Abortion Facts #1: When Does Life Begin?

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The question of "When does life begin" should be the foundation of any abortion debate. If abortion was a college course, "When does life begin" would be class 101. Yet so many people can't answer this question. It is NOT a matter of opinion. Scientific fact: LIFE begins at conception.

Whether or not you believe that life is worth protecting is a different question. But before we can get into the abortion debate and argue whether or not abortion should be illegal, you need to be able to answer the question accurately: When does life begin?

Because if you can't answer it accurately, it shows that your opinion on abortion is simply an emotional one without any consideration of science, medicine, or ethics.

Knowing the answer to this changes everything. This is a must-know answer for pro-life people, and even for people who don't believe abortion is wrong. If you think it should be legal, you should understand the science, at least.

If you're still reading this, use the word “sparkle” in your comment. It'll be our wink to each other ;)

- State of Daniel

[Brakathor]

The question "when does life begin" is wholly and utterly irrelevant. All we really care about is when advanced sentient brain activity develops.

[StateOfDaniel]

Facts are great. So why don't we use them in the abortion debate instead of emotion? Here's the truth about when life begins.

[rynsinnott]

My wife is pregnant with a clump of cells and we are so excited. But on a serious note if NASA found a single cell on mars they would call it "life" but people on earth don't consider a human embryo "life"

They say "her body her choice" even tho this "body part" has different DNA. If people consider an embryo part of the womans body does that mean my wife is pregnant with her body?

[JLIMetal]

The premise in the first 20 seconds is wrong. Life begins at conception, true.
But we don't give something a value just because it is alive. Plants are alive as well, but we don't prescribe them the same value as we do to humans. Why? Because we realise that plants don't possess the same neurological properties that humans do. Meaning plants are not conscious, can't feel or express emotion etc.
If morality means anything, it should deal with the suffering and flourishing of conscious creatures. Not with theological scripture studies.

Here you will argue that a fetus has the potential to become a fully developed human being. Absolutely, but given our advances in science, so does every living cell on the human body. So, unless you want to admit to committing a holocaust every time you scratch your nose, this is a dead end argument.

From here it all comes down to an individual's personal faith. You put it well yourself:

(Question:)
"Why is human life valuable to begin with?"

(Answer:)
"For theists: human life is valuable because we are made in the image of our Creator. We have value because of the kind of thing that we are.

For atheists: human life is valuable because we are human - and because we have a conscience. Without a conscience, everything would be meaningless. The value of human life is intuitive strictly from an evolutionary standpoint - the drive to preserve and self-preserve."

Theists value human life, because God. Atheists value conscious life, because science.

The only standing argument against abortion is a theological one, and not a scientific one. Your personal faith should not dictate how other people live their lives. Whether they have an abortion or not. Don't like abortions? Don't have one.

Case closed.

[Qillz]

You asked, "When does life begin?"
To quote George Carlin,
"... life began about a billion years ago and it's a continuous process."
But seriously Daniel, what would Jesus do? If you would follow his lead, then shut up about abortion. He said nothing about it.
However, his Dad did... and the instructions on how to perform an abortion under Mosaic Law are laid out in Numbers 5.
Watch my video, "Wholly Crap! vol: 55 - Biblical Abortion" if you care to know what the Bible says on the matter.

[franthurlow]

I am Pro-Life and I approve this message

[jinx]

Daniel, you have touched on some cold hard facts baby killers will refuse to address. They will try to guilt you into their selfish desires.

"It is my body", well it is not your life, end of.

[SparkyBites]

Spot on!
How scary is that, if the other side suddenly decide to move the "mystical red line" of "now you have rights"
to two years outside the womb, or only for those who can care for themselves, make so much income or are perceived as wanted in the new eras to come.

[DBoy]

Even in the darkest pages of history and the future, you prove that there is a sparkle of hope.

[Cecile]

Well, there's no question that a human zygote/fetus is human tissue and the early stages of development into personhood. But the concept of personhood has historically been a subjective matter, legally defined by the authorities of each society. In some societies, killing of born children was permitted or even legally required in some cases, full personhood not being granted until one reached the age of majority. Of course, some religious societies have long ago settled the issue to their satisfaction by declaring that full personhood begins at conception while most secular societies have declared that personhood begins either at birth or sometime in the later stages of pregnancy. Perhaps secular societies came to their definition out of expediency, knowing that women will continue to have abortions regardless of legal prohibitions and they're simply not willing to begin either executing or filling prisons with mothers who "murdered" their fetuses. That is the primary reason why I am pro-choice on the matter.

[matthewcooper]

If you think it's a good idea you should make a video asking the question to pro-choicers; were they once non-human?

[iislevinii]

This is the most clear argument in favor of human life that I have ever heard. My hat is off to you.

[AnnoyedApologist]

okay, that one part really pissed me off

"This is an issue that I have studied for a long time, and what I know is that over the centuries the doctors of the Church have been able to make that definition."

maybe that's because pre-20th century Doctors were not embryologists? either way, as Catholics they would have regarded an abortion before say 3 months (if we're going with Augustine) as contraception, which, while not nearly as bad a sin as murder, is still a grave offense, in other words, your Catholicism still bites you in the but Rep. Pelosi

I'm also wondering if in her "studying" she read any of the more recent declarations by the Church concerning abortion

[josephhughes]

I found your account a couple of days ago. I love your content Daniel and I agree with basically everything you post. I'm so glad that you are doing this. I started liking a lot of your videos. And I looked at the comments on every video and saw hundreds of hateful comments. You are just so brave to be speaking your voice when a lot of people are just negative towards it. Keep up the great work. God bless you.

[WendyMcClelland]

@stateofdaniel I'd love you to explain why God himself (since you believe in him) gives Moses instructions on how to induce an abortion? It its wrong then why would God give instructions on how to do it? Numbers 5:11-20 Look forward to your response.

[bthom]

which is more important, when life began, or when awareness begins.. life is everywhere, it begins at any opportunity amazingly.. awareness however I think is important because its when it actually effects things, well in our human way of thinking... this is not a moralistic argument, just logical, cold, hard logic, like it or not..

[BACNandEGGS]

Focus on all the kids without parents, not the parents without kids.

[learnvid]

No we dont. One could easily argue a sperm cell is just a potential life as an embryo. They're both totally dependent on multiple comprehensive changes to make it into a life.

[RosannaMiller]

The question is not about when life begins, it is about whether all life is equal? Just because life begins at conception, that does not mean it means anything, especially in a wicked world.

It is clear that we all identify there are different stages of life. We all identify there is life with more value and worth.

Do you believe animal life is more valuable than plant life? Yes. Do you believe that human life is more valuable than animal life? Yes.

In that same manner I see there is a distinction between the stages of the human life. I do not believe that we become worthy of protection until we can think and feel. That happens after the first trimester.

[brady]

Nice vid keep it up Ignore the people that try to put you down....!