When does a human stop being a human?

When does a human stop being a human? That’s the heaviest question that came to me as I reflected on Texas Governor Rick Perry’s contradictory convictions.

On the one hand, Governor Perry believes that we become human upon conception. And yet, on the other hand, it seems that he also believes we can cease to be human at certain points. Governor Perry’s treatment of those on death row in his own state leads me to conclude that, for him (and those who cheered his remarks), people convicted of murder and who have exhausted all of their appeals cease to be human. And therefore, in his eyes, they are no longer eligible for any of the respect, compassion, or anything we give to human beings.

Another point at which we appear to lose our humanity – and the compassion, empathy and respect required by God of humans (including Governor Perry) – is when a woman who, for a range of often difficult and painful reasons, seeks to end her pregnancy. The state of Texas does not have a good track record of treating these women with dignity and respect. For me, the most glaring relegation of these pregnant women to not being human any more is the insistent ignoring of the circumstances that bring many to the clinic.

This reminds me of a recent conversation I had with a neighbor. This neighbor labored selflessly until retirement as a home economics teacher in an inner city high school where she organized a day care for the babies of her students. She had 9th graders who arrived at school in September pregnant.

I’ll never forget my friend asking with immense pain, “Should these 14 year olds have to become mothers if they are not ready?”

These girls must weigh, with their families and communities beside them, the range of painful reasons to end or continue their pregnancies including the risk of premature birth or developmental problems for the baby, the desperation of coping as a mother in poverty, along with many other considerations. These are circumstances that Governor Perry seems to understand little about or have the compassion to know better. To him, these girls don’t seem to qualify as being worthy of the empathy that is required toward all humans.

We can disagree on the point at which becoming human begins, or on the morality of state sanctioned murder in the death penalty. And we will. After all, there is no agreement in our country on these important matters. That’s why we need to talk and talk and talk about these crucial things. However, it’s my hope that we can find a common ground and at least agree that a human is always a human with the inherent beauty, worth and dignity God gives each of us.

When I first watched the movie, Dead Man Walking, I was struck by Sister Helen Prejean’s commitment to recognizing the humanity in all of us. I choose to emulate her rather than Governor Rick Perry.

And so I join with what I see as Jesus’ answer to this question: A human is always a human and must be loved as such. Your answer?

Janet Edwards  | Sep 15, 2011 10:41 AM