What Has Happened to Respect for Life?

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WHY RESPECT FOR LIFE MATTERS

Practices and actions that show disrespect for life can adversely affect the health and the safety of a community.

Cigarette smoking not only causes cancer but also interferes with the body’s ability to fight it. All told, about 90 percent of lung-cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking or to exposure to secondhand smoke.
Mass shootings cause emotional trauma for many each year. A Stanford University report states: “Research indicates that even those who escape [school shootings] without any visible physical harm carry scars that could impair their lives for many years to come.”
People driving when under the influence of alcohol or drugs make roads and even pedestrian walkways unsafe. When people show a callous disregard for life, community members often become innocent victims.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Protect your health. It’s never too late to give up harmful practices such as smoking, vaping, overdrinking, or taking recreational drugs. Such practices harm your life and show disrespect for the life of those around you, including family members.

“Let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh.”—2 Corinthians 7:1.

Be safety conscious. To prevent accidents, keep your home in good repair. Drive safely, and keep your vehicle in safe condition. Do not let others pressure you into activities that can cause serious injury or death.

“If you build a new house, you must also make a parapet for your roof, so that you may not bring bloodguilt on your house because of someone falling from it.”—Deuteronomy 22:8. a

Be kind to others. Respect for life includes how we view people from all racial, national, and social backgrounds. After all, prejudice and hatred are root causes of much of the world’s violence and warfare.

“Put away from yourselves every kind of malicious bitterness, anger, wrath, screaming, and abusive speech, as well as everything injurious. But become kind to one another.”—Ephesians 4:31, 32.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

Jehovah’s Witnesses promote a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Our Bible educational program has helped people to overcome addictions and destructive habits.

We adhere to strict safety standards in our construction projects. Volunteers who help build our meeting places and other facilities that are used to further our Bible educational work are trained to avoid injury. Our buildings are inspected on a regular basis so that they conform to local safety laws.

We provide humanitarian assistance. During a recent 12-month period, we responded to some 200 life-threatening disasters worldwide and spent nearly 12 million dollars of donated funds to provide relief for victims.

When Ebola outbreaks began to devastate the population of West Africa (2014) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (2018), we educated people on how to prevent the spread of the deadly disease. We sent representatives to speak to groups on the subject “Obedience Saves Lives.” We provided handwashing stations at the entrance of each of our places of worship and stressed the importance of handwashing and other practical safeguards.

In Sierra Leone, a radio announcement commended Jehovah’s Witnesses for helping Witnesses and non-Witnesses in the community to avoid the Ebola virus.

Kingdom Hall handwashing station during 2014 Ebola outbreak in Liberia

a In the ancient Middle East, that wise requirement reflected a conscious concern for the safety of family members and others.

AWAKE!