158 Some Ethical and Theological Considerations POSITIVE ASPECTS In light of ethical and theological principles, the concept of human physical immortality has much to commend it. First, there is an abundance of Scriptures that uphold and promote life, including eternal life. According to Ecclesiastes 3:11, for example, God has placed immortality in our hearts (although we are not able to comprehend it). The wisdom of Proverbs 12:28 contends that the ‘path’ of the godly leads to life eternal. In Genesis 9:1–6, the sanctity of human life is an integral part of God’s covenant agreement with Noah, where the ancient writer connects the sacred character of life to our creation in the Imago Dei (the image of God). Another   passage   from   the   Hebrew   Scriptures,   Psalm 139:13–16 provides a beautifully poetic description of life as the creative activity of God: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fear- fully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Further Scriptures that support the Institute’s commitment to radical life extension include Psalm 116, where the author gives thanks to God for delivering him from death and allow- ing him to live a while longer. The Christian Scriptures likewise are filled with words that uphold life. For example, Jesus strongly affirms that human life is far more valuable than the resources that are required to sustain it (Matthew 6:25). The reflections of Pope John