, that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart on him, 18 That You should visit him every morning, and test him every moment?; I Corinthians 1:9I Corinthians 1:9
  
  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.); only men does God adopt as His children (Ephesians 1:5Ephesians 1:5
  
  having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will); and only within man does God put His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17-18Acts 2:17-18
  
  And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.).
• Human life is sacred because ultimately it belongs to God. Human beings were created to reflect His glory (Colossians 1:16Colossians 1:16
  
  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.; Revelation 4:11Revelation 4:11
  
  “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”).
• God asserts His sovereignty over all human life (Deuteronomy 32:39Deuteronomy 32:39
  
  ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.). He determines the length of our lives (Psalm 139:16Psalm 139:16
  
  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.; Psalm 90:10Psalm 90:10
  
  The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.). God did not give man power/liberty/authority to shorten his own life out of convenience or to alleviate burdens or suffering, but calls men to come to Him for help (Acts 16:27-34Acts 16:27-34
  
  And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.; I Peter 4:19I Peter 4:19
  
  Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.). Even the apostle Paul was tempted to the point of despairing for his life but did not surrender to the temptation (2 Corinthians 1:8b-9II Corinthians 1:8b-9
  
  we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead). God did sanction governmental authority, however, which may include administering capital punishment for serious crimes (Romans 13:1-4Romans 13:1-4
  
  Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.); although we recognize that this sanction is not always exercised in a godly way.