A few days ago I posted a blog attempting to answer the question, “Who's in charge of life and death?" This question is the first of ten questions I’ll answer that are often asked in relation to the abortion debate. Question #2 is – “When does life begin?” The debate over when life begins is actually more relevant to the abortion debate than our first question regarding who’s in charge of life.
So, what is the answer to this important question from a biblical perspective? In Job 31:15 we read, “Did not he [God] who made me in the womb, make them? Did not the same one fashion us in the womb?” Then, in the Book of Psalms, we read,
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully 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 cam to be.” (Psalm 139:13-16)
The “secret place” and “the depths of the earth” are references to the womb. We are known by our God in the womb. We are fashioned by Him in that secret place. God’s Word helps us to see that life begins at conception. Scientists are even agreed on the fact that there is a complete genetic package the moment that sperm and egg unite. Nothing from that point is added to the mix except time and nutrition.
Science and medicine also support the idea that life starts at some point in the womb. Fetal medicine has progressed to the point where doctors routinely treat unborn children for certain diseases, perform surgery in utero, and give blood transfusions.
I often hear the argument that brain function should be used to determine when life has ended and yet I have heard little discussion on the possibility of using brain function to determine when life begins. Brain waves are recorded within six weeks after conception. The heart of an unborn child begins to beat around the eighteenth day after conception. So, science and the Bible should be able to agree that we have a living being within at least six weeks after conception. Yet, these facts are ignored.
Finally, we read that Mary, the mother of Jesus, decides to visit Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. When Mary arrives at Elizabeth’s home, John (not yet born) “leaped in her [Elizabeth’s] womb.” (Luke 1:41) We see here that John responds to the fact that Mary and the as yet unborn Jesus have arrived.
We find from the Bible that we are fashioned in the womb by God. We see that all indicators of life even by modern science force us to see life from a very early point in utero. Then, we look again to the Bible to see that John, as an unborn child, responds to the presence of Mary with Jesus in her womb. God and science then should agree that we have life in utero very soon after conception. The idea then of middle or late term abortions is something that the scientific community should be able to agree to even if they cannot bring themselves to agree that life begins at conception. Further, though, we read of God’s connection with all that happens in the womb and cannot find any hint from the biblical text that life begins at come point after conception. We are therefore forced to err on the side of life at conception.
Next time…do we find evidence that God is concerned with children in utero?
Until then…respond to you heart’s content!
Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips
http://www.frontline.to/
http://www.toddphillips.net/
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2 comments:
I am an athiest, and a 98 % pro-lifer.
Largely pro-life due to my belief that life for "me" began at conception,
that was the start of my existance,
that was my own personal "big bang" (no pun intended).
Three weeks after conception my heart started to beat.
First brain waves were recorded at six weeks after conception.
Seen sucking my thumb at seven weeks after conception.
You see, although moments after conception I was no more than a clump of cells,
that clump of cells was me,
I might have had a lot of growing to do but that clump of cells was me just the same.
I am glad I was left unhindered, to develope further,
safe inside my mothers womb until I was born.
Shouldn't they all be so lucky ?
They are our equil, no more, no less.
Bruce.
i like bruce's point. obviously it's one that every person (even those who are pro-abortion) who's ever been born would agree with. . . .i would hope.
isn't it interesting that the whole "brain function to determine START of life" isn't brought up much in the arguments for/against abortion? maybe we should start a crusade for that line of thinking :]
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