What is a "Culture of Life?"

One of the rallying cries heard often in the debate swirling around Terri Schiavo is that her cause is part of an effort to create a culture of life in this country and around the world. This is a laudable goal. This world would be a better place, or perhaps even a perfect one, if every individual on the planet were committed to making peace and preserving life. Life is, so the truism goes, a gift from God. Yet, in the midst of all this, I wonder if our conception of a culture of life truly reflects the heart of God, or is just as much a reflection of 21st century fears and insecurities.

Americans fear death. Although cemetaries are everywhere in this country, good luck in finding one just by driving around. We tend to hide them. Our culture glorifies the beauty of youth. Death is only for the aged, who live in homes reserved especially for them, away from the young. Above all, medicine is meant to improve and lengthen our lives. And if medicine has a way of lengthening our lives, no matter the quality, then it must be God's will that life continue.

This is in stark contrast to the generations preceding us. Traditionally, death has been everywhere. Mothers had many children, often because they knew that not all of them would make it. As people aged, they stayed with their families. And children saw for themselves what it was to die, and accompanied their elders at home as they passed on. Likewise, the emphasis on the manner in which individuals died that has been lost. For the ancient Greeks, as well as countless of other cultures, a hero's death during the course of battle was among the greatest honors a mortal could receive.

Have we lost some perspective on the place of death in all of our lives? I think so. The enemy of Terri Schiavo is not the husband who wishes to remove her feeding tube. In many ways, Terri Schiavo died on the day she collapsed and fell into her present condition. So we must question the role technology has in preserving a life that has been robbed of so much. The technology is both a curse and a blessing. It seems so cruel to let her die of dehydration, but there is a tragic quality to the life she leads now. We mourn for what happened, but celebrate and protect the life she leads. Her life is in a twilight zone unseen by previous generations.

Perhaps it is important for all people to be more accepting of death, more willing to accept the fact that all we do is delay the inevitable. And since it is inevitable, perhaps we should return again to the idea that the manner in which we die is important too.

My final wish is that all individuals who are committed to a "culture of life" would not limit their interest to the lightning rod issues of today. In my mind, a true "culture of life" is a culture that is committed to eradicating not just abortion and euthanasia, but poverty as well. I understand the reason why people are so concerned with Terri Schiavo, and rightfully so. Her story has captured the attention of a nation. But why aren't people in this country more concerned with the plight of AIDS in Africa? Or why aren't people more concerned with the epidemic of sexual trafficking in parts of Asia? The idea that life is precious means that we should not only preserve life, but protect it as well. There are many lives around the world that are in bondage to the shackles of poverty, disease, and oppression. What are we doing about that?