When Does Life Begin FAQs

Often, we hear from ardent supporters of life, “I believe in the sanctity of life, but I don’t know what to say.” Help is below!

The following pro-abortion comments were taken directly from our When Does Life Begin Facebook page. These are some of the most common questions/objections pro-life advocates face along with our actual responses.

Just pick the subject box that interests you. No need to read everything! The topic and answer format makes it easy to practice responses with a friend. Also, feel free to cut and paste our answers as needed as you respond to pro-abortion comments on social media.

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Please note: *Misspellings and grammatical errors are as written by the comment author in order to maintain authenticity and accuracy.

Often, we hear from ardent supporters of life, “I believe in the sanctity of life, but I don’t know what to say.” Help is below!

Simply scroll down to the subject box that interests you or click here to select from a table of topics. No need to read everything! The topic and answer format makes it easy to practice responses with a friend. Also, feel free to cut and paste our answers as needed as you respond to pro-abortion comments on social media.

Please note: *Misspellings and grammatical errors are as written by the comment author in order to maintain authenticity and accuracy.

My Body My Choice

Jennifer, half the babies aborted are females who will develop uteruses. What about their bodily autonomy? A human is a human from conception, so each individual – with or without a uterus- has a right to bodily autonomy. The woman’s right to bodily autonomy is best exercised before she and her partner have created another...

A Fetus is Not a Person

Tori, there is no “potential” because it is a human being from conception. The fusion of the egg and sperm create a human being with its own unique set of DNA — separate from that of its mother or father. For something as irreplaceable as a human life, an objective criteria, such as genetics, should...

You are Choosing the Unborn Over Women

Paul, you are misunderstanding. Following long established common law and cultural norms, the woman's life would take precedence in a situation where the woman's and the baby's physical lives were at risk. What we are saying is that we must recognize that TWO human beings' lives are at stake in every abortion decision. Both must...

A Fetus is a Parasite

Lyla, it is demeaning and dehumanizing to refer to the unborn child as a “parasite”. Dehumanization is the very basis of oppression throughout the world. Every human life has intrinsic value. Also, there must be some level of self-responsibility. When a woman has consensual sex, she is also accepting all the potential consequences of those actions,...

If You Don’t Like Abortion,
Don’t Get One

Bob, the statement, “If you don’t like abortion then don’t get one” ignores all moral convention. As societies, we impose many limits on people in the name of protecting others from harm. Some people do not see anything wrong with stealing, but we intervene in their decision to steal in order to protect others. Pro-choice arguments suggest...

When Life Begins is Subjective

Halee, actually there is almost universal consensus among biologists that human life begins at conception. 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,...

Life Begins at Viability

Maria, what about the baby born prematurely who needs artificial support for a period of time? Has that child’s life not begun? What about an older child or adult who experiences a medical emergency or accident that temporarily requires life support? Do we, depending upon our health, go in and out of being “alive” and...

Unwanted Children/
Forced Birth

Alan, women are not being forced to give birth. When a woman has consensual sex, she and the man involved are also accepting all the potential consequences of those actions, which includes pregnancy. With choice comes responsibility. It is that way with every choice we make. Once the choice to have sex results in the...

Organ Donation Argument

Lucy, donation of organs is a completely different issue. The hypothetical kidney patient has no connection to the donor, whereas the fetus has an intimate connection/relationship to the mother from the moment of conception. Relationship matters. We definitely agree that body autonomy is important. Therefore, should we not protect the body autonomy of the fetus...

Abortion is a Constitutional Right

Robin, please remember that the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision which upheld slavery was also a 7-2 decision. The Plessy v Ferguson Supreme Court decision was a 7-1 vote. That horrible decision upheld segregation. Therefore, we know historically that sweeping votes do not indicate correct votes. The issue of abortion is a human rights issue...

Right to Life Doesn’t Include the Unborn

Carolyn, on what basis do you make that assertion? The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution assign our civil rights according to our core humanity – not level of development. Note the wording from the Constitution, “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law;” Merriam-Webster dictionary...

Pro-life Laws Oppress Women

Alan, approximately half the human beings aborted are female. Abortion is the ultimate oppression of females – and males. If you know your facts, you know that sex selection abortion is overwhelmingly aimed at females – another atrocity that abortion perpetuates – against females. Also, abortion harms many women emotionally. Please read Abortion and subsequent mental health: Review...

Pro-birth, Not Pro-life

Corey, you made a number of accusations but did not provide documentation. Here are some facts. In 2018, there were over 2500 crisis pregnancy centers providing a wide range of pregnancy care and after-birth care - often for 2-3 years after birth. Texas allocates $100 million dollars for its Alternatives to Abortion program and that budget is expected to be increased during this legislative session....

Abortion is Healthcare

Norman, let's look at your false contentions. Firstly, abortion is NOT healthcare. Traditionally, health care refers to treatment to correct a state of disease or ill health. Pregnancy is a natural state and is not a form of disease or ill health. Secondly, it is very much the province of government to protect and balance the rights of human beings. In your comment you refer...

Life Begins at Birth/First Breath

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....

Rape/Incest

Brent...we must treat rape victims with overwhelming love and compassion. Rape is one of the most brutal violations that any person can experience...however, let’s remember that situations involving rape and incest make up less than 1.5% of abortion decisions. Also, some studies have found rape victims have better psychological outcomes giving life to the child...

Women Will Die

Jamie, since 1883 when Robert Lawson Tait performed the first successful removal of a ruptured fallopian tube, women have received care for ectopic pregnancies. That long-time standard of care is not considered an elective abortion although it results in the removal of the embryo. The mortality rate for ectopic pregnancies dropped from 72-90% in 1880...

Fetal Abnormalities

Arlinda, life is indeed hard for us all and that can be increased with a disability. However, please watch this video of Nic Vujicic. We believe you will find it one of the most inspiring you have ever viewed! Nic was born without arms or legs yet lives a full life as a painter, sky...

Life Begins at Heartbeat

Teddy, at conception a biologically unique human being with its own complete 46 chromosome DNA is formed - genetically separate from their mother or father is formed. Nothing further genetically will be added. Only time and nourishment are needed. The new human being is the same genetically at the moment of conception as when the heart begins...

Life Begins at Sentience/Brain Activity

Braun, we can see brainwave activity as early as 5-6 weeks in utero and the heart begins beating at around 21 days. However, science supports the idea that life begins at conception. When the sperm and egg fuse, they create a human being with its own unique set of DNA. DNA is the identifier of...

God is in Favor of Abortion

Richard, all human beings die. Natural death at any stage of development is just that – natural. So, when a fertilized egg fails to implant or develop it is not abortion. It is simply death at an early stage. Abortion is different. It is intentional killing – the direct disruption of the natural growth of...

Outlawing Abortion Won’t Lead to Fewer Abortions,
Just Fewer Safe Abortions

Ira, regarding “back-alley abortions”, that is an image that quite honestly was manufactured by abortion advocates and yet debunked by more honest abortion proponents. Even as far back as 1960, Dr. Mary S. Calderone, a former director of Planned Parenthood, wrote in the American Journal of Public Health, “Abortion is no longer a dangerous procedure…whether...

Comprehensive Sex Ed/
Access to Contraception
is the Solution

Paul, yes, the best way to reduce abortion is to prevent unplanned pregnancies. However, the supposition that comprehensive sex education and access to contraceptives is the answer does not bear up under scrutiny. Let's look at a comparison between two US states - California and Texas... California has very "liberal, progressive" policies towards reproductive healthcare. Texas takes a more conservative approach. California's abortion rate was 16.4 in 2017. Texas is 9.4 in 2017 according to the most recent year for...

Planned Parenthood Provides Many Good Services

Michael, non-abortion services provided at Planned Parenthood (PP) clinics decreased in nearly every major category during the 2017–18 fiscal year. PP’s provision of contraception decreased by 80,000, cancer screenings by 45,000, and other services such as well-woman exams and prenatal services decreased by 13,000. The only category that significantly increased was abortion procedures and tests/treatment...