Director Roger Nygard traveled the world asking theologians, scientists, skeptics, and everyday people 85 tough questions to try to understand The Nature of Existence! Now that he’s asked the experts, it’s YOUR TURN! To offer your own insights on today’s question, “When does life begin?“, Leave a Reply below!
If properly analyzed, the argument for life is cyclical. The DNA/molecular/etc composition of a species defines it as existing as a given species (If it has the DNA of a homo sapien, it is a homo sapian). If said species is definable (meaning its composition can be gauged by DNA indicating it to be human, dog, preying mantis, etc) that means it is in existence. As for homo sapiens, the scientific classification of humans is ultimately part of the animal kingdom. Flora and fauna constitute the living array of creatures, plants, etc on the planet. If a species exists as either flora or fauna, it is therefore living (excluding cessation of biological functions; i.e. death) and hence has been living so long as it has been distinguishable and recognizable as in genetic unity with the rest of it’s species.
Without getting all sciencey, life begins and conception. I like to keep things simple. That doesn’t mean we should be handing out social security numbers every time someone comes up positive on a pregnancy test. I just think putting it at any other point is splitting hairs unnecessarily.
First you have to define when life ENDS. There are people who have been quite alive without all their limbs, or internal organs, or even the ability to breath or have their heart pump on their own. But we call people brain dead that have no brain activity, but their bodies can still be breathing and pumping blood around.
So when we find the definition of when life ends, we can answer the question of when life begins.
There is no other evidence for the existence of our life prior to conception.
Life begins before conception. The man’s sperm that fertilizes the female’s egg is living, as the egg is as well.
The question that you probably meant to answer is that “at what point do human beings gain that which gives them moral value.” I would say that occurs when human beings begin to make moral decisions themselves.
Scientists will say one thing, religionists will say another, and somewhere in between the law will make its position known for all to bicker over.
What life? An amoeba’s? A sycamore tree’s? A horseshoe crab’s? A zebra’s? A human’s?
The only reason we focus so much energy on this question is to help determine when an abortion should be allowed. That is not really a question about when life begins. Instead, it is a question of what rights women have to rule over their own bodies. And answers to that question, as is often painfully the case, change over time.
But here’s my answer to the original question: Life has begun whenever we can meaningfully say that a death has occurred. Without death, there has been no life. And vice versa.
Life is formed in the male species of the human (and most other life forms). That little sperm thingy is swimming under its own power. It is already a fully developed life form. It only needs the female egg to advance. The female egg is like a supply depot where it picks up more dna. I suppose similar to the way the caterpillar needs a cocoon to advance to the butterfly. Every time one of them there little sperm thingys don’t make it, a life is lost. Same as any other life form (plant, animal or insect). (IMO) This does not mean we should have a million tiny little funerals for the dead.
No one knows. Because no one knows when it begins.
@ Angel
Just because you don’t know doesn’t mean no one knows. Please speak only for yourself.
Reason would suggest that life begins when there is a heart beat,blood flow, and bodily functions…whether inside the womb or not. Why is it a crime to murder a human child after it has passed through the birth canal ,but not before? I believe a woman has the right to choose what happens to her body, but dosen’t a defensless baby deserve the same? If it’s a case that to continue a pregnancy would risk the life of the mother, then you have to chose the mother…hopefully it would be before the child has developed very far along.
LOL… sometime before 13.5 billion years ago… the rest of the discussion is just taking the long way around the barn.
when you’ve had/are having sex