So When Does Life Begin?

You may be skeptical all you want about a "cell that has split in half", but if the life doesn't begin at conception - when does life begin? Is there any other point during human development that could be clearly identified as the beginning of a new life? I repeat - it must be clearly identified, thus there must be a clear difference between "before" and "after".

Some suggest that life starts after birth. Is that so? The biggest problem with that theory is that the time of the baby's actual birth doesn't always depend on the baby's development. There are cases when birth occurs not because the baby is mature enough to survive outside of the womb, but because his mother can't carry him any longer, so the baby still needs special care for a few weeks. And, since Canada allows abortions at any time during pregnancy, it happens sometimes that a baby at much later stage of fetal development could still be aborted - provided he's still in the womb.

Think about it - the same hospital can be proud of saving a life of a baby that was born at 22 weeks and yet at the same time they'll take away life of a 32-week unborn baby just because his mother doesn't want him anymore. The law states that if it ain't breathing, it ain't living. So the late term abortions (so called "partial birth abortions") are performed in a way that the baby's head stays inside - to make sure he doesn't breath...

John-Henry Westen, the founder of Life Site News told us at the conference about what happened during one of those "partial birth abortions". Usually, the abortion provider pulls the baby by the legs, getting him half-way out, then he uses his scissors to break the baby's scull. But that time apparently he had pulled the baby too far, so the baby could get his hand out and grab his executor by the finger. The man's hand jerked, pulling the baby out completely. And the baby breathed.

In the eyes of the law this was already an American citizen, born on the US soil and entitled to full protection under the Bill of Rights. The law already regarded him as a person. But not the murder wearing white robe. He put the baby back in (as if that could make the baby "unborn again") and stabbed him with the scissors - as if the baby had never breathed at all. For him, even the baby's actual birth didn't mean the start of a human life. Neither it did for some of the journalists that reported on the process. For them, it was all about "three inches", rather about when does life begin (let alone the inhumanity and immorality of those "partial birth abortions"). Those who claim that life begins at birth often don't act on their words.

Finally, if that baby's life hadn't started until he breathed, does that mean, that just seconds before, when he grabbed his killer's hand, the baby was still dead? Or was it some sort of "third state" when the baby was neither dead, nor alive? Think about it - a baby was able to move his hand and touch another man's hand (he didn't know this man was there to kill him) - yet at the same time (as poor-choicers claim) he wasn't yet alive. Then what was he?

Obviously, life begins before birth. But could there actually be a certain point during pregnancy at which we could clearly distinguish between a "tissue" (as it's been referred to by abortion providers) and a baby? Some believe that the baby must be "viable", he must have some chance to survive outside of the womb. But that's different for every baby and with the advance of our medical technology the baby that wouldn't have been viable few years ago, would be viable now. In Great Britain, for example, where abortion limits are based on viability, the pro-abortion lobby is doing everything in its power, denying the obvious facts, just so abortion limit doesn't get moved from 24 weeks to 20.

Others suggest that abortions are ok during the first trimester. But what makes an unborn baby at 13 weeks different than the very same unborn baby at 12 weeks and 6 days? A baby at 12 weeks and 6 days has his heart beating. All his vital organs are already present and brain waves can be detected. His little fingers and toes have already formed and got their unique fingerprints permanently engraved. He responds to touches and he can feel pain. His personality is developing already. Often the baby can already hear and recognize his mother's voice... Clearly, the baby at 12 weeks and 6 days is as much alive as he is at full 13 weeks.

What about 12 weeks and 5 days? 12 weeks and 4 days? 12 weeks even? 11 weeks and 6 days? Most of what I listed above is already there. The heart starts beating at 18 days. (18 days, not 18 weeks!) That's 2 weeks and 4 days. Day before that? The heart is not beating yet, but it's already there - growing and ready to function once the time comes...

As we go back step by step, we'll eventually get to day 1. To the very first instant when the unique genetic makeup is formed. That's the only time when we can pinpoint a real change, a transition from "the mother's stuff" and "the father's stuff" (both incapable to last on their own) into a single organism. That's when life begins. There simply can't be any other moment.