When does life begin?

Regardless of where you stand on abortion it is important to define when life begins and your basis for that belief.  You can choose to base this belief on science, the Bible, your opinion, the opinion of your circle of friends, your political party, or something entirely different.  Whatever you base it on it is important that you recognize where your belief comes from.  Most people turn to either science or religion to answer this question.  Most who favor greater access to abortion will claim that life begins when the heart begins beating, when the brain starts to function, at the point the baby could survive if born, at birth, or even so far as when the child is able to fend for itself.  Although these things are scientifically measurable events the conclusion that life begins there is philosophical and not based in science.  Science can not link life with the beating of a heart or brain activity.  It takes philosophy, or reasoned opinions, to elevate one functioning organ required for continued life above another.  Because of the multitude of reasoned opinions, emotions, and politics involved in this question research into any basis, including science and religion, will yield differing opinions.  It is up to us to decide before the research that we are more interested in the truth than confirming our pre-existing opinions.

When I began to look into what science said on the subject I was expecting to find many answers from conception to birth based mostly on the desired answer of the scientist conducting the research.  What I found was very different.  When searching for “when does life begin science” I was surprised to find very few results that did not claim life begins at the moment of fertilization or conception.  One of the more thorough explanations of this was written by 1Dr. Condic at Charlotte Lozier Institute.  She reasons that life begins when a new cell distinct in composition from the sperm and egg comes into existence and begins to behave differently than either the sperm or egg.  At conception a one cell embryo or zygote is formed and begins to repel other sperm cells while prior to fertilization joining with a sperm cell was the primary function.  This complete difference in behavior indicates that a change has occurred. She points out that at this point the embryo must be considered an organism and not just a clumping of cells due to the uniquely integrated and coordinated behavior that begins.  The embryo manages its own development producing tissues, organs, and structure in a structured manner.  A mere group of cells, such as a tumor, can sometimes assemble into primitive tissues, but is completely incapable of the coordinated interactions necessary to develop into a human.  This embryo is different in composition and behavior to the egg and sperm.  Further development of the embryo all the way through childhood is a continuation and no other such unique change in behavior and composition takes place. 

The vast majority of results align with Dr. Condic, however, if you look hard enough you may find some who claim that there is no consensus at all.  If this is the case what do you do with a life or death question that science can’t answer?  You suffer the inconvenience and choose life.  Otherwise you must base your decision on an individual opinion of when life begins and live with your conscience afterwards recognizing that neither science nor religion support you.

We have alluded to the fact that the Bible supports life at conception, but no one should be asked to accept a Bible truth without being shown supporting text.

The word Brephos means baby in Greek and is what is used all of the verses below indicating a human from in the womb, as a baby, through childhood.  The Bible considers them all equal and calls them by the same word.  There is no distinction between fetus, baby, or child.  We also see in Luke 1:43 that Elizabeth calls Mary “the mother of my Lord” in present tense though Mary was only 3 months pregnant.

Luke 1 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And how has it happened to me that the mother of my Lord would come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.

Luke 2 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest,And on earth peace among people [k]with whom He is pleased.” 15 When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

Luke 18 15 Now they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. 

2 Timothy 3 14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

We see that the Bible calls people from the womb through childhood by the same word, but perhaps this is just a matter of language being inadequate.  This does not prove that the Bible considers a baby in the womb as equal to a fully functioning human.  However, we do find this among the laws set in Exodus.

Ex 21 22 “Now if people struggle with each other and strike a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, but there is no injury, the guilty person shall certainly be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. 23 But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

In the passage above we see that if someone injured a woman so that her unborn baby died the life of the one who caused the death would be put to death on the basis of a life for a life.  By this God sets one life equal to the other such that a “fetus” has the same value as a grown man.  This is explained further in Genesis.

Gen 9:5-6  5 I certainly will require your lifeblood; from every animal I will require it. And from every person, from every man as his brother I will require the life of a person. 6 Whoever sheds human blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of GodHe made mankind.

Someone may argue that the penalty is because the child represented a financial future since in those days children were required to take care of their parents in old age.  However we find later in verses 33-36 that if an ox dies due to someones negligence or an ox kills another ox the result is a financial penalty.  The price of blood for blood is only required when a human life is taken. 

Ex 21 33 “Now if someone opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his. 35 “And if someone’s ox injures another’s ox so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its proceeds equally; and they shall also divide the dead ox. 36 Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he must make restitution of ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.

We see in Hosea a listing of what Jacob did throughout his life including what he did while in the womb in his infant strength contrasted to what he later did in his “mature strength”.  This is to show that Jacobs life was full of struggles even prior to birth.

Hosea 12 3 In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And in his mature strength he contended with God. 4 Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and implored His favor. He found Him at Bethel, And there He spoke with us,

We also see that God is involved in the giving of life:

Ruth 4 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he had relations with her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 

We looked at what both science and the Bible say about when life begins, but in reality, neither is needed.  We know that a fetus is a baby by nature.  We see even some of the most pro-choice celebrities posting pictures of their “baby bump” or their husbands kissing their bellies.  We choose names well before the child is born.  We talk to, play music for, and sing to our unborn children on the slightest chance that the “Mozart effect” has some truth to it and it will make our babies smarter.  However, you will only see those who want the child doing this.  If someone wants the child they refer to it as their baby, if they don’t, it’s a fetus.  We define life based on whether or not it is convenient for us.  If it is not the right time for our career, we don’t feel we can afford a child, or our partner doesn’t want one we call the child a fetus to detach us emotionally and remove the guilt of our intentions.  Instead of ending something that could mean the world to someone else, follow through, have the child and give them a chance at adoption.  There are many organizations out there designed to help find the right family for your child.  A Google search will turn up many options including places like Sacred Selections which was founded to help connect good Christian families with a child they can raise.  There are options.

1 https://lozierinstitute.org/a-scientific-view-of-when-life-begins/

*Dr. Condic is Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine.  She is also Director of Human Embryology instruction for the Medical School and of Human Neuroanatomy for the Dental School.