I think a strong argument can be made against the “life begins at conception” belief, one that meets both a scientific and a religious standard fully in keeping with Christian values. Leave a fertilized egg alone and it will not turn into a baby. It will not live. Instead it will wither and die due to a lack of vital nutrients and hormones all necessary for growth.
Given that eggs, both fertilized and unfertilized can be passed out of a woman’s body without producing life what are the circumstances that lead to life? Only when that fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall whereby those nutrients and hormones can be supplied does life begin. This occurs about 7 days after conception. When would God send a spirit to this little baby - at conception when it cannot sustain life or at this point when life can be sustained?
The argument that “life begins at conception” is unscientific. It also fails to meet the basic understanding of God and the nature of this world. If one moves away from “conception” and toward implantation you have a sustainable argument.
Even going by your standard - that still excludes most abortive methods.
Let me put it this way - every life has a beginning, and an end.
Your existence on this planet will expire at a pretty obvious point in time.
At what point in time did your existence on this planet begin?
Given that eggs, both fertilized and unfertilized can be passed out of a woman’s body without producing life what are the circumstances that lead to life? Only when that fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall whereby those nutrients and hormones can be supplied does life begin. This occurs about 7 days after conception. When would God send a spirit to this little baby - at conception when it cannot sustain life or at this point when life can be sustained?
The argument that “life begins at conception” is unscientific. It also fails to meet the basic understanding of God and the nature of this world. If one moves away from “conception” and toward implantation you have a sustainable argument.
From a strictly scientific point of view, life is a property which is contained within both the sperm and the egg. If neither of them possess that property, fertilization will not occur. The fertilized ovum has the property of being alive, also. By the time implantation occurs, if that ovum is so lucky, the blastocyst already contains several cells. There is never a point during the process of oogenesis, spermatogenesis, fertilization, implantation, or pregnancy at which life is not present. If, at any time, the property of being alive disappears, it will not return.
I do not try to distinguish "when life can be sustained" because there is no defining point when that occurs. Indeed, it is a matter of opinion as to when life may be considered to be sustainable. Seriously, most of us depend on others to live.