The Sanctity of Human Life

• • • • • •

Abortion Euthanasia Suicide Capital Punishment Serving in Military, Police Human Engineering

Sanctity of Life

 Address questions that people of the 21st century are faced with due to the accomplishments of modern science:  Does abortion end the life of a human being?

  Is suicide an acceptable way to terminate one’s life?

Is euthanasia a merciful way of preventing suffering?

Sanctity of Life

 Foundational principles that must be understood : 1.

Man is not the product of organic evolution, but a creation of God (Gen. 2:7; Acts 17:25; 1 Tim. 6:13)

Sanctity of Life

 Foundational principles that must be understood : 2.

Gen. 9:6 - Here we see the distinctive sanctity of human life.

a.Man is more than higher form of animal - he is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27).

b.God has authorized man to use animals for food (v. 3) – without its blood (Lev. 17:11)

Sanctity of Life

 Foundational principles that must be understood : 2.

Gen. 9:6 – (cont.) a.

Man’s blood more sacred, neither man nor animal may shed it (Gen. 9:3-6) b.Distinction between animal and human life c. Willful destruction of human life is sin (Ex. 20:30)

Sanctity of Life

 Foundational principles that must be understood : 3.

Only the Creator has the right to authorize the termination of the life of a human being (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 20:13; 21:12; Lev. 24:21)

Except when God specifically delegates that right to men (e.g. Rom. 13:14; 1 Pet. 2:14; Acts 24:11)

The Sanctity of Human Life

• • • • • •

Abortion Euthanasia Suicide Capital Punishment Serving in Military, Police Human Engineering

Sanctity of Life

Abortion Violates the Sanctify of Life

 

Abortion Violates the Sanctify of Life

If abortion is an act of killing a human being, then abortion is murder and sin against God • It would be, without doubt, the shedding of innocent blood (Isa. 9:6) Facts show abortion is the killing of a human being

  

Secular Arguments Against Abortion?

Libertarians for Life (L4L.org) – atheists A Secular Case Against Abortion by Jennifer Roth – secular humanist (www.infidels.org/library/modern/de bates/secularisst/abortion/oth1.html) Feminists for Life (feministsforlife .org) – non-sectarian

  

Secular Abortion Arguments

Scientific considerations – Human Embryology 101 – When does human life begin?

Legal Issues – – Is the unborn a person?

Are the laws logically consistent?

Moral Issues – When does a person begin to exist?

Scientific Arguments

• When does human life begin?

• Medical textbooks • Statements of doctors • When does abortion occur?

• “Products of conception” – just a “blob of tissue”

Medical Embryology Textbooks

The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology

"Zygote: this cell results from the union of an oocyte and a sperm. A zygote is the beginning of a new human being (i.e., an embryo). Human development begins at fertilization… This highly specialized, totipotent cell marks the beginning of each of us as a unique individual.”

Medical Embryology Textbooks

Essentials of Human Embryology

“In this text, we begin our description of the developing human with the formation and differentiation of the male and female sex cells or gametes, which will unite at fertilization to initiate the embryonic development of a new individual.”

Medical Embryology Textbooks

Human Embryology & Teratology

“Fertilization is an important landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed…”

 

What Do Medical Doctors Say?

Dr. Alfred Bongioanni (University of Pennsylvania): “I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the time of conception.” Dr. Jerome LeJeune (University of Descartes): “after fertilization has taken place a new human being has come into being.”



What Do Medical Doctors Say?

Dr. Hymie Gordon (Mayo Clinic): “By all criteria of modern molecular biology, life is present from the moment of conception.”  Dr. Micheline Matthews-Roth (Harvard University Medical School): “It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception”

 

Human Embryology

Fetal heart begins to form 18 days after conception Measurable heart beat 21-24 days after conception

 

Human Embryology

Fetal brain begins to form on day 23 Brain waves produced by 6 weeks

Abortion Statistics by Weeks of Gestation

Weeks of Gestation Abortions (% of total) <6 22 7 8 >8 18 18 42 Therefore, 78% of abortions occur

after

fetal brain waves have begun

Elam-Evans, L.D., et al. 2002. Abortion Surveillance -- United States, 1999. Surveillance Summaries 51(SS09) 1-28. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

Fetus – Just a “Blob of Tissue”?

“I opened the sock up and I put it on the towel and there were parts in there of a person. I’d taken anatomy; I was a medical student. I knew what I was looking at. There was a little scapula and there was an arm, and I saw some ribs and a chest, and I saw a little tiny head, and I saw a piece of a leg, and I saw a tiny hand. ... I checked it out and there were two arms and two legs and one head, etc., and I turned and said, I guess you got it all ... It was pretty awful that first time... it was like somebody put a hot poker into me.” (Dr. David Brewer, in training)

Fetus – Just a “Blob of Tissue”?

“I watched as the contents of the woman’s womb came through a suctioning device and into a stainless-steel pail sitting at his feet. I stepped back and wiped the perspiration from my brow. “This is kind of gruesome,” I said…. The doctor said, “At this point in a pregnancy, the products of conception aren’t much.” I stepped forward and peered into the pail. This time I broke out in a cold sweat. I backed up and leaned against the wall, my eyes closed. Dear Jesus! I thought. I just saw someone murdered! And I just stood and watched! (Nurse Don Haines, in training)

Fetus – Just a “Blob of Tissue”?

“I had a quick sonogram and then received a shot of methrotrexate. After the shot, I came home... I went to bed that evening around 9 p.m… I continued contracting and bleeding most of the night. Around three in the morning, I went to the bathroom. When I stood up, I noticed that the pain and the pressure was not from clots, but from passing the placenta. When I looked in the commode, I saw laying in the center of the placenta my baby. I saw the baby's perfectly formed hands, the little fingers. I remember the scream that came from my mouth... [from a 7 week abortion] (Char, “I used to be Pro-choice...But…”)

   

Scientific Conclusions

Human life begins at conception Human development proceeds rapidly (all organs and systems are in place by week 8) Abortion stops a beating heart Most abortions occur

after

the fetus exhibits measurable brain waves

Legal Arguments

   

Consider These Points:

 Right to life Supreme Court decision Legal definition of murder Definition of murder – exceptions Personhood issues

Right to Life

The Declaration of Independence of the United States guarantees “certain unalienable Rights, that among those are

Life

, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

Right to Life

The Declaration of Independence of the United States guarantees equal, that they are endowed by their among those are

Life

, Liberty and Rights, that among those are

Life

, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”

 

Supreme Court Decision

The Supreme Court held that the “right to privacy,” assured the freedom of a person to abort unless the state had a “compelling interest” in preventing the abortion.

The Court then held that, though the state had an interest in protecting fetal life, this interest did not become “compelling” until “fetal viability” occurred in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Legal Allowances for Killing an Unborn Child Texas Penal Code, Title 5.Offenses Against the Person Chapter 19.Criminal Homicide

§ 19.01. TYPES OF CRIMINAL HOMICIDE. (a) A person commits criminal homicide if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence causes the death of an individual. (b) Criminal homicide is murder, capital murder, manslaughter, or criminally negligent homicide.1

Texas Penal Code, Title 5.Chapter 19.Criminal Homicide

§ 19.06. APPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN CONDUCT. This chapter does not apply to the death of an unborn child if the conduct charged is: (1)conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child; (2)a lawful medical procedure performed by a physician or other licensed health care provider with the requisite consent, if the death of the unborn child was the intended result of the procedure; 1

Texas Penal Code, Title 5.Chapter 19.Criminal Homicide

§ 19.06. APPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN CONDUCT. This chapter does not apply to the death of an unborn child if the conduct charged is: (cont.) (3) a lawful medical procedure performed by a physician or other licensed health care provider with the requisite consent as part of an assisted reproduction as defined by Section 160.102, Family Code;

Texas Penal Code, Title 5.Chapter 19.Criminal Homicide Implications of this law:

 A unborn baby is a “person”  Certain people are legally allowed to kill that innocent “person”

   

Legal Personhood Issues

The fetus is granted personhood if wanted by the mother The fetus can become a non person at the discretion of the mother However, a mother may not choose to kill her born child How can the personhood of a human being be decided by another person?

Moral Arguments

     “Benefit” to women “Benefit to child (every child “wanted”) “Right” to control their own body Population control Fetus is not a person – personality argument

“Benefit” to Women

   Prevention of deaths from “coat hanger” or “back alley” abortions Cases of rape or incest, fetal abnormalities or threats to mother’s life or health Abortion alleviates economic and social problems

Abortion Must Remain Legal to Prevent Abortion Deaths

Year 1940 1950 1965 Abortion-related Deaths 1,470 263 201 “We spoke of 5,000-10,000 deaths a year.... I confess that I knew the figures were totally false.” - Dr. Bernard Nathanson, (co-founder NARAL), testimony before the Supreme Court in 1972

Abortion Must Remain Legal to Prevent Abortion Deaths

Year 1972 Deaths From Abortion Legal Abortions ?

Legal 24 Illegal 41 1973 615,831 25 21 1974 763,476 26 7 Tietze, C. 1983.

Induced Abortion: A World View

. The Population Council, New York.

The “Hard” Cases

Abortion must be available for:

 –

cases of rape or incest

Represent only 1% of all cases 

cases of fetal abnormalities

 – Represent only 1% of all cases

mother’s health is at risk

– Represents only 3% of all cases

The Alan Guttmacher Institute (http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html)

Abortion Alleviates Economic and Social Problems

 Pregnancy subjugates women, interferes with career and educational choices  For most women, pregnancy does not interfere with the ability to work or attend school, except after birth  Laws prevent employers from firing or discriminating against pregnant women

Abortion Alleviates Economic and Social Problems

(cont.)  Women are not forced to keep their children -- adoption is always an option  The existence of social problems is not justification for another evil

Every Child Should Be Wanted

 Being wanted is not a condition of the child, but of the adult  Is it fair to kill a child because of the attitude of an adult?

 Wanted children are less likely to suffer abuse Not true

Every Child Should Be Wanted (Wanted Children Are Less Likely to Be Abused) Year 1973 1980 1987 2000 Reported Child Abuse Cases 167,000 785,100 2,025,200 1,726,000

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Center of Child Abuse & Neglect; National Analysis of

Official Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting

Women Have a “Right” to Control Their Own Body

 Is the fetus part their body?

 Separate circulatory system  Unique DNA  Do we have rights to do

anything

with our bodies?

 Assault  Illegal drugs  Use of drugs/alcohol during pregnancy

Population Control – Rebuttal

 Those countries that outlaw abortion have an overcrowding problem – This does not indicated cause and effect – these countries also have little or no access to birth-control, poor education, etc.

– War, disease and famine also curb population growth. Should we condone them?

Fetus Is Not a Person

“Persons . . . are members of a social community that shapes and values them, and personhood must be defined in terms of interactions and relationships with others.” Susan Sherwin. 1999.

Ethical Issues: Perspectives for Canadians

. Ed. Soifer, Eldon. Peterborough, Ontario: Broadview Press, p. 267

Fetus Is Not a Person – Rebuttal

 Personality definition problems – Does a human non-person exist?

– What traits define personhood?

– Who makes the definition?

– Society has excluded certain humans from personhood before (e.g., African slaves, Chinese, etc.) Should we make a new list of human non-persons?

Fetus Is Not a Person – Rebuttal

 The lack of certain personality traits would remove from personhood: – Those who are in a coma – Elderly with degenerative disorders (Alzheimer's, etc.) – Mentally deficient Next slide

Fetus Is Not a Person – Rebuttal

 The lack of certain personality traits would remove from personhood: – Mentally deficient (cont.) • Genetic • Neurological disease • Mental illness – Is is okay to consider these human beings as non-persons?

Definition of Personhood

 One who is consciously performing personal acts – eliminates those who are sleeping  One with a present capacity to perform personal acts – eliminates those who are in a coma

Definition of Personhood

 One who has a history of performing personal acts – eliminates one who was in a coma from birth, but wakes up  One with a future capacity for performing personal acts – makes those who are dying as non-persons

Implications of Functionally Defined Personhood

 Newborns lack the ability to perform personal functions – in fact, newborn humans are less capable physically and mentally than virtually all other mammals  Therefore, on the basis of functionally-defined personhood, newborns fail the test could be killed on the basis of “non-personhood”

    

When Does a Human Become a Person?

At conception? After 20 weeks’ gestation?

After 24 weeks (fetal viability outside the womb)?

At birth?

At the point that the individual expresses self-consciousness and an interest in their continued existence?

  Claim:

At Conception, It Is Only a Single Cell

Fertilized eggs are single cells, like blood cells or other parts of the body Rebuttal: The single cell is unique from both the father’s and mother’s cells and is the beginning of every new human being

  

Claim: Prior to 20 Weeks, a Fetus Is Not a Person

A person possess an individual human personality Prior to 20 weeks’ gestation, the cerebral cortex has not yet developed to the point that the fetus can possess an individual human personality Thus, the fetus prior to 20 weeks’ gestation is not a person.

Prior to 20 Weeks, a Fetus Is Not a Person – Rebuttal

Person = Personality Problem

– All persons were once fetuses. When did we go from non-person status to person status?

– To say that personality defines personhood is to deny the role of the body – Mind/Body dualism?

Prior to 20 Weeks, a Fetus Is Not a Person – Rebuttal

Brain Development Problem

The development of the brain is programmed by the DNA – it is an inherent function of the fertilized ovum and continues even after birth



Prior to 20 Weeks, a Fetus Is Not a Person – Rebuttal

Depends upon current technology – Age of viability used to be 28 weeks – Changed to 24 weeks in 1990  Artificial womb (

Nature

, 2002) – Developed for premature infants – Uses oxygenated perfluorinated hydrocarbons – Could cut point of fetal viability in half?

Abortion Vs. Slavery

Abortion (2003) Slavery (1850’s)* “They’re not persons” “They’re not persons, but property” It’s a personal It’s a personal choice choice It’s a religious issue It’s a religious issue *Stephen Douglas used all of these arguments in favor of retaining slavery

Biblical Arguments Against Abortion



All life is from God (Acts 17:25; Eccl. 12:7)

• Human life sacred - created in God’s image (Gen. 1:27; 9:6) • Like marriage – what God has joined together [flesh and spirit – Eccl. 12:7; Jas. 2:26] let not man separate (Mt. 19:6)



Human life begins prior to birth, not at birth

• Unborn child as intrinsically valuable as that of the mother (Ex. 21:22-23)  “Fruit: [Heb. yeled] = “child” (cf. Gen. 21:8 - Isaac) • David - a “person” in his mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13)



Human life begins prior to birth, not at birth (cont.)

• Eccl. 11:5 – “bones grow in the womb of her who is with child” • Mob formed in the womb (10:11; 31:15) • Jeremiah formed in the womb (1:5)



Human life begins prior to birth, not at birth (cont.)

• Greek “brephos – babe, young child, infant • Luke 1:41 - John in the womb • Luke 2:14, 16 - Jesus laid in the manger • Acts 7:19 – babies



Human life begins prior to birth, not at birth (cont.)

• James 2:26 – death = separation of spirit from body • Thus, living being = body + spirit • If life begins at conception, then the spirit is present at conception Abortion - sinful deliberate destruction of an innocent human life (Prov. 6:16-19)

What about a Child Conceived from Incest or Rape?

  Rape and incest are wicked acts, but “two wrongs do not make a right” Willful abortion is still the murder of an innocent child

What if a Continued Pregnancy Would Result in the Death of the Mother?

  This is not comparable to arbitrarily taking the life of a healthy child from a healthy mother for convenience sake.

If a choice has to be made, it is not murder to make a choice

Legalization of Abortion Is Based on Two Lies:

• Abortion destroys a bunch of tissue, not a human life.

• Abortion is safe and helpful to women.

Abortion Hurts Women

• 60% higher risk of dying from natural causes • 7x higher risk of suicide • Nearly 50% begin or increase drug/alcohol use • Reproductive problems, i.e. infertility or complications in later pregnancies • 10% risk of immediate complications • Increase risk of breast, lung, and cervical cancers

Abortion Hurts Women

Possible physical consequences of abortion:  Pain  Infection  Excessive bleeding  Ripping or perforation of the uterus  Hemorrhage  Cervical tearing or lacerations  Endotoxic shock

Abortion Hurts Women

Possible physical consequences of abortion:  Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)  Endometritis  Placenta Previa  Infertility  Cancer  Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy  Death

Abortion Hurts Women

Possible emotional consequences of abortion:  Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS)  PAS has many associated symptoms: • Guilt • Anxiety • Depression • Loss

Abortion Hurts Women

Possible emotional consequences of abortion:  Associated Symptoms (cont.) • Anger • Suicide • Drug or alcohol abuse • Eating disorders • Sexual dysfunction • Nightmares • Preoccupation with death

Then why so many abortions?

• 30-60% of all abortions are a result of coercion.

• 52% of women suffering from abortion report they were “forced by others” to abort.

• Coerced abortion is a form of domestic violence.

Impact of Abortion

• A child is destroyed.

• A grieving mother may incur irreparable harm.

• The mother’s circle of support is permanently affected.

• Both church & society must pick up the pieces.