2016 and the Imago Dei

I had the opportunity to blog over at Huffington Post today on 2016 and a fundamental question I hope the candidates are asked:

But if we are going to have questions about the questions directed at presidential candidates, I’d like to offer one a query I hope every aspirant is asked. It’s a simple question that has profound policy implications.

Do you recognize the intrinsic value of every human life, from conception to natural death?

For Christians, this question is rooted in a foundational belief. The Christian story starts in Genesis with the declaration by God that humanity, unlike the rest of creation, was sculpted by a loving and creative God and formed, “in His own image.” The Latin word is imago dei. Christian theology teaches all humanity was endowed with dignity because we are made in God’s likeness.

It is this theology that drives what Christians believe about the basic dignity and worth of every human being. In every person, regardless of their utility to society, we see the image of God. This drives our activism on issues like abortion, immigration, human trafficking, poverty, racial reconciliation, elder care, orphan care and advocacy for the disabled. It’s why we care about the institution of marriage, because we believe that God’s best design for human flourishing is the complementarity of the sexes. It’s why we care about religious liberty, because every soul has the right to worship freely, even if we believe they are wrong.

Read the rest here: