Hello again - Sorry for the vague title but I would like to avoid theological copy paste meanderers finding this... Please slow down when you read this, it is a very politicised topic and sometimes I feel this politicisation can prevent actual productive discussion.
Something I have been pondering. The general Christian view, and the one I have held, in regards to when life begins is at conception.
What I would like to ask is WHY?
Looking biblically, I can't find much on the subject, one of the psalms talks about knitting David together in the womb and there are a few vague references here and there. Medically speaking there are many conceptions that do not result in pregnancy. If this is the case, why do we view life as starting from conception? Are these conceptions that are essentially miscarried within a week life? Will we see these people in heaven?
Thinking about it... I don't know if there is really any way that we can know when the soul enters the body and a human is created. Are there other potential points apart from conception? Implantation into the womb? 40 days? 3 months? When the baby becomes viable outside of the womb? (approximately 20 weeks?) Indeed I could even see an argument for it being the first breath, given that, "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."
This uncertainty for a Christian would lead to extreme caution. Who are we to judge when a child becomes a child? As such we shouldn't do anything that could result in killing. Simply not worth the risk.
I think the entire concept of abortion is wrong personally - even if the soul hasn't entered the child so to speak. It seems to be perverting the natural course that God created and allowing even greater irresponsibility among youth today.
From a non-Christian perspective, however, there is nothing wrong with the concept (unless it involves killing) as the world wasn't created by God.
What are your thoughts on this?
Something I have been pondering. The general Christian view, and the one I have held, in regards to when life begins is at conception.
What I would like to ask is WHY?
Looking biblically, I can't find much on the subject, one of the psalms talks about knitting David together in the womb and there are a few vague references here and there. Medically speaking there are many conceptions that do not result in pregnancy. If this is the case, why do we view life as starting from conception? Are these conceptions that are essentially miscarried within a week life? Will we see these people in heaven?
Thinking about it... I don't know if there is really any way that we can know when the soul enters the body and a human is created. Are there other potential points apart from conception? Implantation into the womb? 40 days? 3 months? When the baby becomes viable outside of the womb? (approximately 20 weeks?) Indeed I could even see an argument for it being the first breath, given that, "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."
This uncertainty for a Christian would lead to extreme caution. Who are we to judge when a child becomes a child? As such we shouldn't do anything that could result in killing. Simply not worth the risk.
I think the entire concept of abortion is wrong personally - even if the soul hasn't entered the child so to speak. It seems to be perverting the natural course that God created and allowing even greater irresponsibility among youth today.
From a non-Christian perspective, however, there is nothing wrong with the concept (unless it involves killing) as the world wasn't created by God.
What are your thoughts on this?