Fact: At no other point in human history has there been such thorough and convincing proof of the humanity of the child in the womb. In ages past, one might excuse their actions on account of ignorance. But today, we are able to peer into the womb and watch the moment of conception, see the zygote split, view the fetus as it develops in the womb in three-dimensions, and map the human genome. Embryologists and geneticists agree: the baby, yes baby, in the womb is a unique human being from conception.
The baby is not a foreign parasite, a “product of conception”, a lump of cells, or merely biological matter.
Faith and science are not in opposition to other. The issue are the presuppositions which one uses to interpret the evidence. That said, even in the realm of science, many non-religious people are able to see plainly the humanity and personhood of the unborn child in the womb.
The meme is abortion abolitionists are anti-science, not grounded in reality, and opposed to scientific research. This is bombarded in public debate, news media, online forums, and college campuses. Though, notably, the vast majority of these people are not medical students, and of the few who are, they aren’t embryologists — the actual experts in this area of medical science.
While repeating a lie may influence society to accept it as truth, truth is not determined by repetition. It’s determined by the facts. The facts are unequivocal: the child in the womb from the moment of concept is a unique human being, a unique individual.
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Latest Science Articles
Life begins at conception
“When do human beings (normally) begin?”
In her brilliant article, “When do human beings (normally) begin?”, Dr. Dianne Irving presents the biological evidence for the humanity of the preborn child. Published in 1999, this was peer reviewed and has been widely circulated since. Nothing she presented in her paper was controversial. It is basic embryology. From her paper,
As such he/she is a single-cell embryonic zygote, an organism with 46 chromosomes, the number required of a member of the human species. This human being immediately produces specifically human proteins and enzymes, directs his/her own further growth and development as human, and is a new, genetically unique, newly existing, live human individual. After fertilization the single-cell human embryo doesn’t become another kind of thing. It simply divides and grows bigger and bigger
“When do human beings (normally) begin?” Irving, Dianne N. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. 1999, 19:3/4:22-36
Life begins at conception, science teaches
Science teaches without reservation that life begins at conception. It is a scientific fact that an organism exists after conception that did not exist before conception. This new organism has its own DNA distinct from the mother and father, meaning that it is neither part of the mother nor part of father. As the embryo grows, it develops a heartbeat (22 days after conception), its own circulatory system, and its own organs. From conception it is a new organism that is alive and will continue to grow and develop as long as nutrition is provided and its life is not ended through violence or illness.
Terzo, Sarah. “Life begins at conception, science teaches.” Live Action New. 2013 Jan 23. (Citations Included)
41 Quotes From Medical Textbooks Prove Human Life Begins at Conception
The next time a pro-choicer says that no one knows when life begins, refer them here.
Terzo, Sarah. “41 Quotes From Medical Textbooks Prove Human Life Begins at Conception.” Life News. 2015 Jan 08. (Citations Included)
Scientific Fact: Human Life Begins at Conception, or Fertilization
When it comes to the question of when human life begins, the science is crystal clear: human life begins at conception or fertilization. Americans United for Life, in a legal briefing it has prepared for the Supreme Court, has put together a collection of citations from scientific literature that proves the point.
The citations are reproduced below and they include information from the latest scientific textbooks, papers and medical agencies.
Etrtelt, Steven. “Scientific Fact: Human Life Begins at Conception, or Fertilization.” Life News. 2013 Nov 18. (Citations Included)
Why life begins at conception
This article contains quotes from many prominent medical professionals that emphatically defend that life at conception, human individualism, begins at conception.
I am no more prepared to say that these early stages [of development in the womb] represent an incomplete human being than I would be to say that the child prior to the dramatic effects of puberty…is not a human being. This is human life at every stage.”
Alcorn, Randy. “Why Life Begins at Conception.” NAAPC. N/D. (Includes Citations)
Fetal stem cell research
Professor of Neurobiology: Why We Don’t Need Aborted Babies for Life-Saving Research
“Researchers in the 1960s and ’70s used fetal cells to produce transformed cell lines because, given the limited knowledge at the time, fetal cells were easier to propagate prior to transformation. Yet in the modern world, fetal cells are not required to produce transformed cell lines. Using current technology, adult cells are readily transformed in a similar manner and have identical properties to fetal-derived cell lines.”
Zagorski, Sarah. “Professor of Neurobiology: Why We Don’t Need Aborted Babies for Life-Saving Research.” Life News. 2015 Aug 21.
Why We Don’t Need Fetal Cells to Conduct Life-Saving Research
Condic, Maureen L. National Review. 2015 Aug 05.
To justify the unsavory practice of utilizing human bodies for valuable parts that are otherwise “bound for the trash,” she puts forward two arguments: 1) there is a “need” for human body parts (fetal stem cells, in particular), and 2) human body parts save lives. Yet both of these statements, as well as the assumption underlying them, are false.
Various Other Science Topics
Cancer During Pregnancy
Pregnancy can make it harder to find, diagnose, and treat cancer. However, most studies have found that, when comparing cancers found at the same stage, the outcomes among pregnant and non-pregnant women with cancer are about the same.
Studies have not shown that short treatment delays that are sometimes needed during pregnancy influence cancer outcome, either. But this has been a difficult area to study.
Most often, cancer can be treated during pregnancy. For many types of cancer, studies generally haven’t found that ending a pregnancy in order to get treatment improves outcomes.
n/a. “Cancer During Pregnancy.” American Cancer Society. 2022 Nov 22
Featured image “Embryo week 9-10” lunarcaustic / CC-BY-SA-2.0
