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"When Does Life Begin?"

Jarrod Jacobs

The controversy concerning when life begins continues throughout our world. Some justify killing their unborn children by saying that they were not actually alive, then. Some do not argue the fact of whether or not their child is alive, but wonder whether or not it is HUMAN so early on in its developmental stages. With this in mind, I thought it would be good for us to consider what some medical doctors, professors, and others, (testifying before a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee in 1981) have said about when life begins, and whether or not the mother is carrying a human in her womb.

The purpose for this is not to establish these people as our authority, for we already have our authority in the Bible (Col. 3:17; I Pet. 4:11). However, these people are respected in their field, and their words ought to carry some weight among many in our society. Please read the statements below carefully and then let us consider well how precious life is, including the life of the unborn child.

When Does Life Begin?

In 1981 (April 23-24) a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee held hearings on the very question before us here: When does human life begin? Appearing to speak on behalf of the scientific community was a group of internationally-known geneticists and biologists who had the same story to tell, namely, that human life begins at conception - and they told their story with a profound absence of opposing testimony.

Dr. Micheline M. Mathews-Roth, Harvard Medical School, gave confirming testimony, supported by references from over 20 embryology and other medical textbooks that human life began at conception.

"Father of Modern Genetics," Dr. Jerome Lejeune told the lawmakers: "To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion ... it is plain experimental evidence."

Dr. Hymie Gordon, Chairman, Department of Genetics at the Mayo Clinic, added: "By all the criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception."

Dr. McCarthy de Mere, medical doctor and law professor, University of Tennessee, testified: "The exact moment of the beginning of personhood and of the human body is at the moment of conception."

Dr. Alfred Bongiovanni, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, concluded, "I am no more prepared to say that these early stages represent an incomplete human being than I would be to say that the child prior to the dramatic effects of puberty ... is not a human being."

Dr. Richard V. Jaynes: "To say that the beginning of human life cannot be determined scientifically is utterly ridiculous."

Dr. Landrum Shettles, sometimes called the "Father of In Vitro Fertilization" notes, "Conception confers life and makes that life one of a kind." And on the Supreme Court ruling "Roe v. Wade", "To deny a truth [about when life begins] should not be made a basis for legalizing abortion."

Professor Eugene Diamond: "...either the justices were fed a backwoods biology or they were pretending ignorance about a scientific certainty."

(These quotes as well as other good information can be found at: http://www.roevwade.org)

After reading these things, we can know these people are correct, because they agree with the Bible. God said:

"Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels (body)...". (Gen. 25:23)

"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 ... But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life." (Ex. 21:22-23, NKJ)

"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee ...." (Jer. 1:5)

"And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe (infant, child -- Strong's Lex.) leaped in her womb." (Lk. 1:41)

Let us respect the life of the unborn, making it plain to our children and grandchildren that the life within the mother is precious. God teaches us that the mother is carrying a human baby, alive and distinct from the mother from conception. Let us never forget that the abortion of babies is murder!

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