Evidence from both Christian and pagan sources reveals that the pre-Constantinian Christian churches practiced a broad and holistic sanctity-of-life ethic. A review of the documents can only deepen our confidence that a sanctity-of-life ethic is neither a modern nor merely a political innovation but instead goes back to the very origins of our tradition. But the very comprehensive nature of that ethic challenges our truncated contemporary versions, in which conservatives tend to pick out birth and end-of-life concerns and liberals focus on issues like hunger, war, and racism.