When does human life begin?
This is an essential question in the abortion debate.
The biological answer is that life begins at fertilization. When the male sperm fertilizes the female egg, their genetic material combines and a new human being is formed.
At this early stage of development these babies are often called zygotes, but from the moment of fertilization even these undeniably human zygotes are distinct from both mother and father.
They are individual, unique human beings, created in the image of God.
The question of when life begins is not usually a biological one. The biology is very clear.
In spite of that, many people want to define the beginning of life as being some other point in human development than at the moment of fertilization.
When I say that human life begins at fertilization and that we should provide the equal protection of the laws to all human beings even at this early stage of development…
…I get all kinds of objections.
Objection: Life is in the breath!
One of those objections is this: “Life begins at first breath so human beings aren’t really alive until they breath air through their lungs at birth.”
Though it may sound like it on the surface, this is not a biological argument. It is an argument that some actually claim is found in the Bible.
They base their argument that life begins at first breath on Genesis 2:7,
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
At first glance, it may seem like they have a point. This passage does talk about life being breathed into the first man, Adam. But if we take a closer look we can see serious problems with this line of thinking.
Here are 4 problems with using Genesis 2:7 to teach that life begins at first breath:
- This describes the creation of the very first man. What God did in Genesis 2:7 is not normative for everyone who comes after Adam.
- This was the beginning of life for all of humanity. God breathed life into Adam, once for all of us.
- Breath is respiration; the processing of oxygen. Human beings are actually doing this even from fertilization. Respiration is actually happening during every stage of development from fertilization. “It is the mode but not the fact of this oxygen transfer which changes at birth.”
- The divine breath of life is unbroken from parent, to the parent’s gamete (sperm or egg), to the child’s fertilization, until the child’s death. The only other time the Bible describes God breathing life into anyone is for humans who had already been alive, who then died, and then His breath brings them BACK to life (Ez. 37, Rev. 11). Like with blood, losing breath is a description of someone dying.
This issue is one of the reasons why reading our Bibles carefully is important for every Christian. We must know our Bibles well in order to discern the truth.
Don’t fear their arguments
We don’t have to fear pro-abortion arguments, even when they try to use the Bible.
God’s Word is very clear about His creation of human beings in His own image from the very earliest stages of development. He even uses the same words to describe the child in the womb as He does to describe the child outside the womb.
Which is why every human being should have the equal protection of the laws from the very earliest stages of development.
Understanding this issue biblically is so important that we developed a list of seven biblical principles on this that are drawn straight from God’s Word. There are mountains of evidence in the Bible to dismantle arguments like the one above. But we need to know our Bibles!
No matter what argument comes at us for abortion at any stage of development, Christians should be ready to give a biblical answer.
As you can see from the video above, the argument from Genesis that life doesn’t begin until human beings take their first breath doesn’t hold up very well.
God says that he forms life in the womb and that every human being is created in the image of God—from conception.
That’s why AATX and FAA have always fought for the lives of ALL human beings from the moment of fertilization. And that’s who we will continue to fight for.
For life, for justice, and for the glory of God,
Bradley Pierce
President
Abolish Abortion Texas
Foundation to Abolish Abortion