Life is a beautiful mystery. This year, world population passed the 7 billion threshold.
7 billion people. Each one with a unique fingerprint, personality and iris pattern. All the advancements of science and breakthroughs of medicine can not create anything comparable. 

Christi Childs

Animals live, reproduce, raise young, migrate and live in communities, all with an innate knowing of what to do, how to find food, how to eat, how to live. I love watching shows like Disney Earth or any other nature show, because the beauty of creation is so captivating and interesting. But above all, there is that one creature in creation that stands out above the rest, and that is none other than mankind.

What does it mean to be human? We have the distinct ability to think, choose, reason and create. We have instincts, but have the self control to wait, and say no. Thank goodness.

How bad would it be if our self defense instinct was so strong that if we ever felt threatened we would punch someone? We would be a world of MMAS fighters.

But we don’t. We move on, we forgive, we choose friends, create societies, culture, music. It’s really incredible if you stop to think about it. Our mind is a powerful and exceptional tool given by God to reason.  With all that we have the instinct/inner knowing of the conscience. A inner knowing of what is right and wrong, as well and setting up laws so that we have a set list of standards so that those with more self control, and those with less, still can abide by the same rules, so that we can all live together in unity.

But what happens when our sense of morality shifts. What happens when we forget that because life is common, it is not common place? When we decide one person is more valuable than the other? When we decide some lives are not worth living?

When learning about the value of life, what better place to look than at the beginning. Right when life begins. There are lots of debates of “when life begins” but there is only one set moment when a separate human being is created and that is at conception. In the Westchester Institute for Ethics & the Human Person, Maureen L. Condic states, 

“Resolving the question of when human life begins is critical for advancing a reasoned public policy debate over abortion and human embryo research.”

This article considers the current scientific evidence in human embryology and addresses two central questions concerning the beginning of life: 1) in the course of sperm-egg interaction, when is a new cell formed that is distinct from either sperm or egg? and 2) is this new cell a new human organism—i.e., a new human being?

Based on universally accepted scientific criteria, a new cell, the human zygote, comes into existence at the moment of sperm-egg fusion, an event that occurs in less than a second. Upon formation, the zygote immediately initiates a complex sequence of events that establish the molecular conditions required for continued embryonic development.

The behavior of the zygote is radically unlike that of either sperm or egg separately and is characteristic of a human organism. Thus, the scientific evidence supports the conclusion that a zygote is a human organism and that the life of a new human being commences at a scientifically well defined ‘moment of conception.’

This conclusion is objective, consistent with the factual evidence, and independent of any specific ethical, moral, political, or religious view of human life or of human embryos.”

SO, At the moment of conception. That is when new life is formed. It’s a beautiful thing, having that much responsibility. But what about individuals who don’t have much self control or responsibility?

According to the National Abortion Federation, In America ½ of abortions are unintentional, and ½ of all unintentional pregnancies end in abortion. That final number is 1.5 million.

At the moment we aren’t going to look at what time in the pregnancies these abortions take places, because well, life is life, and life begins at conception, so all abortions are equal. 1.5 million. That number is staggering. By me, those 1.5 million are as much a person as you and I. Life has already begun, and what makes it different if that life is inside a womb or outside? I recently read an article of a woman who was put in prison for years because she delivered her baby, but didn’t want it, so she threw it out the car window. A new baby, with the umbilical chord on it still and everything. But it was a crime. Now mind you, I think that was wrong, but what is interesting is that baby could have been aborted 2 weeks before and anyone saying it was “wrong” would have been criticized for being legalistic. So where is the line? It seems like everyday there is a news article about crazed parents who kill their kids. No one says that’s ok.

One of the strongest arguments for abortion that I hear is, “What about in cases of incest or rape, how could you tell that victim that she must keep her baby, when she was not responsible.” Well, I agree that is horrific, but in a year there are only 13,000 abortions performed due to rape. That means less than 1% (0.87%) of abortions are due to those crimes (National Abortion Federation). The fact of the matter is, we as a country are losing our respect and value for life. I work as a server/waitress and I feel it everyday. I feel disrespected and often I feel like people have forgotten that I am human, capable of feelings and emotions. But it is in nearly every area. I want to take the next few days to hopefully bring you back to a new understanding and respect for human life.