Richard Wurmbrand once said, “The cruelty of atheism is hard to believe. When a man has no faith in the reward of good or the punishment of evil, there is no reason to be human. There is no restraint from the depths of evil that is in man.” We can easily see this in the atrocities of world history, such as transatlantic slavery, holocaust, and human trafficking. Such evil still exists in our midst today. And in Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Francis Schaeffer and Everett Koop write about three inevitable horrors that occur when a society does not value the dignity of human life.
The book has six chapters. In the first three, Schaeffer and Koop explore these three evil practices in society: abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia. And the last three chapters examine the ultimate basis for life through the lens of biblical Christianity and Scripture.
It is incredible that though this book was written forty years ago, it still so relevant today! I daresay even prophetic! The authors explain the origins of these practices and provide details on the techniques used to accomplish them. They are horrifying and heartbreaking! It is frightening to think that our society hasn’t only persisted in these practices forty years later but now celebrates and encourages them. Schaeffer also explains why Christians who believe in the Imago Dei cannot be quiet when the most vulnerable in our societies are being slaughtered. And in the last chapter of the book, he provides us with a personal response and social action.
He says, “Future generations will look back, and many will either scoff or believe in Christ on the basis of whether we Christians of today took a sacrificial stand in our various walks of life on these overwhelmingly important issues. If we do not take a stand here and now, we certainly cannot lay any claim to being the salt of the earth in our generation. We are neither preserving moral values and the dignity of the individual nor showing compassion for our fellow human beings.”
My only drawback with this book is that it’s tedious to read at times, especially chapter four. But besides that, I highly recommend it because it is a critical book for our time.
As our society is drifting further and further away from Judeo-Christian values, dehumanization will only increase. And as Schaeffer explains, Bible-believing Christians must take a stand and fight. And it begins with being informed.
Crossway publishers graciously gave me a copy for an honest review
