People should be
viewed as ends in themselves, not merely means to ends. If they are viewed as
means to ends, this is another way of stating that they are viewed as objects.
When we view other people as objects, instead of viewing them as people made in
the image of God, we not only de-value them, but further the delusion that we
are really the only people who matter—and that other people are valued
instrumentally only insofar as they serve our purposes. This, in turn, gives us
a warped view of God, where he only values us instrumentally.
Here is a
concrete way that can work out: Men often view women as sexual objects, there
to serve them and bring them pleasure. Often, people in society work to
overcome the misogynistic behavior associated with this. Christians,
specifically, seek to commit to one woman, in marriage before God, for as long
as they are alive together. The issue is that, too often, it is only the
behavior that is modified. Often, unexamined assumptions are left unchecked,
and the prevailing attitude is barely affected, if at all. Thus, for the
Christian man, women are still objects to be used—but I only am allowed to use one, namely, my wife.
This is not
viewing people as made in the image of God. Instead, we should strive every day
to view not only women, but all people in the image of God, and recognize they
are not objects to be used. The same thing can happen with women to men (in
terms of love, stability, relationship status, money), with co-workers, and so
on. So long as you view people implicitly as furtherances to your pleasure, you
have failed. It’s why people treat each other so badly on the internet—it’s
easier to objectify them when you can’t see them. Let’s try seeing people as
God does: as ends in themselves, people made in the image of God, for whom
Christ died.
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