Abortion is a highly contested topic in the American political arena. There are those who believe in a woman's reproductive freedom & the right to choose. However, there are those who vehemently believe that abortion is murder & are against abortion even in cases of rape, incest & saving the life of a mother. Then there are moderates who believe in abortion in cases of emergencies such as rape, incest & saving a mother's life but they don't believe in abortion otherwise. There are those who believe that life begins at conception while other maintain that life begins when the fetus becomes sentient. When does life really begin & is abortion murder or simply a medical procedure which has been practiced for aeons?
If you believe in a literal translation of the Bible, it is not a difficult question unless it doesn't suit your political persuasion.
New International Version
Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
New Living Translation
Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.
English Standard Version
then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
King James Bible
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.
Where evangelicals came up with the idea that life begins at conception - I don't know. But it is not literally biblical. Every creature moves inside its mother and reacts to pain. Those characteristics are not what makes the difference between an animal and a human being - if you will a living soul.
The idea that "life" begins at conception is a religious concept. Roman Catholicism mandated this belief. They claimed that this is natural law. No it isn't biblical. It is basically a Roman Catholic concept although many conservative/fundamentalistic religions concurred w/this concept. More enlightened religions believes that life begins when the fetus is sentient. There are other religions which state that life doesn't begin until the soul enters the body which is either right before or right after birth.
With the abortion or ProLife crowd for some one verse as a standard held high is Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV);
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew[a] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Of course, naturally with interpretations comes is that literal or figurative? Is it a metaphor? However, for some of the staunch ProLife advocates it is literal meaning God knew the 'personhood' of Jeremiah before he was in the womb. Then comes along the debate of predestination.
Thus, life begins at conception in their minds. Then comes along, ensoulment. On and on it goes.
Scientifically; the biological line of existence of each individual, without exception begins precisely when fertilization of the egg is successful. But obviously, at the point of conception, the fertilised egg is not sentient; the scientific evidence suggests that foetal awareness occurs around 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Below is images of the development of the human brain at 5 weeks, 13 weeks and at birth. The brain being where consciousness slowly comes into existence as the foetus slowly develops in the womb:
Bible is clear evidence when God, breath 'the breath of life' or spirit into man's nostril, man become a livimg person. It seems to begin usually in the woman's womb, after fertilization. Our Hindu friemds call the breathe 'prana' or life. A person is dead without prana or spirit.
That God knew doesn't imply anything other than God knowing the future and the past and everything in between. As a "humans receive their soul/humanity at the first breath" person (Gen. 2:7) I have no problem with God knowing at any point.
Genesis also says the only "raw material" used was dust. Pretty special dust to have all the minerals and elements needed to create DNA plus the living cells required to start for life.
Not sure I want to take the creative imagination of a barbarian thousands of years ago, that hadn't a clue about the inner workings of the body, as factual knowledge of when human life begins.
'Not sure I want to take the creative...barbarian thousands of years ago'. What ever you mean?
I'm reminded of a cartoon of Nietzsche holding a sign: "God is dead." and God lowering a sign from the clouds: "Nietzsche is dead."
For the many who believe God may well have simply spoken the universe into existence, him forming man from dust is not a stretch of the imagination. I have no problem with science. If it confirms an act of God - good for science. If it doesn't - my faith is not shaken.
Likewise, I don't have problem with the science. Niet is dead. God, who grab Niet, out of the earth, and threw him down, the acceleration due to gravity kill Nietzsche, not God. If a person wants to be stupid and foolish before God, it pays back. Take God wisely. Surely, God, rs alife. Yesterday, He visit me.
by haj3396 14 years ago
To understand death, we first have to understand life. Life is the Bible states, 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 So, life is body + breath= a living soul.what then is death body...
by Grace Marguerite Williams 6 years ago
There are Republicans who want to curtail, even restrict abortion in the United States. They use the pretext that life begins at conception & the act of murder is murder. There were some states who even tried to pass the personhood law, giving human status to pre-borns from the...
by Jackie Lynnley 6 years ago
I read this was true and I just have to know if it is, please! Please provide links to prove what you say. Surely we are not going to be aborting babies ready to come into the world fully developed and healthy?
by sooner than later 15 years ago
Genesis 2:7"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." Many naysayers want to laugh at this scripture because it seems so "imaginary". But even the best scientists can't make...
by Grace Marguerite Williams 10 years ago
Abortion is THE MOST CONTENTIOUS arena and subject of American politics. Abortion also generates the MOST VISCERAL reaction among people. However, what business and concern it is whether a woman elects to have an abortion. She knows the reason and the circumstances as to why she...
by Kathleen Cochran 10 months ago
Opinion David FrenchI believe life begins at conception. If I lived in Florida, I would support the state’s heartbeat bill and vote against the referendum seeking to liberalize Florida’s abortion laws. I supported the Dobbs decision and I support well-drafted abortion restrictions at the state and...
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