The Sanctity of Human Life

1
The Sanctity of Human Life

• Abortion
• Euthanasia
• Suicide
• Capital Punishment
• Serving in Military, Police
• Human Engineering

2
Sanctity of Life

• Address questions that people of the 21st century
  are faced with due to the accomplishments of
  modern science
• Does abortion end the life of a human being?
• Is suicide an acceptable way to terminate ones
  life?
• Is euthanasia a merciful way of preventing
  suffering?

3
Sanctity of Life

• Foundational principles that must be understood
• Man is not the product of organic evolution, but
  a creation of God (Gen. 27 Acts 1725 1 Tim.
  613)

4
Sanctity of Life

• Foundational principles that must be understood
• Gen. 96 - Here we see the distinctive sanctity
  of human life.
• Man is more than higher form of animal - he is
  created in the image of God (Gen. 126-27).
• God has authorized man to use animals for food
  (v. 3) without its blood (Lev. 1711)

5
Sanctity of Life

• Foundational principles that must be understood
• Gen. 96 (cont.)
• Mans blood more sacred, neither man nor animal
  may shed it (Gen. 93-6)
• Distinction between animal and human life
• Willful destruction of human life is sin (Ex.
  2030)

6
Sanctity of Life

• Foundational principles that must be understood
• Only the Creator has the right to authorize the
  termination of the life of a human being (Gen.
  96 Ex. 2013 2112 Lev. 2421)

Except when God specifically delegates that right
to men (e.g. Rom. 1314 1 Pet. 214 Acts 2411)
7
The Sanctity of Human Life

• Abortion
• Euthanasia
• Suicide
• Capital Punishment
• Serving in Military, Police
• Human Engineering

8
Sanctity of Life
Abortion Violates the Sanctify of Life
9
Abortion Violates the Sanctify of Life

• If abortion is an act of killing a human being,
  then abortion is murder and sin against God
• It would be, without doubt, the shedding of
  innocent blood (Isa. 96)
• Facts show abortion is the killing of a human
  being

10
Secular Arguments Against Abortion?

• Libertarians for Life (L4L.org) atheists
• A Secular Case Against Abortion by Jennifer Roth
  secular humanist (www.infidels.org/library/moder
  n/debates/secularisst/abortion/oth1.html)
• Feminists for Life (feministsforlife .org)
  non-sectarian

11
Secular Abortion Arguments

• Scientific considerations
• Human Embryology 101
• When does human life begin?
• Legal Issues
• Is the unborn a person?
• Are the laws logically consistent?
• Moral Issues
• When does a person begin to exist?

12
Scientific Arguments

• When does human life begin?
• Medical textbooks
• Statements of doctors
• When does abortion occur?
• Products of conception just a blob of
  tissue

13
Medical Embryology Textbooks
The Developing Human Clinically Oriented
Embryology "Zygote this cell results from the
union of an oocyte and a sperm. A zygote is the
beginning of a new human being (i.e., an embryo).
Human development begins at fertilization This
highly specialized, totipotent cell marks the
beginning of each of us as a unique individual.
14
Medical Embryology Textbooks
Essentials of Human Embryology In this text, we
begin our description of the developing human
with the formation and differentiation of the
male and female sex cells or gametes, which will
unite at fertilization to initiate the embryonic
development of a new individual.
15
Medical Embryology Textbooks
Human Embryology Teratology Fertilization is
an important landmark because, under ordinary
circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human
organism is thereby formed
16
What Do Medical Doctors Say?

• Dr. Alfred Bongioanni (University of
  Pennsylvania)
• I have learned from my earliest medical
  education that human life begins at the time of
  conception.
• Dr. Jerome LeJeune (University of Descartes)
• after fertilization has taken place a new
  human being has come into being.

17
What Do Medical Doctors Say?

• Dr. Hymie Gordon (Mayo Clinic)
• By all criteria of modern molecular biology,
  life is present from the moment of conception.
• Dr. Micheline Matthews-Roth (Harvard University
  Medical School)
• It is scientifically correct to say that an
  individual human life begins at conception

18
Human Embryology

• Fetal heart beginsto form 18 days after
  conception

19
Human Embryology

• Fetal brain begins to form on day 23

20
Abortion Statistics by Weeks of Gestation
Weeks of Gestation Abortions ( of total)
lt6 22
7 18
8 18
gt8 42
Therefore, 78 of abortions occur after fetal brain waves have begun Therefore, 78 of abortions occur after fetal brain waves have begun
Elam-Evans, L.D., et al. 2002. Abortion
Surveillance -- United
States, 1999. Surveillance Summaries 51(SS09)
1-28. (Center for Disease Control and
Prevention)
21
Fetus Just a Blob of Tissue?
I opened the sock up and I put it on the towel
and there were parts in there of a person. Id
taken anatomy I was a medical student. I knew
what I was looking at. There was a little scapula
and there was an arm, and I saw some ribs and a
chest, and I saw a little tiny head, and I saw a
piece of a leg, and I saw a tiny hand. ... I
checked it out and there were two arms and two
legs and one head, etc., and I turned and said, I
guess you got it all ... It was pretty awful that
first time... it was like somebody put a hot
poker into me. (Dr. David Brewer, in training)
22
Fetus Just a Blob of Tissue?
I watched as the contents of the womans womb
came through a suctioning device and into a
stainless-steel pail sitting at his feet. I
stepped back and wiped the perspiration from my
brow. This is kind of gruesome, I said. The
doctor said, At this point in a pregnancy, the
products of conception arent much. I stepped
forward and peered into the pail. This time I
broke out in a cold sweat. I backed up and leaned
against the wall, my eyes closed. Dear Jesus! I
thought. I just saw someone murdered! And I just
stood and watched! (Nurse Don Haines, in
training)
23
Fetus Just a Blob of Tissue?
I had a quick sonogram and then received a shot
of methrotrexate. After the shot, I came home...
I went to bed that evening around 9 p.m I
continued contracting and bleeding most of the
night. Around three in the morning, I went to the
bathroom. When I stood up, I noticed that the
pain and the pressure was not from clots, but
from passing the placenta. When I looked in the
commode, I saw laying in the center of the
placenta my baby. I saw the baby's perfectly
formed hands, the little fingers. I remember the
scream that came from my mouth... from a 7 week
abortion (Char, I used to be Pro-choice...But)
24
Scientific Conclusions

• Human life begins at conception
• Human development proceeds rapidly (all organs
  and systems are in place by week 8)
• Abortion stops a beating heart
• Most abortions occur after the fetus exhibits
  measurable brain waves

25
Legal Arguments
Consider These Points

• Right to life
• Supreme Court decision
• Legal definition of murder
• Definition of murder exceptions
• Personhood issues

26
Right to Life
The Declaration of Independence of the United
States guarantees certain unalienable Rights,
that among those are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness
27
Right to Life
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among those are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness
The Declaration of Independence of the United
States guarantees certain unalienable Rights,
that among those are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness
28
Supreme Court Decision

• The Supreme Court held that the right to
  privacy, assured the freedom of a person to
  abort unless the state had a compelling
  interest in preventing the abortion.
• The Court then held that, though the state had an
  interest in protecting fetal life, this interest
  did not become compelling until fetal
  viability occurred in the third trimester of
  pregnancy.

29
Legal Allowances for Killing an Unborn Child
Texas Penal Code, Title 5.Offenses Against the
Person Chapter 19.Criminal Homicide
19.01. TYPES OF CRIMINAL HOMICIDE. (a) A
person commits criminal homicide if he
intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with
criminal negligence causes the death of an
individual. (b) Criminal homicide is murder,
capital murder, manslaughter, or criminally
negligent homicide.1
30
Texas Penal Code, Title 5.Chapter 19.Criminal
Homicide

• 19.06. APPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN CONDUCT. This
  chapter does not apply to the death of an unborn
  child if the conduct charged is
• conduct committed by the mother of the unborn
  child
• a lawful medical procedure performed by a
  physician or other licensed health care provider
  with the requisite consent, if the death of the
  unborn child was the intended result of the
  procedure 1

31
Texas Penal Code, Title 5.Chapter 19.Criminal
Homicide
19.06. APPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN CONDUCT. This
chapter does not apply to the death of an unborn
child if the conduct charged is (cont.) (3) a
lawful medical procedure performed by a physician
or other licensed health care provider with the
requisite consent as part of an assisted
reproduction as defined by Section 160.102,
Family Code
32
Texas Penal Code, Title 5.Chapter 19.Criminal
Homicide

• Implications of this law
• A unborn baby is a person
• Certain people are legally allowed to kill
  that innocent person

33
Legal Personhood Issues

• The fetus is granted personhood if wanted by the
  mother
• The fetus can become a non-person at the
  discretion of the mother
• However, a mother may not choose to kill her
  born child
• How can the personhood of a human being be
  decided by another person?

34
Moral Arguments

• Benefit to women
• Benefit to child (every child wanted)
• Right to control their own body
• Population control
• Fetus is not a person personality argument

35
Benefit to Women

• Prevention of deaths from coat hanger or back
  alley abortions
• Cases of rape or incest, fetal abnormalities or
  threats to mothers life or health
• Abortion alleviates economic and social problems

36
Abortion Must Remain Legal to Prevent Abortion
Deaths
Year Abortion-related Deaths
1940 1,470
1950 263
1965 201
We spoke of 5,000-10,000 deaths a year.... I confess that I knew the figures were totally false. - Dr. Bernard Nathanson, (co-founder NARAL), testimony before the Supreme Court in 1972 We spoke of 5,000-10,000 deaths a year.... I confess that I knew the figures were totally false. - Dr. Bernard Nathanson, (co-founder NARAL), testimony before the Supreme Court in 1972
37
Abortion Must Remain Legal to Prevent Abortion
Deaths
Deaths From Abortion Deaths From Abortion Deaths From Abortion
Year Legal Abortions Legal Illegal
1972 ? 24 41
1973 615,831 25 21
1974 763,476 26 7
Tietze, C. 1983. Induced Abortion A World View. The Population Council, New York. Tietze, C. 1983. Induced Abortion A World View. The Population Council, New York. Tietze, C. 1983. Induced Abortion A World View. The Population Council, New York. Tietze, C. 1983. Induced Abortion A World View. The Population Council, New York.
38
The Hard Cases

• Abortion must be available for
• cases of rape or incest
• Represent only 1 of all cases
• cases of fetal abnormalities
• Represent only 1 of all cases
• mothers health is at risk
• Represents only 3 of all cases

The Alan Guttmacher Institute (http//www.guttmach
er.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html)
39
Abortion Alleviates Economic and Social Problems

• Pregnancy subjugates women, interferes with
  career and educational choices
• For most women, pregnancy does not interfere with
  the ability to work or attend school, except
  after birth
• Laws prevent employers from firing or
  discriminating against pregnant women

40
Abortion Alleviates Economic and Social Problems
(cont.)

• Women are not forced to keep their children --
  adoption is always an option
• The existence of social problems is not
  justification for another evil

41
Every Child Should Be Wanted

• Being wanted is not a condition of the child, but
  of the adult
• Is it fair to kill a child because of the
  attitude of an adult?
• Wanted children are less likely to suffer abuse

42
Every Child Should Be Wanted(Wanted Children Are
Less Likely to Be Abused)
Year Reported Child Abuse Cases
1973 167,000
1980 785,100
1987 2,025,200
2000 1,726,000

U.S. Department of Health Human Services,
National Center of Child Abuse Neglect
National Analysis of Official Child Abuse and
Neglect Reporting
43
Women Have a Right to Control Their Own Body

• Is the fetus part their body?
• Separate circulatory system
• Unique DNA
• Do we have rights to do anything with our bodies?
• Assault
• Illegal drugs
• Use of drugs/alcohol during pregnancy

44
Population Control Rebuttal

• Those countries that outlaw abortion have an
  overcrowding problem
• This does not indicated cause and effect these
  countries also have little or no access to
  birth-control, poor education, etc.
• War, disease and famine also curb population
  growth. Should we condone them?

45
Fetus Is Not a Person
Persons . . . are members of a social community
that shapes and values them, and personhood must
be defined in terms of interactions and
relationships with others. Susan Sherwin. 1999.
Ethical Issues Perspectives for Canadians. Ed.
Soifer, Eldon. Peterborough, Ontario
Broadview Press, p. 267
46
Fetus Is Not a Person Rebuttal

• Personality definition problems
• Does a human non-person exist?
• What traits define personhood?
• Who makes the definition?
• Society has excluded certain humans from
  personhood before (e.g., African slaves, Chinese,
  etc.) Should we make a new list of human
  non-persons?

47
Fetus Is Not a Person Rebuttal

• The lack of certain personality traits would
  remove from personhood
• Those who are in a coma
• Elderly with degenerative disorders (Alzheimer's,
  etc.)
• Mentally deficient

48
Fetus Is Not a Person Rebuttal

• The lack of certain personality traits would
  remove from personhood
• Mentally deficient (cont.)
• Genetic
• Neurological disease
• Mental illness
• Is is okay to consider these human beings as
  non-persons?

49
Definition of Personhood

• One who is consciously performing personal acts
  eliminates those who are sleeping
• One with a present capacity to perform personal
  acts eliminates those who are in a coma

50
Definition of Personhood

• One who has a history of performing personal acts
  eliminates one who was in a coma from birth,
  but wakes up
• One with a future capacity for performing
  personal acts makes those who are dying as
  non-persons

51
Implications of Functionally-Defined Personhood

• Newborns lack the ability to perform personal
  functions in fact, newborn humans are less
  capable physically and mentally than virtually
  all other mammals
• Therefore, on the basis of functionally-defined
  personhood, newborns fail the test could be
  killed on the basis of non-personhood

52
When Does a Human Become a Person?

• At conception?
• After 20 weeks gestation?
• After 24 weeks (fetal viability outside the
  womb)?
• At birth?
• At the point that the individual expresses
  self-consciousness and an interest in their
  continued existence?

53
At Conception, It Is Only a Single Cell

• Claim
• Fertilized eggs are single cells, like blood
  cells or other parts of the body
• Rebuttal
• The single cell is unique from both the fathers
  and mothers cells and is the beginning of every
  new human being

54
Claim Prior to 20 Weeks, a Fetus Is Not a Person

• A person possess an individual human personality
• Prior to 20 weeks gestation, the cerebral cortex
  has not yet developed to the point that the fetus
  can possess an individual human personality
• Thus, the fetus prior to 20 weeks gestation is
  not a person.

55
Prior to 20 Weeks, a Fetus Is Not a Person
Rebuttal

• Person Personality Problem
• All persons were once fetuses. When did we go
  from non-person status to person status?
• To say that personality defines personhood is to
  deny the role of the body
• Mind/Body dualism?

56
Prior to 20 Weeks, a Fetus Is Not a Person
Rebuttal

• Brain Development Problem
• The development of the brain is programmed by the
  DNA it is an inherent function of the
  fertilized ovum and continues even after birth

57
Prior to 20 Weeks, a Fetus Is Not a Person
Rebuttal

• Depends upon current technology
• Age of viability used to be 28 weeks
• Changed to 24 weeks in 1990
• Artificial womb (Nature, 2002)
• Developed for premature infants
• Uses oxygenated perfluorinated hydrocarbons
• Could cut point of fetal viability in half?

58
Abortion Vs. Slavery
Abortion (2003) Slavery (1850s)
Theyre not persons Theyre not persons, but property
Its a personal choice Its a personal choice
Its a religious issue Its a religious issue
Stephen Douglas used all of these arguments in
favor of retaining slavery
59
Biblical Arguments Against Abortion

• All life is from God (Acts 1725 Eccl. 127)

• Human life sacred - created in Gods image (Gen.
  127 96)
• Like marriage what God has joined together
  flesh and spirit Eccl. 127 Jas. 226 let
  not man separate (Mt. 196)

60

• Human life begins prior to birth, not at birth

• Unborn child as intrinsically valuable as that of
  the mother (Ex. 2122-23)
• Fruit Heb. yeled child (cf. Gen. 218 -
  Isaac)
• David - a person in his mothers womb (Psalm
  13913)

61

• Human life begins prior to birth, not at birth
  (cont.)

• Eccl. 115 bones grow in the womb of her who
  is with child
• Mob formed in the womb (1011 3115)
• Jeremiah formed in the womb (15)

62

• Human life begins prior to birth, not at birth
  (cont.)

• Greek brephos babe, young child, infant
• Luke 141 - John in the womb
• Luke 214, 16 - Jesus laid in the manger
• Acts 719 babies

63

• Human life begins prior to birth, not at birth
  (cont.)

• James 226 death separation of spirit from
  body
• Thus, living being body spirit
• If life begins at conception, then the spirit is
  present at conception

64
What about a Child Conceived from Incest or Rape?

• Rape and incest are wicked acts, but two wrongs
  do not make a right
• Willful abortion is still the murder of an
  innocent child

65
What if a Continued Pregnancy Would Result in the
Death of the Mother?

• This is not comparable to arbitrarily taking the
  life of a healthy child from a healthy mother for
  convenience sake.
• If a choice has to be made, it is not murder to
  make a choice

66

• Legalization of Abortion
• Is Based on Two Lies
• Abortion destroys a bunch of tissue, not a human
  life.
• Abortion is safe and helpful to women.

67
Abortion Hurts Women

• 60 higher risk of dying from natural causes
• 7x higher risk of suicide
• Nearly 50 begin or increase drug/alcohol use
• Reproductive problems, i.e. infertility or
  complications in later pregnancies
• 10 risk of immediate complications
• Increase risk of breast, lung, and cervical
  cancers

68
Abortion Hurts Women
Possible physical consequences of abortion

• Pain
• Infection
• Excessive bleeding
• Ripping or perforation of the uterus
• Hemorrhage
• Cervical tearing or lacerations
• Endotoxic shock

69
Abortion Hurts Women
Possible physical consequences of abortion

• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
• Endometritis
• Placenta Previa
• Infertility
• Cancer
• Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy
• Death

70
Abortion Hurts Women
Possible emotional consequences of abortion

• Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS)
• PAS has many associated symptoms
• Guilt
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Loss

71
Abortion Hurts Women
Possible emotional consequences of abortion

• Associated Symptoms (cont.)
• Anger
• Suicide
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Eating disorders
• Sexual dysfunction
• Nightmares
• Preoccupation with death

72
Then why so many abortions?

• 30-60 of all abortions are a result of coercion.
• 52 of women suffering from abortion report they
  were forced by others to abort.
• Coerced abortion is a form of domestic violence.

73
Impact of Abortion

• A child is destroyed.
• A grieving mother may incur irreparable harm.
• The mothers circle of support is permanently
  affected.
• Both church society must pick up the pieces.