When Does Life Begin?

My opinions only - but carefully considered ones none the less! And I do love opening cans of worms to see what will happen!

Abortion has been a hot topic for a long time. But when we sift through all the arguments, it comes down to one simple question:

When does life actually begin?

I have no answer, and despite the best efforts of millions, I really don't think anyone does. Here's the problem as I see it...

Starting with eggs and sperm -  are these pre-human forms alive? Kind of. I mean sperm are definitely wiggling around waiting to do their job, and eggs are sitting around waiting for the brave little sperms to do their thing. But are they human? Most would say they aren't, but they are alive.


Then the moment they get together they form complete DNA and begin to divide. So are they human babies at that moment? Do they instantly become endowed with a soul/spirit and that point and become conscious? Do they slowly become "humans" over a period of time? If so, how long and how can we tell?

What if we back track to the eggs and sperm. Let's face it, millions of sperm die all the time, whether we like it or not, and most of a woman's eggs die too. So these half human "things" are carelessly discarded by our bodies anyway. So do we assume that it's not until the sperm penetrates the egg that human life begins? Or is it when the first cell divides? Or is it when the first "blob" of cells start to look like a human form? Then again, the first steps beyond the "blob" look like fish.

Perhaps it's a slow "awakening" to consciousness in the womb. But is "consciousness" the determining factor, or is the potential itself enough to go on? The more we look at the complexity, the more we have to admit there is no clear line - no point at which we can say "this is a human" and to terminate this is "murder".

Personally, I think we are a long way from knowing. Would I condone abortion? That's the million dollar question for all of us, and I would say we have no right to judge either way. That isn't a cop out, it's simply a way of saying I believe it's up to the conscience of the mother. No one else has that right - ever!

Full term abortions? They are rare, and will never be something that people will accept, simply because most women would not even go there after carrying a foetus for 9 months. Up to 3 months? Again, it's an arbitrary line we draw in the sand, pretending we know when the blob of cells becomes human. And again, I would say it's always the choice of the mother.

There are so many arguments either way, but let's face it, if you are a christian, why are you concerned? Surely you believe an innocent foetus would go straight to heaven anyway? A few moments of suffering through an abortion would be more than offset by a shortcut to heaven!

There is no argument either way. It's a non issue, despite our most heart felt and passionate beliefs. Only the mother has the right to decide. She may need help to do so, but not judgement. It's never going to be easy, simply because we all know that somewhere along the line that foetus will become a conscious baby.

It's time to find more important issues. Love the mother, no matter what her circumstances, and let her decide. She has the right decide what is going on in her body, whether we like it or not.

Let's focus our energy on issue involving those who are suffering here and now - fully conscious and self aware - creatures who have experienced the joy and pain of life. These are the ones who truly need our care. And that includes the mothers who, for whatever reason, may be considering an abortion!