“For Thou did form my inward parts; Thou did weave me in my mother’s womb. I will gave thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” Psalm 139:13-16
“Now at this time Mary arose and went…and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb. And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, ‘Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.'” Luke 1:39-44
‘When does life begin?’ is a question that has been disputed at least since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. The whole abortion debate centers around this question. If life doesn’t begin until actual birth occurs, then it is argued that abortion has not ended a life. So, when does life begin and who should decide? It is interesting to note that 30 states in the USA have laws in some form or fashion that consider the murder of a pregnant woman and her child, a double homicide, indicating that the unborn child is a living person.
‘When does life begin?’ A: Does life begin when a baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, separating it from it’s mother? B: Does life begin for the unborn when all the organs are completely developed at 24 weeks? C: Does life begin when the heart starts beating at 22 days or when it is heard on the ultrasound at 5 weeks? D: Or does life begin at conception? Who should decide when life begins? Who knows for sure? I like to draw pictures and create games. As creator of these things, I know exactly how and when I created them. Although other people may see the drawings or play the games, there is no one else except me, the creator, who has the knowledge or the qualifications to accurately explain when they were created.
So, ‘when does life begin?’ God, the creator of all things, knows when life begins. “Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.” Psalm 100: 3. The answer? E: None of the above. Life begins before conception. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” Jeremiah 1:5. The Creator has spoken.