(And life ends immediately after the last heartbeat, unless extraordinary means are used to extend it. Thus the beginning and the end of normal human life are defined by the first and last heartbeats.)
Jesus Teaches Us Always To Seek The Truth
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." ( John 8:32 KJV)
We may have strong feelings and beliefs about a subject such as abortion, but some of our feelings and beliefs might be false. Jesus teaches us to seek the truth, no matter where it leads.
Christians Search The Bible For Moral Truth And Guidance
The Bible is the inspired written Word of God, sufficient to guide all human action, for all people, at all times. Although its Source is infallible, the Bible itself is not perfectly infallible because fallible humans have introduced human error into it. Also, the Bible cannot always be understood literally, because it contains figures of speech which are never intended to be taken literally. Nevertheless, the Bible is the highest written authority in all matters which it discusses. And if it is properly understood and properly applied, it is a sufficient moral guide for all human action.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
"That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
(2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV)
The Bible Prohibits The Taking Of Innocent Life
This prohibits abortion (after life begins) in all but the most extreme cases of necessity.
Exodus 23:7 (KJV) Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Deuteronomy 19:10 (KJV) That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.
Deuteronomy 27:25 (KJV) Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Psalm 106:38 (KJV) And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
Proverbs 6:17 (KJV) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Rev. Bill McGinnis is an Internet Christian minister, writer and publisher. He is Director of LoveAllPeople.org, a small private think tank in Alexandria, Virginia, and all of its related websites, including InternetChurchOfChrist.org,CommitteeForTheGoldenRule.org,CivicAmerican.com, and AmericanDemocrat.net. His agenda is to help maximize the happiness and well-being of all people. His blog is located at http://blog.myspace.com/revbillmcginnis
I appreciate the attempt at a viewpoint other than the standard "Christian" rhetoric on this topic. The reality is that 'life' merely continues as one cell which is alive (sperm) combines with another cell which is alive (egg) to form the embryo i.e. life doesn't 'begin'. I personally feel that "human life" begins with NEUROLOGIC activity(somewhere between 8-10 weeks) and ends with the absence of the same i.e. brain death.
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BenMarbleMD (18 articles, 0 quicklinks, 172 diaries, 259 comments)
on Friday, August 18, 2006 at 4:17:10 PM
To say that human life does not begin until there is the presence of blood seems to contradict what the Bible says in Genesis. Adam, who, according to the Genesis account, did not become a "living soul" until God breathed the breath of life in him.
IMO, when human life begins cannot be biblically determined by scriptures that talk about life in different contexts. According to the scripture you cited, the life is in the blood does not necessarily make it human life, but just life. And the mention of blood wasn't there to talk about when life begins in the womb. The contexts between when life begins in the womb and what you cited in the Bible are too different to apply one to the other.
We know that from conception, scientifically speaking, we have a separate and distinct though biologically dependent life form. Whether we want to call that human life depends on the definitions we choose to employ. But we must be aware that there are tradeoffs in the criteria we choose to define human life.
Certainly we need to discuss this subject with the upmost respect especially for those with whom we disagree. I would add to this discussion that the abortion issue has multiple parts. It has a concern with what possibly, depending on the definitions we employ, is human life. It has a concern with the rights of the mother. We cannot eliminate or diminish either concern in discussing abortion. And at the same time, we must be aware of all the implications that come with the definition of human life we select to use in this discussion. Personally, I think human life starts at conception. I think that the context of the scriptures that talk about the life being in the blood means that it is problematic to apply these scriptures in Biblically defining human life in the womb.
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Curt Day (36 articles, 2 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 33 comments)
on Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 11:44:43 AM
