What value is the human body and how
should we treat it? That's a big question, but it's one that should concern
pretty much everyone, since everyone has a body. It should especially
concern the Christian, as Christian theology has much to say about our bodies.
Yet, I don't think a lot of Christians have given this particular topic a lot of
thought.
First, there are a lot of voices in Western culture offering
differing opinions of the value of our bodies. We see some demanding more
organically grown crops and no GMO-modified foods; others encourage us to be
good to ourselves through exercise and the reduction of stress. Yet at the same
time these trends are increasing, so is the number of people who are modifying
their bodies as a form of self-expression. Tattooing has become commonplace and
unsurprising. Other types of modifications include implants, piercings, and ear
tunnels. Some opt even more extreme changes like branding, scarification, tongue
splitting, and so on.
Of course, one should never assume all these are part
of the same continuum. They may not even be in the same category, depending on
how one defines those categories. But this is my point in exploring these
issues. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I'd like to at least more
clearly define the questions and do so using a Christian perspective.
Non-Christians may have a completely different take, one that may comport to
their worldview, but I hope to find some common ground to begin the discussion
between Christians here.
How Does One Ascribe Value?
What value does a body have? To answer that question, one must first
understand what we mean by value. Value can either be extrinsic or intrinsic.
Extrinsic value is the value bestowed by an external source. For example, a
child can value an old blanket or a soldier values his fiancée's letter from
home, but those are extrinsic values. The object is perceived as valuable by the
valuer. Items like an iPhone, currency, and even gold are considered valuable
because people place a value for those items. Perhaps the item's rarity or the
fact a metal won't tarnish make people agree it's more valuable than not, but if
those conditions change, the value of the item will change. That's why the price
of gold fluctuates and you can't buy anything with Confederate money. Extrinsic
value has no value in and of the thing.
Intrinsic value is different.
Intrinsic value comes simply due to the nature of the thing itself. For example,
human life has
intrinsic value. That's why we won't take the life of a prisoner to use his
organs to save research scientists. It's why we shudder at concepts like
eugenics and cannibalism. Human life holds an intrinsic value because human
beings are intrinsically valuable. We are beings
made in the
image of God and as image-bearers we are unique in God's creation. We are
able to relate to ourselves, each other, and to God in a way no other part of
his creation can. And because all human beings carry this image of God, it means
all human beings are intrinsically valuable.
Human Beings as Body and Soul
As human beings, we must recognize we are made of two components: body and
soul.
1 God's design for humans is for us to exist as
bodily beings. God created us this way and h calls his creation good. While
there are many passages in the Bible of people surviving their bodies (Gen
35:18, Ecc. 12:7, 1 Sam. 28:15, Luke 16:19-31,Rev.6:9), the Bible clearly shows
these disembodied souls are in an intermediate state. Prior to eternity, both
the saved and the lost will be resurrected, meaning they will be re-embodied, so
they can live out eternity once again as body and soul. This means the body is a
crucial component of what it means to be a human being. Wayne Grudem writes:
It is important to recognize that it is man himself who is created in the
image of God, not just his spirit or his mind. Certainly our physical bodies
are a very important part of our existence and, as transformed when Christ
returns, , they will continue to be part of our existence for all eternity
(see 1 Cor. 15-43-46, 51-55). Our bodies have therefore been created by God
as suitable instruments to represent in a physical way our human nature,
which has been made to be like God's own nature.2
Secondly, God himself became embodied in the person of Jesus of Nazareth
(John 1:14). In one way, this sanctifies the human body, as it is seen as a
fitting vessel for the Son of God to dwell in. Because Jesus is fully human, his
body will also exist for all eternity. His body wasn't a temporary dwelling, but
it is how we will experience him in heaven (Rev 5:6). Christ's redemption
entails both our bodies and our souls, and just has Jesus resurrected with the
same body he had before his death, we too will be resurrected with our own
bodies. They may have new attributes. They may be healed or made whole, but they
will essentially be our bodies.
The Value of the Human Body
Given these two criteria, I believe our bodies hold intrinsic worth, too.
This means it is an especially heinous when groups like ISIS or Sierra Leone's
Revolutionary United Front uses amputation and mutilation as tactics to instill
terror on others.
3 This is also why we see crimes like
rape as abhorrent. While rape does have a psychologically damaging dimension,
the physical act is a violation all by itself. Imagine a woman being raped while
drunk or under anesthesia. Even if she is unconscious and cannot remember the
trauma, the crime is in no way diminished. This is because her body has been
violated by another.
All of this is to simply try to focus our minds on what
kind of value we mean when we say the body is valuable. In subsequent posts,
I'll try to tease out the incredibly wide range of ways we treat our bodies and
ask what that means to their value. I'm interested in your thoughts as well. But
let's first agree that Christians hold our bodies are not valuable because our
minds would hate to part with them or some portion of them. Our bodies are
valuable intrinsically. They have value because of what they are.
References