Respect Life, Respect for Life

by: Jesus V. Sison, PTRP
Deputy National Director, CRFV

Respecting life is not just about advocating against abortion, although it is an alarming problem our society faces. Respecting life means seeing every individual being, from conception to birth and through old age, as a carrier of the Life of God as Christ dwells within. It also denotes that the body is a temple of God and should be treated with honor, dignity, and reverence.

​“… your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

Remember that we are His temple here on earth; we are to protect it and never be torn down through destructive practices in thoughts, words, or actions. Thus, we should disregard death-dealing activities like ill-judgments, discrimination, gossip, lies, greediness, and other forms of injustice against individuals. Respect for life is an obligation and a human reason that must be observed. We bear it in mind to always esteem our own life and the lives of others with fear and high regard. We should express how much we love and cherish the life God entrusted to every one of us, no matter how big or small, strong or weak, young or old a person is.
 
Respect for life is based on a credence accepted in every society. The inherent dignity of every life, whether among humans or even among every living creature, includes the environment. It is built within. For this reason, a person’s human dignity can never be rescinded nor withdrawn regardless of their race, nationality, citizenship, mental health, economic situation, race, intellectual ability, criminal record, or other conditions one’s society might use to marginalize and separate the deserving from the undeserving. Respecting life is a value that reminds us that we can never be excused from giving compassion, care, and honor to others. Respecting the dignity of life requires different proactive practices directed to end every form of violence and abuse that threatens human lives. We should never forget that everyone and everything we see reflects a certain degree of God’s glory that expresses The Life, The Truth, and The Way.
 
Remember, we respect life because we have received THE LIFE and are hidden in Him purposed to reflect the One who created us according to His image and likeness.There’s a buzz in our society through social media about AI-generated images of people. However, let us pause for a while and take a moment to look in the mirror and realize the beauty before us. The person we see in the mirror is the reflection of the invisible God who created us in His image and likeness. We are fearfully and wonderfully made - precious in the sight of God. Every time God brings a new life into the world, it tells us that He is glorious and loves us with everlasting love. Jesus Christ declared: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” He is our life, and apart from Him, we fail to exist in fullness and with meaning. Having these things in mind, we ought to respect life.
 
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