Differences Rooted in Foundational Presuppositions

Joe Carter at the Evangelical Outposts provides an excellent post on the presuppositions behind the most prevelant views of human dignity:

Abortion. Euthanasia. Embryonic stem cell research. Some of the most contentious and disputed issues of our day are matters of bioethics. The lines are sharply drawn and each side presents their arguments. Much heat is produced by the debates but very little light is shed to help us illuminate our path.

Most of us recognize – and reject – the opposition’s view because it is based on a "religious" or "secular" worldview. But while we acknowledge this fact, we rarely dig beneath the surface to see if our differences aren’t rooted in a more foundational presupposition.

After all, some religious people support abortion while some secularist want to ban ESC research. The easy labels don't always apply, which is why I believe that once we look deeper we find that our fundamental disagreements on bioethical issues are due to our profoundly different views on the nature of human dignity.

Dignity is defined as the quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect. This definition is significant because it highlights the key differences between the two most dominant worldviews in our culture – a functionally atheistic materialism and the Judeo-Christian form of theism.

The two competing belief systems lead to radically different societies as Joe explains here.