The destruction of frozen human embryos and the abortion of a twin baby has raised again in the public domain the vexed question of the sanctity of human life.
This issue, with the passing of time, will become more acute, not less.
The common perception of the Christian position is that it is an absolute ethic: that human life should never be taken away and should be preserved at all costs. Whatever the basis of this common perception it is, in fact, a misrepresentation. Although the sanctity of life is a fundamental value, it is not an absolute value. Not only did the Lord Jesus consider the giving of his own life for that which he considered to be of greater worth (the redemption of the elect), but he also urged upon his followers that losing one's life for the sake of the kingdom of God is no bad thing (as expounded in Matthew 10, for instance).
