What is life worth?

[sillygeezer10]

Is it thrown away? Or valued highly? It's hard to tell why. With abortions on the increase,certain people is screaming murder. So what is life worth? People is screaming for pedophiles, murderers to DIE. Is it right to kill them because they did wrong? But other people say if we let them live,they could improve themselves. But the death penaltly people say if they are living, there is fear. What we are to do? Kill or preserve?
But there is abused children,fear stricked people,the horrors in the world. We comfort them wherever possible. But in a chaotic Third world country, there is little hope. What the Western world are to do? To invade them with cry of "weapons of mass desuction" or feed them or what? Is life worthy of preservation? That is the question.

 

[rousley]

All people's life is worth preserving. However, when someone takes more out of the life of others than his/her own life brings to this world then the value of that person's mortal life is being spent. A person who has spent their life by using or abusing others can have a chance to make peace for their life before being sent on. But the cost of livlihood to others can not be allowed to continue growing.

It's ok to keep someone confined for the remainder of their life and financially costs less to others than sending them to death row at this point. If anyone believes it costs more emotionally to them to keep someone alive and confined than to end their offender's life then it is the offended person's fault for not being able to go on with their life at that point. I believe in keeping offenders alive, but I would want to be put to death if I had done anything like murder or destroy anyone's life. I guess that's a difference between believing and not believing in eternal life.

Should unwanted, unbord children be allowed to live regardless? Again, I believe every person's life is worth preserving. "But", the pro-life movement seems to have missed a huge point in the abortion issue. At the same time the pro-choice and pro-life movements have both lost respect for each other as brothers and sisters of the human race: God is bigger than "any" issue, if God wasn't then what is God doing with all of the millions of aborted people, is God at a loss to handle the situation? Never. If people are going to be pro-life then they need to show respect and the love of and confidence in God beyond all situations. The judgement and condemnation being dealt in the name of God are totally opposed to the Christian God (http://www.unidiversal.com/warningyield.html). The God of the Bible left the will and choices of life up to each individual and how God handles the aborted person's life is totally up to God. I would hope than no one "wants" to see a persons life killed or aborted, but some people do want as much population reduction as possible. It's just that trying to remove people's choices for themselves without respect or love for those individuals first is obsurd. And it is even more obsurd if it is being pursued due to lack of the supreme respect and faith in the God we believe is ultimately in control anyway. (http://www.unidiversal.com/god.html)

Are we to care? Yes. Are we to judge or condemn? No. Isn't it time to feed faith and starve religion, instead of people, to death? (http://www.unidiversal.com/human.html#anchor_16087)

 

[Lintu]

With abortions on the increase,certain people is screaming murder.

I don't know the situation in NZ, but in the US the number of abortions has steadily gone down since 1990.

Anyways, I have always believed that the souls of unborn babies are reincarnated into another physical body. This is something I've always believed, probably after having family members go through miscarriages. I don't think that life in one physical form is worth a whole lot in light of the immortal soul (well, I believe it is immortal...I could easily be wrong). Obviously I wouldn't want someone to kill me, even if it meant I'd just be reborn. This reminds me of Arjuna and Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, when Krishna tells Arjuna that we become so attached to people's physical forms that we forget the underlying ultimate reality of the universal soul. That really spoke to me, as someone who has always been concerned with the death of loved ones and even pets.

 

[jewscout]

I'll tell you what life is worth......about 3.50

 

[cardero]

Jewscout writes:I'll tell you what life is worth......about 3.50

buck 'o' five

 

[Jaymes]

Life isn't too meaningful. Bacteria is alive. Sentient life, however, is very precious.

 

[robtex]

Maybe monetary consideration is the wrong medium to look at. I would contend that the worth of life is the summation of the indivduals self preception (for self) and for others the sum of that indivuduals recieved emotinal affections and attachments minus their (if they have this) permanent negative emotional attachements from outside parties.

So that if you asked me what my brothers life was worth to me...I would say it is of highvalue in relation to others because i channel to much affection into him but my next door neighbor whom I like but do not have a stronger attachement..his demise would be sadding for a finite period of time which could be elongated by the transverse feelings I may recieve from their spouse.

I think the amount of one affection avaliable for output can vary from person to person as some are stoic and some are more passionate and / or nurturing.

When a monetary value is assigned to life I do not find this wrong but I acknowledge as an indexing system that takes emotional values and qualifies them in montary terms as opposed to a direct natural link between the two.

With Jensa's example with bacteria. I would assess that we are not emotionally connected with bacteria but we are more connected with animals more like us and more connected with our pets than our friends (or vice versa with pets and friends) than family/wife/husbands...

The association makes our connection subjective to the indivudual entitiy in question and a matter of personal perspective which varies not only upon the recipent but upon the indivduals ablity to level of emotinonal output. The bigger obstacle may be how to measure this and quantify it as a number even if that number is non monetary in nature.

I am thinking it could at least be done in percents based on each indivduals output. For instance, each person has 100 % output they are alloted to give but the 100% quantiative amount will vary from person to person based on various constraints with personality being the lead qualifier. The percenatages have latitude to move up or down from time to time.

Dollar amounts assigned to life are aggregates of this said value converted into a system we used for bartering which are neogociable and as such are represenatives of instead of a measurement of the value of life.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Everybody wants to get to heaven, but nobody wants to die!

 

[Judas]

i personally beleive in Malthus's theory.

 

[Dr. Nosophoros]

Life really isn't that meaningful, but we should make the most of it while we are here.

As far as abortion, I feel that since women are the ones that bear the blessing/burden of child bearing/birth, they should be the ones that should be able to decide whether to keep or kill a baby.

Many people who oppose abortion classify women who have abortions as women who have no responsibility, morals etc. and that may be true of some- but most feel depression, anxiety, sorrow etc. over the choice to kill a baby in their womb. Imagine as men, the responsibility that that would require. Women feel the result most strongly, I would say that the majority of women that have had an abortion have thought about what that child would be like if she had let it live in the last year- could we males deal with that burden? I feel that abortion should be legal for any woman that feels she needs one but education and support of other women would be helpful in the decision to do so or not.

As far as rapists, pedophiles ect., I feel that once someone crosses a line they cease to be a human animal or "human being", so there is no reason why they should live beyond that point. Animals are destroyed everyday because they bit a neighbor (many times after provocation) had rabies etc. and we think nothing of it. Why should we think that much of another "human being" when they have done much worse purposely, when we all supposedly have superior intellect and reasoning? The victims of those crimes live with the memories and physical/emotional scars years after the attacks, some until they die- why then, are the perpetrators against them given preferential treatment?- Destroy those that harm another in such a way, some might say " It makes you no better" but justice is not about being "better", it's about insuring no-one else is harmed in such away by that same person and giving them what they deserve.

 

[Faust]

What is the value of life?
Thats entirely subjective.
While I exist, the entire universe exists.
When I no longer exist, since I will no longer perceive , the universe no longer exists.
Faust.

 

[Scuba Pete]

So ask the kids at Columbine about the high cost of bullets?

 

[retrorich]

All people's life is worth preserving.

Why limit it to human life? All life is worth preserving, except the lives of humans who unjustly take the lives of others (e.g., George W. Bush).

 

[Faust]

So ask the kids at Columbine about the high cost of bullets?

NetDoc,
I'm afraid I don't get this.
If this is a reply to my post I'm afraid you may have misunderstood me.
It seems when I try to be brief I am unable to convey exactly what it is I'm trying to say.
I guess I should just stick to being a long winded blowhard.
Since I am atheist, I believe this life we are experiencing is all we have and life therefore becomes so very precious, not only for me but for every living creature.
Having no belief in an after life means to me that when life ends for anyone or anything it means the end of the universe for that being, and thats a pretty hefty price tag in my humble opinion. Therefore the value of life for me amounts to the value of the entire universe if such a price can be fathomed.
Faust.

 

[Scuba Pete]

I echo your sentiments Faust. Even with an afterlife to fear/look forward to, there is much in this life that determines the quality of the next.

Although the bullet's probably only "cost" a quarter each, in the end the real cost was obscenely high. It is the price we pay for living in America, I guess. Or anywhere for that matter. Where the stupid can come and steal something so precious even though they never get to use it.

 

[michel]

NetDoc,
Since I am atheist, I believe this life we are experiencing is all we have and life therefore becomes so very precious, not only for me but for every living creature.
Having no belief in an after life means to me that when life ends for anyone or anything it means the end of the universe for that being, and thats a pretty hefty price tag in my humble opinion. Therefore the value of life for me amounts to the value of the entire universe if such a price can be fathomed.
Faust.

(Part quote)
Hey Faust,

I am a believer in God, but I was 'moved' by the sentiment you express ; I am at present trying to read 'A Godless Morality', by Richard Holloway (Bishop of Edinburg) about which The Times Higher Educational Supplement had the following to say:-
Quote: -[Holloway's book conveys a crucial message to those for whom religion is totally unknown. More important still, it should convey a message to the religious, not least the clergy, who often make it impossible for their views on matters of morality to be taken seriously, simply because they have no language in which to discuss morality without reference to God]
I often meet atheists who are good caring folk (One of my sons is such); of course he has a moral code - sometimes I think his is even stricter than mine! - I think what I am trying to say is that it is such a shame that religious people often have a preconception (and an entirely erronious one at that) of an Atheist.

I am not very intelligent, nor am I knowledgable about theology; but all I can think to say to you at the moment is that I truly admire your outlook.

 

[huajiro]

Is it thrown away? Or valued highly? It's hard to tell why. With abortions on the increase,certain people is screaming murder. So what is life worth? People is screaming for pedophiles, murderers to DIE. Is it right to kill them because they did wrong? But other people say if we let them live,they could improve themselves. But the death penaltly people say if they are living, there is fear. What we are to do? Kill or preserve?
But there is abused children,fear stricked people,the horrors in the world. We comfort them wherever possible. But in a chaotic Third world country, there is little hope. What the Western world are to do? To invade them with cry of "weapons of mass desuction" or feed them or what? Is life worthy of preservation? That is the question.

Sillygeezer....I have a new word for you: "are"

It will change your life.

 

[Faust]

I am not very intelligent, nor am I knowledgable about theology; but all I can think to say to you at the moment is that I truly admire your outlook.

Thanks Michel,
But sense I still haven't quite figured out this quote thingy I'd say you have a bit up on me.
I still copy and paste, how do you guys get that "quote by" thing to happen?
Don't sell yourself short. Ive read many of your posts and find you to be thoughtful and intelligent.
Faust.

 

[Scuba Pete]

You can use

to attribute a quote.

 

[Faust]

You can use

to attribute a quote.

Hopefully I did this right.
Faust.