The Body

A few weeks ago I discovered an interesting blog entitled Bioethics.com. The blog's quote of the week for June 16th was as follows:

"If you look at all the discussions surrounding biotechnology, I feel that we are clearly focusing too much on ethics." by Toine Manders, Dutch liberal member of the European Parliament, on discussions in the European Parliament about stem cell research.

What!? Mr. Manders' quote got me to thinking about why bioethics matter -- at least to the believer. Do the scriptures not tell us that we bear the image of God almighty himself? Is this something to be taken lightly? Do we not bear that image even in our mothers' wombs? Does it go away when be become old and feeble? Are the mentally challenged, the maimed, the grotesquely deformed not included?

In a Gnostic worldview the body is something to be discarded. It is simply a mortal coil to be shed. Although I doubt they would admit it, I would suggest that many modern evangelicals are practical Gnostics. However, I have developed a new appreciation for the body from reformed theology. While our present bodies disintegrate a little more each passing year, we look forward to a new and resurrected body. That is, we will not simply float around in the spirit world for the rest of eternity. The bible tells us that Christ is the first fruit of this resurrection to come. So Mr. Manders the body does matter and I think the time spent on bioethics is time well spent.

P.S. How should Christians properly dispose of a dead body? Is cremation biblical?