Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash
The entire debate around abortion hangs on the question of: “Is it a life?” The side denying the humanity inside the womb uses faulty logic to try and justify abortion, but biology and ethics are on the side proving that pregnancy is synonymous with life. There is humanity in the womb, and that life never deserves a death sentence at any time during its development.
Science is Pro-Life
From basic biology textbooks to google searches, the science is clear that when sperm and egg meet a new human life begins. It is a traceable moment in time that meets biological requirements for new life. Unique genetic code is created at that moment, never seen before and never to be duplicated (read here). Every step that follows is all part of human development. It is a process that depends on time - development occurs, but there is no one step in the process that suddenly makes that growing baby a human. Through the process the biological fact remains that the child is always human from the very moment it all begins.
Humanity Proven in the Womb
The most important piece of evidence in this debate is the ultrasound machine, which has been called a window to the womb. Because of ultrasound technology, former abortionist Dr. Bernard Nathenson has one of the most compelling testimonies against abortion. He was called the abortion king, was involved in 75,000 abortions throughout his distinguished career of gynecology work, and is the man who started the pro-abortion activist group NARAL (National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws). Later on though, he became ardently pro life, and the key factor that changed his very pro-abortion mind was, in fact, the ultrasound machine. He began to question what he was doing when he saw the image of preborn babies inside the womb.
Nathanson’s book, “The Hand of God'' is his fascinating first-hand account of his change of heart and includes the story of how he created the film “The Silent Scream.” He asked a colleague who was performing 15-20 abortions a day to put an ultrasound device on the mothers during the procedures one Saturday and tape them. After reviewing the footage together, the colleague was so affected that he never performed another abortion again, and Dr. Nathenson turned away from his pro-abortion mindset and began work on his life-affirming film. It shows some of the footage they taped, the process of a first trimester abortion and that although the baby is newly developing, he or she shows signs of pain (view here). Some have tried to challenge the footage, but it has been proven as legitimate. Though scientific consensus is inconclusive on when a developing baby feels pain - some say 13 weeks gestation, others 22 - should we not err on the side of life and protect the most vulnerable? Dr. Bernard Nathenson’s heart and mind were changed completely after seeing the humanity inside the womb, and any honest seeker of truth must face the same facts when forming an opinion on abortion.
The Question of Morality
Many argue that viability is when life begins. This is one of the more absurd arguments from the pro-abortion side. Why would viability be the determining factor? The argument that viability is the determining factor for human value is essentially saying that when a developing human being is more vulnerable it is morally acceptable to end its life. Viability does not equate with value, any and every human has value in all stages of life. The first stages of development should mean more protection and care, not less.
Additionally, viability is an ambiguous time frame to hold human life by. With modern medicine, babies have been born as early as 21 weeks and survived with help. We as a society must ask ourselves the deep moral questions surrounding life and death, abortion, and the inherent value of the preborn. It is still wrong to take an innocent life, right? The most vulnerable and innocent of the human race is a developing child, and they are the main ones facing the permanent consequences of abortion.
Seeing an Early Human Life
During an ultrasound when my son was only ten weeks into his development, I saw him bouncing and moving around like crazy. It was amazing to see how much he moved around at only ten weeks along in my pregnancy. According to advocates for abortion, ten weeks old is still not human. Then why was my son moving so much? He was still him, just younger. Abortion providers know the power of a woman seeing her unborn baby (read here). The Pro-Life organization Live Action has many articles about abortionists limiting their pregnant patients’ exposure to seeing their child via ultrasound and only using ultrasounds for abortions. Because they know that ultrasounds change minds! We at Pro-Life Utah have seen our own success in helping mothers and their babies by providing free ultrasounds outside of the Salt Lake City Planned Parenthood. We want women to be informed of the humanity of their baby, and for many mothers, the moment of seeing their child in an ultrasound is when that baby’s life becomes real for them.
Human Development, Keyword HUMAN
When does a human deserve rights? When they have a heartbeat? When they have brain waves? What about people who have brain damage? Or need a pacemaker - are they less human? Was my son not really human until I was halfway through my pregnancy and therefore disposable? A fetus has kidney function between 13 and 16 weeks, and can produce and pass urine. Does that make them human yet, or no, because they aren’t at the arbitrary time frame of viability? As can be seen in the Live Action video below, the science is clear that a beautiful new human life begins at conception (view here). It’s the only consistent logical, scientific, and ethical conclusion that can be drawn. It is an inconvenient truth for many, but that does not make it untrue. Lies and illogical justifications have convinced many that there is not humanity in the womb, but there is overwhelming evidence to show that there is.
Womb to the tomb
A living human being’s development occurs inside a woman’s womb, and while it’s unfortunate when the mother does not want her baby, that is the natural way of life and how it occurs. That baby deserves to live even if the mother does not want to keep the baby. A woman would not have the right to harm a one year old child, because that child has rights. The baby growing inside the womb is the same person as the child he or she would be at any future age, the only difference is the time and place. For every adoption and birth there is a child to see and protect in stark contrast with every abortion there is a missing child that existed and should have lived. We must admit the humanity of an unborn human no matter the circumstances of the pregnancy. The child does exist from the beginning unless his or her life is extinguished. 4 weeks old, 10 weeks old, 22 weeks old, born, 1 year old, 5 years old. These are all time measurements of the same child's life, not a different creature. If a person matters at one age, they matter at all ages. Protecting the unborn becomes vital once the fact of the child’s humanity is seen and believed.
Each of us can do our part to spread awareness of the humanity of preborn children. Please watch and share these videos - you never know which of your friends might need to see this.
Human Development Video | Abortion Procedures Videos