The Abortion Question in American Politics-When DOES Life Begin?

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   gmwilliamsposted 15 months ago

   
   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?

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      Kathleen Cochranposted 15 months agoin reply to this

      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.

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         gmwilliamsposted 15 months agoin reply to this

         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.

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         tsmogposted 15 months agoin reply to this

         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.

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   Nathanvilleposted 15 months ago

   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:
   
   

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   Miebakagh57posted 15 months ago

   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.

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   Kathleen Cochranposted 15 months ago

   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.

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      wildernessposted 15 months agoin reply to this

      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.

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         Miebakagh57posted 15 months agoin reply to this

         'Not sure I want to take the creative...barbarian thousands of years ago'. What ever you mean?

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   Kathleen Cochranposted 15 months ago

   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.

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      Miebakagh57posted 15 months agoin reply to this

      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.

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