While convalescing from Covid, I found time to read some academic papers. One caught my attention in a significant way—the statistical value of a human life. Based on nine different studies, the U.S. Department of Transportation determined that the statistical value of a human life is somewhere near $9 million.
The Department of Transportation uses this kind of information to determine long-term, multigenerational trends and the economic impact of developing various forms of transportation. Aren’t you glad they do their homework?
But when you look at your paystub or your Social Security check, you might think that information can’t be right. But the evidence is convincing that during a lifetime, on average, the statistical economic impact of a human life living in these United States is higher than you think. The dollar amounts include the income received and the impact of a person’s purchasing and payment for services. This is an average, so there are some who are the poorest of the poor who, over the course of a lifetime, will not attain this level of economic impact.
Of course, there is more to a human life than a statistical formulation. The contribution one makes to the lives of others is huge. There is no way to calculate in numeric values how much a person’s love, care, acceptance, and purposefulness contributes to our culture and to each of us personally. How many of us have lost someone dear to us over the course of the last two years? What was their value? Priceless!
January 22, 2022, marks 49 years of legalized abortions in this nation. Every human life has value and every pre-born child terminated by an abortionist is a tragedy. According to the pro-life Christian Life Resources, 62,502,904 children have perished from an abortion procedure since 1973.
Since the legalization of abortion, more children perished at the hand of abortionists than the combined total of all casualties from all the wars fought by the United States. Using the data from DOT, the lifetime economic impact of these children is estimated to be $562.5 trillion.
But what is the value of a human life? We could use terms like priceless, immeasurable. Look into the eyes of a newborn. Do you see the vast potential of a precious life measured not by U.S. currency but in the Creator’s currency of love, hope, joy, grace, purposefulness, and future generations?
On January 5, the Christian Post ran a report by Ryan Foley titled, “Over 100 Christian Colleges have Ties to Planned Parenthood.” Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion business. The report included an assessment of all 784 Christian colleges and universities. Sadly, 103 of those institutions have some form of relationship with Planned Parenthood.
While initially founded with conservative theological roots, the evangelical institutions that made the infamous 103 list had removed themselves from affiliation from their denominational moorings.
If you look at the report, you will find that not one of the three Missouri Baptist universities is on the list. Why? Because they are with us. The leadership, trustees, faculty, and staff are people of conviction and faith. They are adherents of the Baptist Faith and Message. They are worthy of our generous support.
News Flash!!!!
Preliminary 2021 receipts from our churches are in and I am pleased to report to you that our churches gave an outstanding $15,466,767 to the Cooperative Program. That is 3.11% above the annual goal of $15 million.
Our churches also shattered goals for the Missouri Missions Offering, Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions, and Annie Armstrong Offering for the North American Missions. Praise the Lord for the generous sacrifice made by Missouri Baptist churches.