The Immoral Thinking of Abortionists, Part 2

Interlocutor Bob responded to my previous post about abortion.

Bob says the assertion that life begins at conception is an un-evidenced religious position not supported by science or modern philosophy. I am happy to stand against the consensus of both disciplines, because if they so say, then they are wrong in the eyes of God, who has revealed clearly His will on the matter of abortion. Further, I believe that any evidence I adduce for life beginning at conception will be rejected by the pro-abortionist anyway, because of their prior commitments. For example...what does begin at conception? Death? Nothing? It is evident that something is alive. Suppose we found a reproducing set of cells on Mars. Science would proclaim that they had found life on another planet. But they cannot recognize the same thing in the womb of a nearby mother!

Bob says that most pregnancies end before the mother is aware of it. I don't know the statistics on that, but let's suppose he is right. If they end naturally, we ought not be happy about that, but we can accept it as from the hand of God and because of the cursed condition in which we exist.

Bob says that the choice to stop pregnancy before viability is not a moral question for him. But I have to wonder, is getting pregnant a moral issue? Is the particular time of viability a moral issue? Is anything really a moral issue, or just an issue of convenience or cultural convention?

Bob says that a 20-week fetus doesn't even have a heartbeat. Here's where I have to really chastise Bob for a basic lack of knowledge. A quick search online reveals that an institution as highly regarded as the Mayo Clinic says that the heartbeat of a fetus starts in the sixth week. As they point out, the first two weeks of official "pregnancy" happen before fertilization, so are not really part of the life of the new baby. This means the baby's heart is beating 4 weeks after conception. I have to wonder with such a basic lack of knowledge if I should take seriously other things that Bob says. Nevertheless, I will give Bob the benefit of the doubt and consider carefully what he says because this is such a crucial issue.

Bob says that by week 25 a fetus doesn't have a sufficient nervous system control basic bodily functions, and by week 30 it still doesn't have fully developed bones. I respond that anyone who has had a child knows that the nervous system cannot control bathroom functions for quite some time after 40 weeks, and the same goes for bone development. These are not arguments for a position to terminate pregnancy, unless they are also arguments to terminate a baby after it is born.

Bob says that I am close-minded and the one in our conversation who is blinded by immorality. Such is the impasse that the believer comes to in conversations with one who does not believe in Christ. Our lives are built on two totally different foundations. I suppose I am close-minded, since I have carefully investigated the claims of the other side and found them sorely lacking. I see nothing new forthcoming on the horizon that would convince me it is OK to kill babies in the womb. But I would encourage Bob to be open to all the evidence as well. If you discard the Bible and God and Christian truth, you short-change your evidence collection and are doomed to come to some very bad conclusions.

Bob says that he is a nice guy and does good works, and that I should get to know him. I would love to get to know him better. But I am making a case that someone who supports killing babies in the womb is not nice in at least that one regard. It is a bloody business that Planned Parenthood does. Civilized human beings should not be involved in it.

Doing good works and being a nice guy are not sufficient to qualify one as "right" in the sight of God. Only by a transforming work of God through faith in Christ can one be brought into spiritual life and into a mind open to moral truth so that it can truly understand the things I am talking about here.

Bob, I'm thankful we can speak freely to one another, hopefully gain some understanding of each other, and not be jailed or killed for our views. Hopefully that liberal spirit of toleration will prevail in our country for a long time even in the face of strong disagreements such as these. Please consider that Christ died for your sins and rose again from the dead. If you come to acknowledge Him, then we can have this conversation again on a shared foundation, and the outcome will be a lot different.