The Point At Which Human Life Begins: A Study
Posted: Thursday, November 12, 2009
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
Scientists have concluded that they know just what it takes to create life. Yet they can't make it happen in sterile laboratories with the finest of equipment and materials. Nor can they cause it to happen in some mess of primordial soup as they say it spontaneously did.
But let us imagine for a moment they were able to create a type of male and female gametes and join them together forming a zygote with life. Would they say that life began at the instant they joined those two necessary gametes? Or would they wait until it matured somewhat into whatever type being it was to be?
Now, everyone knows when the life of a human begins. The only argument about it is an effort to justify, with impunity, the killing of an unwanted child. So some claim that any unborn baby is not a human life until it is completely separated from it's mother. Hence the feeble effort to justify partial birth abortions. Others say they are not a human until the second trimester or possibly even the third trimester. There is absolutely no degree of explanation as to why either of those claims are correct. If for instance you contend that to be correct, just at what point did life spring into that fetus? And why? If life for that new human did not take place at the point of fertilization of the egg, why did it not? When, where and why did it take place?
I realize that fewer and fewer people give credence to the biblical explanation or evidence concerning anything, but I wish to present what it does have to say about the unborn. Although it doesn't state specifically that life begins at the point of conception, a number of scriptures speak showing the assumption of that happening.
The bible tells us very plainly at what point death occurs, and that is when the spirit and the soul are separated. Hebrews 9: 27 says: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"
And James adds another thought to confirm just what death is: "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:26) Death is a separation of the body and the spirit, or soul. So life begins when a new body is created, whether or not it is yet born. And if you question that, I can show you what the scriptures say about that.
"If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman's husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life" (Exodus 21:22-23 NKJV) (Note: The King James Version uses the term "mischief" instead of harm) This simply means if either the woman or the child dies, the man responsible must have his own life taken.
Here are some verses speaking of the unborn fetus:
"Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them" (Psalm 139:16)
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13).
And in the beginning, of course Adam was created fully grown, but this is said about him:
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7) In other words, he began life and spirit at the same time.
Whether or not one accepts the bible as the word of God, it is simply common sense that life begins at conception because there is not other answer for it. It grows on its own, the mother only supplies it's nourishment, warmth and safety.
It is not a part of her body. It is simply carried by her as a kangaroo carries it's young in a pouch. She perhaps has the right to control her own body, but she has no right to murder a child which she has helped to produce. It is as great a sin to kill an unborn as it is to kill after it is born, or when it is 30 years old. Willful and premeditated murder.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Good article Joel, you expressed your ideas well. As a Buddhist monk, I could not suggest abortion or even discuss the subject. So Buddhists and Christians feel the same about conception.
Here is the difference. I don’t push my opinions on others. I allow them to choose their own way. Buddhism in the United States, is a religion that upholds individual freedoms above religious dogma.
The first Buddhist precept is not to harm any living being. But precepts are not authoritative, just a guideline. Individuals are free to act as they wish. But Buddhists do believe in karma, that the acts will follow one like tracks from cart wheels. But it is their call regarding religion. The law takes care of civil matters.
The constitution is full of individual freedoms, but God is only mentioned a couple of times, in the context of “My God, how stupid!” Not until the until the 20th century was “In God We Trust" added to our currency. The principle founding fathers of the constitution were mostly Deists, not Theists, and religion had little to do with their ideals. Jesus was never mentioned at all. The constitution came from enlightened thought, not theocratic thought.
As an American, not as a Christian, you must agree that individual freedom is paramount in this country, and that abortion is based on civil law; not your religion or my religion. The law is within the context of the government that you choose live in.
And the laws covering abortion are plain and simple, and agrees with most industrialized nations. There are countries, however that ban abortion, and if I was at the point where abortion kept me awake at nights, I would certainly move instead of being upset all the time.
At some point, you have to let it go. Maybe Buddhists can relax a little regarding these humongous life and death matters because Buddhist believe in rebirth; the fetus will return almost immediately in another womb. A short life is a sign that the karma of one's last lifetime included killing.
And anyway, since neither of us are going to have a baby anytime soon, why not let the women of this country figure it out, instead of muddle (oops - middle) aged white guys? (That was actually an honest typo!)
I give you five stars as always my friend...........e
Hi Raymond, thanks for your good comment. I actually agree with you and am not in any way, trying to force anyone to accept any belief. The only thing, the bible places an obligaton on Christians as well as Jews, to teach others God's commands. I, in no way advocate those people who harm or threaten harm of abortionists.But I do think it is not only anti-biblical, but is a gross miscarriage of justice. I firmly believe that the fetus who is murdered has just as much right as does the mother or doctor who takes it's life. I realize the law has ruled it legal, but it does not make it right.It's right according to law, and the United states is a country of laws, not beliefs.
BTW, I hope that you are supporting Obama's health plan. One of the reasons for abortion is that poor people can't afford prenatal and delivery costs. With the house bill, there will be no pre exiting conditions, allowing a poor mother to sign up for health insurance even though she is pregnant. Now that's doing something positive about abortion! And I think its great, How about you?
Best..........e
Great article again. I am firmly against abortion as I have seen life in the womb. My 1 st daughter Emily was born very prematurly. She lived but a few precious moments before she was gone. Every life has the right to have no harm done to it. To E, I would say that even though abortion is legal it contradicts the principles that America was founded on. The right to life is as simple a concept as there is. For the poor that can't afford a baby, there is adoption where the adopting parents pay for medical expenses. I don't claim to know God's will, but I still think about Emily daily and wonder what she and all these children would have become and how they would have enriched the lives of those around them. God bless you my friend! Thank you for this articleThank you Steven, for a good comment. I agree with you. I am thankful we live in a free country...at least for now. But I do believe it is a sin of the highest magnitude to kill an innocent baby.
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