Why do Protestants almost unanimously agree that life begins at conception?

[Mise]

Well?

I'm not debating wether life actually does begin at conception, just why it seems that Protestants, as a rule, belive that it does. Is it in the Bible or something?

 

[Leonel]

I would guess it's that an egg and sperm by themselves do nothing but joining them together starts the actual process of creating a person.

 

[SonicX]

I would guess it's that an egg and sperm by themselves do nothing but joining them together starts the actual process of creating a person.

That process creates life, a person is only creating when that life evolves into a self-concious state and hence a person is no longer a person when it loses it's selfconciousness.
Two different things here

 

[Sidhe]

They use the rather dubious tennant of, I forget exactly what book it comes from but: I knew you in the womb when ascribed to God, of course the logical falibility is, when and at which point, when conscious thought first occured or at the point of conception?

I don't see how this argument applies to protestants more though, since Catholics advocate anti abortion as ferociously as the protestent fundementalists do and in fact they are by far the minority in comparison. Some protestent churches even acknowledge the idea that abortion in very early stages is not anti Gods message.

http://www.ewtn.com/library/PROLIFE/BIBSAYAB.TXT

Fairly biased but at least it gives the quotes and alows you to make up your own mind, the orginal quote is about knowing Jeremiah before he was concieved thus he was a spirit in existence before he was concieved, the bible has no specific disrimination against abortion it is never mentioned specifically but some crimes against an unborn feotus are, you can read any message you like into those though, they're fairly non specific; that doesn't stop people on either side of the fence from corrupting the message to make there own agenda seem more palatable though.

 

[Mise]

I would guess it's that an egg and sperm by themselves do nothing but joining them together starts the actual process of creating a person.

Yeah but that's an opinion - what I want to know is, why do Protestants, as a rule, believe that?

 

[Duelingground]

These 2 sites should explain Christian beliefs on abortion rather well, pro and con.

http://jesuschristsavior.net/prolife.html

http://www.pro-truth.net/30b-bible-psgs.html

 

[Mise]

Thanks for the info Sidhe and Duelingground! It's 1am, so I just gave it a skim, but seems like that's the "answer", as it were.

 

[Masquerouge]

Mise,

I would say the kind of pro-life lobbying that if I'm correct you're referring to is even more specific to US protestantism, and has thus more to do with cultural issues than with religious ones.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Ya, most protestants in Canada tend to be of the more liberal, United and Anglican variety.

 

[Azadre]

That's because life does begin at fertalization...

 

[RameNoodle]

That's because life does begin at fertalization...

Now, now, let's not get our personal beliefs involved here. (Although I agree...) I think that it's because the protestant religion "evolved" out of Catholicism and Catholicism says life begins at conception.
Just a side note, though, Judeaism says that life does not begin at conception, rather it begins at birth. God, I'm never going to a synagogue again.

 

[Perfection]

My mother doesn't...

 

[Masquerouge]

Just a side note, though, Judeaism says that life does not begin at conception, rather it begins at birth. God, I'm never going to a synagogue again.

Wait. Where did the Jews get that from, mmmhhh ? The Bible ?

 

[GinandTonic]

Never met a uk prodistant who believed that stuff. CofE and Quaker types here seem far more "liberal" than Catholic priests. This abortion fixation seems to be a catholic and american issue.

 

[Urederra]

Now, now, let's not get our personal beliefs involved here. (Although I agree...) I think that it's because the protestant religion "evolved" out of Catholicism and Catholicism says life begins at conception.

Sooo... sperm is not alive? is it sacred then, according to pretestans or catholics?

So, is it OK to....? Oh, never mind. forget it.

 

[Souron]

And I thought it was catholics that say every sperm is sacred. . .

Edit: Damn you Urederra.

Well Here's a link

 

[Hitro]

Mise,

I would say the kind of pro-life lobbying that if I'm correct you're referring to is even more specific to US protestantism, and has thus more to do with cultural issues than with religious ones.

Indeed. The Protestants here are far more liberal than the Catholics.

 

[bhsup]

Yeah but that's an opinion - what I want to know is, why do Protestants, as a rule, believe that?

Common sense, plain and simple. It's the only position which holds water. All other positions are invalid, null and void, errors in thinking, you name it.

Sperm cell by itself is nothing, will not naturally develop into a fully mature person. Egg cell by itself is nothing, will not naturally develop into a fully mature person. Fertilized cell by itself is a human being, which will in the fullness of time naturally develop into a fully mature person.

EDIT: By the way, this has nothing to do with religion at all. This is basic biology, founded in science, with no religious connotations whatsoever.

 

[Azadre]

Now, now, let's not get our personal beliefs involved here. (Although I agree...) I think that it's because the protestant religion "evolved" out of Catholicism and Catholicism says life begins at conception.
Just a side note, though, Judeaism says that life does not begin at conception, rather it begins at birth. God, I'm never going to a synagogue again.

By definition, life starts at fertilization. Whether or not it is human is a whole other matter.

A zygote does the following
Organization - Living things are comprised of one or more cells, which are the basic units of life.
Metabolism - Metabolism produces energy by converting nonliving material into cellular components (synthesis) and decomposing organic matter (catalysis). Living things require energy to maintain internal organization (homeostasis) and to produce the other phenomena associated with life.
Growth - Growth results from a higher rate of synthesis than catalysis. A growing organism increases in size in all of its parts, rather than simply accumulating matter.
Adaptation - Adaptation is the accommodation of a living organism to its environment. It is fundamental to the process of evolution and is determined by the individual's heredity.
Response to stimuli - A response can take many forms, from the contraction of a unicellular organism when touched to complex reactions involving all the senses of higher animals. Plants also respond to stimuli, but usually in ways very different from animals. A response is often expressed by motion: the leaves of a plant turning toward the sun or an animal chasing its prey.
Reproduction - The division of one cell to form two new cells is reproduction. Usually the term is applied to the production of a new individual (either asexually, from a single parent organism, or sexually, from two differing parent organisms), although strictly speaking it also describes the production of new cells in the process of growth.

 

[Elrohir]

Sooo... sperm is not alive? is it sacred then, according to pretestans or catholics?

So, is it OK to....? Oh, never mind. forget it.

Yes, it's alive, in the same way a skin cell is alive. It's alive, yes, but it can't grow into a adult human being, so it individually is not sacred.

And as for your unasked question....that's a hotly, if quietly debated subject in the Christian, and specifically Protestant community. Depending on who you ask, it may or may not be OK. The Catholic Church is generally against it, with more conservative Christian churches with the Catholics, and more liberal Protestant churches saying it's allowed.