# 1

Life begins at conception

Human life begins even before conception because the sperm and egg are already living things. It is much more relevant to talk about when sentience starts – feelings and self-knowledge). Studies have shown that higher-level brain development begins from the 23rd week.

Also, there is a crucial difference between “life begins at conception” and “life begins at birth”.  Legally and socially, it’s recognized that life officially begins at birth because that’s when a person gains a separate existence and legal rights. The status of life before birth is subjective – if the pregnancy is wanted, the woman and her friends and family can privately celebrate a coming baby. But if the pregnancy is unwanted and the woman wants an abortion, the fetus has no status at all, and it is nobody’s business.

The Bible is pro-choice. Life begins at first breath – i.e., birth.  The Bible does not support the value of fetuses or even babies over women. Many Old Testament passages encourage or condone the killing of pregnant women and babies. The prophet Jeremiah wished he had been aborted.  In Numbers 5, abortion is a mandated punishment for unfaithful wives. The Bible doesn’t use the word abortion but the phrase “untimely birth” is sometimes used. Several passages say that an “untimely birth” (miscarriage or abortion) is better than being born to an unhappy life. Further, the few Bible verses cited by anti-choice people to justify their views about the value of fetuses apply only to specific important people (like prophets or Jesus), and have nothing to do with abortion or the value of fetuses in general.

Fonti:

Anti-Choicers Don’t Have a Biblical Leg to Stand On, by Joyce Arthur

Pro-Choice Action Network, The Fetus Focus Fallacy