Four Points for Pro-Life

 

Everyone has a theology, an operating system for life.

I believe all views should have at least four points to consider about when life begins.

All should be:

(1) Considerate of the latest scientific knowledge. If we know a baby’s heart begins beating 22 days after conception or can feel pain at 12 weeks, those should be considered observable data points for life.

(2) Consistent, uniformly applied with everyone. Neither ethnicity, nor gender, nor neurology should enter the decision-making process for life. One of the worst examples is the Gosnell case in Philadelphia.

(3) Coherent, taking into consideration all of life. What is done in one place for one person should be considered for all people.

(4) Compassionate, for mother and child. I love the billboards I have seen on the highway, a picture of a child in utero, with the line, “Love them both.”

 

Thanks for spending this minute with me, Dr. Mark Eckel.

Mark Eckel (MA English, ThM Old Testament, PhD Social Science Research) is Executive Director of the Center for Biblical Integration, Liberty University.

“Give Me a Minute” is an ongoing effort to simply, clearly, and quickly explain aspects of true Truth. First published at MarkEckel.com

Gratitude, as always, to my longtime friend, videographer, and tech guru Josh for his continued service.

(FWIW, my theological position (my operating system) considers statements such as Jeremiah 1:5, where it is declared the prophet was “formed, known, consecrated, and appointed” in the womb. Psalm 139.16 – along with several other statements – says that prior to birth, my “days had been appointed.” And John the Baptist’s response while in his mother’s womb when Mary, carrying Jesus, was close by, is described as a “leap” [Luke 1:39-45].)

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  1. DonG (¡Afuera!) Coolidge
    DonG (¡Afuera!)
    @DonG

    Mark Eckel: about when life begins.

    The hard question is about when is “alive” a “life”?   That is, when does a “clump of cells” become a person with a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

    • #1
  2. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    DonG (¡Afuera!) (View Comment):

    Mark Eckel: about when life begins.

    The hard question is about when is “alive” a “life”? That is, when does a “clump of cells” become a person with a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

    When is there a complete human organism there?

    • #2
  3. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    DonG (¡Afuera!) (View Comment):

    Mark Eckel: about when life begins.

    The hard question is about when is “alive” a “life”? That is, when does a “clump of cells” become a person with a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

    When is there a complete human organism there?

    Certainly not later than that. Wouldn’t human consciousness be present at that point?

    • #3
  4. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Nobody, including the government, can force decent prenatal care. I wish we would just drop this for a dozen years.

    • #4
  5. GlennAmurgis Coolidge
    GlennAmurgis
    @GlennAmurgis

    I recommend charities like Preborn which provides free sonagrams to women considering abortion as well as aid for the first couple years after giving birth

    PreBorn! | Saving Babies and Souls

     

    • #5
  6. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    DonG (¡Afuera!) (View Comment):

    Mark Eckel: about when life begins.

    The hard question is about when is “alive” a “life”? That is, when does a “clump of cells” become a person with a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

    When is there a complete human organism there?

    Certainly not later than that. Wouldn’t human consciousness be present at that point?

    Conception. The only answer is conception.

    • #6
  7. FrankTorson Member
    FrankTorson
    @FrankTorson

    If a physician and a pregnant woman conspire to have an unborn baby killed, shouldn’t both of them be charged with conspiracy to commit murder?

    • #7
  8. Doug Watt Member
    Doug Watt
    @DougWatt

    From the moment of conception, we can be sure that around nine months after conception a human being will be born, not kittens or dogs. One can try to use language to parse or obfuscate the truth, for instance fetus vs baby. If a baby is a fetus, then a fetus is a baby.

    • #8
  9. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    • #9
  10. FrankTorson Member
    FrankTorson
    @FrankTorson

    When a woman says she suffered a miscarriage, odds are she actually killed her child.  State Attorney Generals need to investigate and charge the woman with murder.  

    • #10
  11. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    FrankTorson (View Comment):

    When a woman says she suffered a miscarriage, odds are she actually killed her child. State Attorney Generals need to investigate and charge the woman with murder.

    I dunno, never considered that as a possibility. It is curious though that I can count more than thirty births in the generations of my immediate family with zero miscarriages that we know about.

    • #11
  12. Saint Augustine Member
    Saint Augustine
    @SaintAugustine

    FrankTorson (View Comment):

    When a woman says she suffered a miscarriage, odds are she actually killed her child. State Attorney Generals need to investigate and charge the woman with murder.

    Well, it’s probably happened before.  But I’m pretty sure those aren’t the odds, and no one should launch investigations merely on a reported miscarriage.

    • #12
  13. Clavius Thatcher
    Clavius
    @Clavius

    FrankTorson (View Comment):

    When a woman says she suffered a miscarriage, odds are she actually killed her child. State Attorney Generals need to investigate and charge the woman with murder.

    Given the trauma a miscarriage causes a woman, this is a pretty callous comment.

    Just sad.

    • #13
  14. Drew didn't ban himself Member
    Drew didn't ban himself
    @OldDanRhody

    FrankTorson (View Comment):

    When a woman says she suffered a miscarriage, odds are she actually killed her child. State Attorney Generals need to investigate and charge the woman with murder.

    My mother had two, but her other eight pregnancies survived to adulthood.

    • #14
  15. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Saint Augustine (View Comment):

    FrankTorson (View Comment):

    When a woman says she suffered a miscarriage, odds are she actually killed her child. State Attorney Generals need to investigate and charge the woman with murder.

    Well, it’s probably happened before. But I’m pretty sure those aren’t the odds, and no one should launch investigations merely on a reported miscarriage.

    My mother had one the year after I was born, which was also the year before the older of my two brothers was born.  I don’t think an investigation was in order.   

    • #15
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