Pro-life

On the basis of scientific evidence I believe that each human life begins when an egg is fertilized. The genetic facts of each life are established at that point. To that extent I agree with the Pro-life position.

Any deliberate act intended to interfere with the implantation or development of a fertilized egg could be defined as an illegal act such as murder or assault. People who adopt the Pro-life position generally believe that such interference should be prohibited by law. Many seek to change the laws of this country to protect fertilized human eggs from any harmful interference. I disagree. A newly fertilized egg has almost nothing invested in it. We have not fed it, we have not carried it, we have not given birth to it, we have not clothed or loved or educated it. Our only human investment is one egg and one sperm out of zillions that are available.

The Pro-life position seems to be that God arranges for each fertilization to occur. God selects which egg and which sperm shall get together. Thus each fertilized egg is sacred. Where is that written? In which fiery bush has God proclaimed it?

If each fertilization is God's will then God has a lot to answer for. Studies of the fertilization process tell us that about 22% of all fertilized eggs fail to implant in the womb. Without implantation they can receive no sustenance and must quickly die. Is this some sort of cosmic game, rolling the dice with fertilized eggs? If implantation is successful another 31% of the fetuses miscarry before they are viable outside the womb. More of God's play? Or is God testing each and every fetus before it is born? I can't find anything about that in my Holy Bible.

God by definition is all-powerful but God also delegates decisions to His human creatures. Isn't that what the story of Adam and Eve tells us? Humans are called upon to exercise judgment in such matters as whether the egg and the sperm are from healthy stock and carrying good genetic characteristics and whether the parent(s) are prepared to take good care of the resulting infant. A pregnancy resulting from rape, for instance, may not predispose the mother toward love of the child. Shall we condemn the fetus to the Hell of being an unloved stepchild? If we are trained in the exercise of medical care we may also have to make judgments about the effects of pregnancy on the health of the mother. Does God really require that we suspend human judgment on matters such as these?

Human life is obviously not sacrosanct in the eyes of American law. That law provides for execution of murderers, for instance. Homeowners are permitted to shoot to kill in order to protect their property. Soldiers are not only permitted to kill their human enemies in times of war; they are commanded to do so. And the law requires no action to save the millions of lives that are lost through spontaneous miscarriage. Why, then, should we suddenly be concerned about lives in which very little has been invested? What punishment would you mete out to a pregnant teenager who chose abortion because she was nowhere near ready to bear and raise a child? What punishment is appropriate for the manufacturers and pharmacists who make and sell pills designed to keep a fertilized egg from implanting itself in the uterus?

What does Pro-life mean? What does it mean when a politician says it he is Pro-life and then calls for war?