Reverence for Life
My absolute respect for human life is so strong, in fact, that I have trouble with abortion, euthenasia and the death penalty. Human self-respect demands we place the highest and absolute value on human life. I believe any self-respecting society must first expend all efforts to solve societal problems, such as poverty and ignorance that leads to unwanted pregnancies, rampant crime, the excruciating pain that often accmpanies dying, and attack from other nations and/or individuals that leads to war, before considering any option that involves death.
Death, whether in the form of abortion, death penalty, euthenasia or war, should only be considered as a very, very, very last resort.
Eary in the 20th Century man there lived a man called Albert Schweitzer, a great philosopher, musician, and medical doctor, who believed in a philosophy called: "Reverence For Life". He revered life in all its forms, human and non-human: he would not even kill a mosquito or beetle....even though he spent the latter part of his career living and working among the poor as a much-needed medical doctor in the jungles of Africa where all forms of life are so overwhelminly abundant that at times they appear inconsequential. Albert Schweitzer lived his life-revering philosophy in the extreme (whereas I personally would draw the life/death absolute line at humans); but he had a point. If we do not revere life, life has no meaning. If life has no meaning, all morality, ethics and goodwill...and existence...are negotiable...and problematic. Human self-respect requires a strong and abiding respect for life..."to be proud to be a HUMAN BEING".