Part 8: The Death of a Child
Scientifically, When is a Human Being a Human Being?
Sometimes pro-abortionists will argue that the fetus is not really a human being. There is no scientific support for this argument.
“Humans” are distinguished by their genetic code. The combination of sperm and ovum create a unique blend of 23 chromosomes from each parent. The resulting combination produces a DNA that operates as the program for the full rapid replication, differentiation, and development of human cells into a human body. Think of this DNA program as a dynamic blueprint for construction of a human body and nervous system. The blueprint is dynamic because the instructions are not only present, but the materials and delivery mechanisms are present to carry out the blueprint under the right conditions, usually thought to be “gestation”. The entire process is self-contained, and produces an inherently unique identity. As a human being develops, a molecular chemical exchange turns on some genes and turns off others. In this way, the shaping and construction of a “human” occurs. The process and intelligence of this genetic switching process is contained within “human” DNA.
The change within the initial cluster of human cells is most dramatic at conception, but continues to change even outside the uterus, and if this human being lives a full life into old age, it will continue to change in ways that cause it to look dramatically different than decades earlier. At various stages of human life, the human being is in different degrees of dependence and disability. Yet, whether in the womb, an incubator, a playroom, an elementary school, a workplace, a hospital, an extended care facility, an I.C.U., or a hospice, the being is uniquely human. This human character is not philosophical, religious, or ethical. It is a biological fact.
