Overview
It costs $65,000 a year to keep Charles Colson's autistic grandson Max in a special-needs school. Utilitarian philosophers such as Peter Singer would decry this expenditure as a giant waste, because Max will never lead a normal life, and he and other students like him completely disrupt the lives of their caregivers. Besides, think of all that could be purchased with that $65,000—medicines for African AIDS victims, meals for the homeless, childcare for single mothers, new police cars for violent neighborhoods. Investing so much in the education of one autistic boy makes no logical sense, but Colson believes it's the right thing to do.
How much is life worth? Why is every life precious? How does an ethic of love work in the real world? We'll explore these questions in this study.
Table of Contents
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 8; Ecclesiastes 2:1–11; Matthew 10:28–31; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 10:38–42; Romans 8:31–32; Philippians 3:7–10
LEADER'S GUIDE
• Identify the Current Issue
• Discover the Eternal Principles
—Teaching point one: The pursuit of happiness is not the purpose of life.
—Teaching point two: Life is priceless because God gives it.
—Teaching point three: Love defies logic.
• Apply Your Findings
• Recommended Resources
ARTICLE FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY
• The $65,000 Question, by Charles Colson (October 2005, 8 printed pages)
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