Defining Worth and Value

The value of Human life is difficult to ascertain. Some have tried assessing the value of the “remains” once a being ceases to be a being – between less than 1 $ to about 1900 $ – – it all depends on what you are looking for or measuring. Some have tried putting a value based on the organs we have and how much that is commercially valued. Any way organ donation continues to be a business, and so it is like what is given in the picture here, which pushes up the value much. More than 200,000/- $

But actually how much worth is a “Living human being”?

I just returned from a visit to a hospital in a rural tribal location. In the HDU a girl of 8 years died in front of my eyes, due to a potentially preventable mosquito spread viral infection. The death was seen as a “matter of fact” – nothing much can be done, the health care team (including me)  and the parents – all seems to have the similar perspective – what can be done any way – it is beyond our help, this is fate – or inevitable in the current context. I am in no way passing judgements on the parents who saw this as their fate, or the health care team who saw this as beyond help – that is the fact of the context….But this bring up the question of value to life….

I lost a loved one three months back, we are still grieving – the value loss is still felt – why is this value higher than what I felt when i saw the young girl passing away? A few thousands died on 9/11; millions perished in Rwanda – did the responses portray an equal value or differing value to life?

How we we decide how worth a life is – based on the “Position” and “Status” a person holds? Based on the “relationship” I have with that person? Based on the dominant culture of the context, where life is valued less? Based on the caste, tribe and gender values levels our cultures give to different groups? Based on productivity?

We are of course of more worth than sparrows – that is what the good book says. But rationalists would say – we are not of more worth than the supposedly evolutionary ancestors – because for them value is based on the chemicals we are made of.

But is we are of worth more than the sparrows – why is that – it is because of “Imago Dei” – intrinsic worth due to the “Image of God” in us and not the extrinsic worth attributed to what we achieve or where and which community we are born into, or what we are perceived by the culture as!

If that is so – is the worth of the 8 years old girl who died in front of me of equal worth to the loved one I lost few weeks back?  If so – how should I see worth… in all the people whom I come across each day…?