Does Human Life Begin At First Breath?

“Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Behold, we did not know this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?” (Proverbs 24:11-12 ESV)

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.” (Proverbs 31:8 ESV)

Historical and traditional Christian teachings opposing abortion had been unanimous throughout history until the twentieth century when lukewarm church leaders began to infer that a fetus had a lower moral status. Hence, abortion was permissible in some circumstances based upon a couple of verses that are interpreted as God ‘ventilating’ the fetus.

“then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7 ESV)

“As you do not know the way the spirit (breath) comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” (Ecclesiastes 11:5 ESV)

A growing number of Christian leaders believe that a metaphorical interpretation, rather than a literal one, of the word “breathed/breath” is warranted, even though there is no biblical basis for that. The Bible is clear that the “breath” or “spirit” of God comes to a child in the womb to animate it even though it does not inhale air through its lungs. God animates and brings human beings alive and sustains them with His breath/spirit. The claim is also made using the Bible that an abortion is no different than the “‘harm” of a miscarriage.

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:22–25 ESV)

Based upon a literal reading of the verses, the word “harm” can refer to either the mother or child and does not specify harm to either of them separately because there are multiple reasons and extremely weak arguments for abortion because the unborn child is seen as less valuable than one who is born.

There are three historical interpretations regarding the use of the word “harm.” It can refer to the woman, the baby being formed, or to the baby miscarrying. Two of the interpretations have been given by Jews and Christians throughout history that claim “harm” refers only to the baby.

The use of the word “children” rather than some impersonal word suggests that what is being delivered is a person formed rather than an impersonal entity with lesser moral status. While it may be contentious whether children and free adult males had the same intrinsic value in ancient Israel, the Hebrew writings overall clearly sees children as profoundly valuable persons (much more so than in the Graeco-Roman culture) and certainly forbids their killing.