The Ethics of Abortion – Part II

The Scientific Argument

Science, not theology or emotions scream out for the humanity and personhood of the unborn baby in the womb. While many scientists today clearly believe that life, humanity, and personhood begin at conception let’s for arguments sake say that life begins at twelve weeks gestation. Since abortion is totally legal at this early time period what can science tell us a fetus at this stage can do? Below are ten scientific facts that give us what no scientist two hundred years ago could have known:

1. The baby has a perfectly formed and beating heart that is pumping its own blood.
2. The baby has a brain and active brain waves.
3. The baby can swallow.
4. The baby can squint with its eyes.
5. The baby’s stomach is already producing digestive juices.
6. The baby has ten fingers, ten toes and even fingernails.
7. The baby can suck its thumb.
8. The baby’s liver is already making blood cells.
9. The baby’s taste buds are forming.
10. The baby can smile and frown.1

But in reality, we know from the field of science that at the moment of conception a unique event occurs – life begins! For example, we read in an article on pregnancy in the prestigious Encyclopedia Britannica: “A new individual is created when the elements of a potent sperm merge with those of a fertile ovum, or egg.”2 Jean Garton writes, “NO ONE KNOWS WHEN LIFE BEGINS? The ‘experts’ may not know, but anyone with common sense does. If individual human life doesn’t begin when the male sperm fertilizes the female egg, then the whole concept of biological fatherhood is an arrogant male myth. Think about it! At what point, other than fertilization, does a man contribute anything to the ‘beingness’ of a child?”3

Dr. John Willke adds: “Biologic human life is defined by examining the scientific facts of human development. This is a field where there is no controversy, no disagreement. There is only one set of facts, only one embryology book is studied in medical school. The more scientific knowledge of fetal development that has been learned, the more science has confirmed that the beginning of any one human individual’s life, biologically speaking, begins at the completion of the union of his father’s sperm and his mother’s ovum, a process called ‘conception,’ ‘fertilization’ or ‘fecundation.’ This is so because this being, from fertilization, is alive, human, sexed, complete and growing.”4

Today it is common practice to have doctors perform “surgery before birth.” In fact, Randy Alcorn shares the following remarkable quote from a 1991 cover story from Discover Magazine: “A precise dose of anesthetic had put both the mother and the 24-week-old fetus safely and limply to sleep. And now, lifting the little arm gently to rotate the one-pound body into position, pediatric surgeon Michael Harrison poised his scalpel just under the rib cage. This astonishing intrusion on an unborn life took place on June 15, 1989; it was necessary because this tiny patient’s diaphragm had failed to close as it should have.”5

Thanks to modern medicine we can now operate on a “tiny patient” in the womb. Notice that the quote above calls the 24-week-old fetus a tiny patient. Science and medicine now let us know that there is a second “person” involved here. Today it is common to have surgery done prenatally on babies in the womb even earlier than 24 weeks for many different reasons. It is no longer open to debate scientifically that abortion is taking the life of an innocent tiny person. It is also morally disingenuous for a doctor who takes an oath to try everything in his power to save the lives of his patients to kill some of them just based on size, inconvenience, and place of residence – the womb.

Since science is a field that is constantly changing thanks to technological advances so has our understanding of what is going on inside a mother’s womb. This brings us to the whole area of viability. According to the U. S. Supreme Court (even in Roe v. Wade), viability is an important consideration as to when life begins. Viability is simply the ability for the baby to live outside the mother’s womb with special medical care in most cases before the normal nine months’ gestation is complete. As medical technology advances the age of viability is also changing.

If we use viability as the standard as to when life begins then where does this leave us? The answer to this question, however, depends on when you were born. Back in 1850 even babies born at eight months (one month premature) had a low survival rate. By 1930, thanks to medical advances, birth at seven months offered a good chance for survival. By 1950, six months became the dividing line. 1970’s five-month babies are now happy and healthy adults. Today there are babies prematurely born as early as four-and-one-half months who are alive and perfectly healthy. By 2025 we may be down to even younger babies in the womb! From a beating heart at three weeks to a viable baby at sixteen weeks in the womb science has been a great friend to showing prolife advocates that they have all the facts of when life begins on their side. So, if both morally and scientifically speaking abortion is ethically wrong since we are taking the life of an innocent person what about examining the issue from a religious viewpoint?

In tomorrow’s devotion we will explore the religious argument.

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1 Curt Blattman, Children of the Womb. (Bloomington, IN: 1stBooks Library, 2003).  pp. 140-141.

2 Randy C. Alcorn, Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice Arguments. (Portland, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1994). p. 40.

3 Jean Garton, Who Broke the Baby? (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 1998). pp. 86-87.

4 John C. Willke and Barbara H. Willke, Why Can’t We Love Them Both. (Cincinnati, OH: Hayes Publishing Company, Inc., 1997). p. 57.

5 Randy C. Alcorn, Pro Life Answers to Pro Choice Arguments. (Portland, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 1994). p. 69.