DAY 185
CHALLENGE
There is no proof that the unborn are human beings.
DEFENSE
There is proof, and it is obvious regardless of one’s faith perspective.
Objectively speaking, a human being is a living human organism. For the unborn to qualify as human beings, they must meet three criteria:
1. They must be alive.
2. They must be human.
3. They must be organisms.
They meet the first criteria—life. We observed elsewhere that they are alive (see Day 191). This is illustrated by the fact that the unborn have biological processes occuring in their cells, which are multiplying and specializing throughout pregnancy. The simple truth is that dead embryos don’t grow, making it unmistakable that the unborn are alive.
They meet the second criteria—humanity—for each has a human genetic code, not that of a cow or a chimpanzee or a carrot. They belong to our species, not some other one, as their genetic codes make clear.
They also meet the third criteria—being organisms. An organism is an entity that is whole in and of itself. That is, it is not part of another, larger organism.
Sometimes abortion advocates claim that the unborn are part of their mothers’ bodies, but this is false. The unborn have their own unique genetic code, which is distinct from the mother’s.
The fact that there is a stage in which the unborn are single cells also is not contrary to this. There are many single-celled organisms in the world, and at one point in their development, humans pass through this stage.
Fundamentally, the unborn are organisms because they are organic wholes with their own, in-built principles of growth and development. Unless interfered with, they will mature and be born in just a few months, then continue their development toward adulthood.
Since the unborn are living human organisms, they are—objectively speaking—human beings. Any attempt to deny this is a rationalization that violates the known facts.
The unborn also are innocent human beings (see Day 202), and it follows that they must be accorded the same right to life as other in- nocent human beings. To claim otherwise is to adopt a fundamentally inhuman and immoral position.