Ryan, thanks for sharing your feedback! According to biologists, scientifically human life begins at conception. The fusion of the egg and sperm create a being with its own unique set of DNA — separate from that of its mother or father. This pre-born baby requires only time and nourishment to develop into a full-term baby. Premies are now routinely saved as early as 22 weeks. Here’s the story about Richard Hutchinson, born at just 21 weeks on June 5, 2020!
Was Richard fully human at 21 weeks simply because he had exited the birth canal? He was still completely dependent. Is a toddler or young child any less worthy of life than an adult just because it relies on its parents for survival? For something as irreplaceable as a human life an objective criteria – such as genetics – should determine humanity rather than an arbitrary measure like dependence.
Anonymous, you claimed that none of these apply to a fetus but that is not correct. The unborn are metabolizing nutrition from the mother via the placenta, excreting urine prior to birth, and certainly moving. You emphasized the word “breathing” but the definition did not state that all the attributes listed had to be present. Please note that humans are not capable of reproducing until puberty, but no one claims that a 9-year-old is not human.
Among scientists, when life begins is not up for debate. In fact, there is amazing consensus. In a landmark study in 2019 Steve Jacobs “emailed surveys to professors in the biology departments of over 1,000 institutions around the world.” The results showed that the vast majority of biologists believe that life begins at conception. Jacobs wrote, “I found that 5,337 biologists (96%) affirmed that a human’s life begins at fertilization, with 240 (4%) rejecting that view.”
Barry… the Bible does not state life begins at first breath. Possibly you are misapplying Genesis 2:7 which describes the formation of Adam. In that first creation God formed Adam and breathed into him the breath of life.
However, after the formation of Eve, human beings are no longer formed from the dust. Now we each come into being through the act of sexual procreation. Therefore, scriptures referencing humans AFTER Adam and Eve provide many verses that point to personhood prior to birth or first breath.
Please read Psalm 139:13-16 and Jeremiah 1:4-5. Please further consider Luke 1:39-44, which describe the response of unborn John the Baptist when his mother, Elizabeth, encountered Mary – “the baby leaped in her womb”. This scripture indicates a level of awareness – cognizance – by the unborn child in responding to the presence of the also unborn Christ…
Sherry, breath is not the determinant of personhood. What about people who are on life support? Because they are not breathing on their own is their personhood eliminated or diminished while they are getting the support they need? Once a new human being is formed at conception there are two unique human lives. We can and must love and support them both. We do not need to diminish one to support the other.
You speak about choice but what about the choice of the baby? Please view this brief two-minute video. It features real people speaking their truth of almost being the victims of “choice” via abortion. Please hear them. https://facesofchoice.org/home/
Regarding your reference to being a “true Christian”, respectfully the Bible speaks clearly that love for all is the Lord’s command, and we must care for the “least of these”. Again, we as a society can and must love both mom and baby and protect both their rights.
Peter, just because some fetuses die at an early age before being born does not negate their core humanity. Would we say that a 1-year-old toddler who dies young was somehow less human than an individual who lives to be 100? The toddler certainly did not fulfill their “potential”.
You state your own opinion that life begins at birth by stating that it is birthdays we celebrate – not conception dates. That is an incredibly weak argument. Most women don’t know the date of conception. Also, we do celebrate babies’ existence prior to birth. It is now the cultural norm that an ultrasound photo is the baby’s first photo – passed along excitedly among family and friends. Gender reveal parties are hosted to again celebrate the baby and already make their existence a focal point of social gatherings.
Peter, the change toward recognizing conception as the beginning of each human life has been driven by emerging science – not politics and not religion. The field of genetics and the understanding of DNA exploded during the 80s and 90s. We now know – which we did not know when Roe was decided in 1973 – that at conception a unique human being is formed. Sex, hair color, eye color, even some personality traits, etc are all determined at that point. Nothing more genetically will be added. The beginning human being only needs time and nourishment.
That DNA – different from the mother and father – will identify that human being not simply as a member of the human species by as that UNIQUE, SPECIFIC human being from conception forward. The science is clear. The biologists are in agreement. It is the politics of the abortion industry that has duped people.
Jennifer, according to biologists, scientifically human life begins at conception. The fusion of the egg and sperm create a being with its own unique set of DNA — separate from that of its mother or father. This pre-born baby requires only time and nourishment to develop into a full-term baby.
If birth is the demarcation for recognizing a human life, what about preemies? Preemies are now being saved as early as 22-23 weeks. On June 5, 2020 — Richard Hutchinson was born at just 21 weeks! Read about Richard’s story here:
Was Richard fully human at 21 weeks simply because he had exited the birth canal?