Steve Kovacs

When Does Life Really Begin? A Perspective on Science, Religion and Abortion



Posted: Thursday, June 25, 2009

by Steve Kovacs
The Kovacs Perspective

Abortion is such a controversial subject that I feel leery writing about it. When I was a police officer, I was all about the facts-I kept my opinions to myself and gathered all the information available, treated everyone equally and made decisions from there. When I teach I make sure to preface my personal opinions as such, opting to state the facts and letting students form their own opinions. Abortion is such a hot subject that many do not want to walk the tight rope of discussing their opinion about it. In addition, there are those who say a man cannot know what a woman goes through regarding whether to abort or not, and thus, some men keep their mouths tightly zipped.

I try to respect everyone and his or her views. Generally, I have an issue with any person who harms anyone or anything for his or her convenience or selfish betterment. Therefore, with abortion, if doctors who perform them are ceasing the existence of, or killing a living being, I am dead against it. How can I not be? However, if the aborted fetus is not alive, just a bunch of cells forming to become a living being at some point down the line, I can see where someone may look at it differently.

Therefore, it seems to me the six million dollar question is whether the fetus before birth is actually a living "being" or not. If it is, I do not believe the majority of women would abort it. I believe most women who choose an abortion do not believe the fetus is yet a living being. I think most feel they are intervening before the fact. Of course, I may be off mark with my hypotheses; however, I believe it to be accurate.

If my hypothesis is correct, we need to look to science for an answer or better put, the truth. Many religious or Godly minded individuals feel life begins at conception. However, many people feel religious views are out of touch regarding this subject matter and consequently disregard the religious viewpoint. So, let us look to science and its fact based, scientific, unbiased opinion.

Maureen L. Condic, PhD, who is a Senior Fellow at the Westchester Institute for Ethics & the Human Person and Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Utah School of Medicine wrote an article entitled, When Does Human Life Begin? A Scientific Perspective.

The article gets quite technical and states an unequivocal scientific answer to my question. After explaining detailed, specific scientific facts, she states her answer, and I quote directly "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."

The article specifically answers the question of when human life begins with scientific certainty. I have not found any evidence to unsubstantiate the articles facts and its conclusion. I believe that science and Faith rightly understood are in service to the truth and in this case, they agree. For me, scientific fact solidifies when life begins, and for me, on how I feel about abortion.

Steve is the author of Protect Yourself: The Simple Keys Women Need to be Safe and Secure. He is the host of the Internet Radio Talk Show, The Kovacs Perspective http://www.thekovacsperspective.com/ where he interviews experts in various fields, geared to help and inform. Steve also does on-line current events & political audio commentary.

Steve's background is in law enforcement, security, investigations, teaching and he is also the president of a small specialty investigation company: http://www.allsourcesecurity.com/investigations.htm. Contact Steve any time at:info@thekovacsperspective.com

This Article has been viewed 3,589 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
More comments
» left by Michael Ramzy
 2 years 328 days ago.
49 fans.
A great article, Steve. I always thought most argued the 'abortion question' as about a woman's right to choose and not when life began in the womb. Perhaps many women would choose life if they knew the truth, yet it seems the argument never gets that far. Instead, it is all about the right of a woman to control her own body.
I can understand that justification since it's easier to put it in those terms than in the 'you're taking a life' term. And yet, it seems kind of hypocritical. We have laws against smoking and other things which harm the body, and yet somehow abortion gets a pass because either (a) men make the laws and they just don't 'get it', or (b) abortion is different because it is a heart-felt decision and not something chosen lightly.
Regardless, all life is sacred, and whatever justification a woman uses to abort a life is hers alone to deal with. But the debate shouldn't be about a woman's right to choose, it should be about the taking of life. Your article points us in the right direction. Great job.
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 326 days ago.
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Thanks Mike, if I pointed anyone in the right direction that's great-- I appreciate your comments as well as your articles.
» left by Wayne Turner
from Cape Town : South Africa 2 years 327 days ago.
Thank you Steve for a great article void of emotional rhetoric. I am also an ex-police officer and appreciate the angle you have approached this.

Regards
Wayne
Cape Town : South Africa
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 326 days ago.
96 fans. Follow Steve Kovacs on twitter!

Hi Wayne,

Good to hear from a fellow ex-policeman from the other side of the world!  I’m glad you noticed my attempt at a lack of emotional rhetoric trying to get to the core.

Thank you for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it.

Regards to you too sir,

Steve
» left by straight talk
 2 years 327 days ago.
112 fans. Follow straight talk on twitter!
Steve, a well thought out article and good information. Howerv, that said it really comes down to choice. Now like you I am not going to debate situations or circumstances. What it really all comes down to is do you believe in God and His Word or not. In this age the overwhelming number of people, even while professing, do not believe. It really is a faith issue and many prefer to postpone possibiities. That said, not an easy decision. All life ends and when it does the judgment or oblivian or something else. If the judgment, the answer will be given. Good job.
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 326 days ago.
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Robert, thanks for taking the time to comment and offering your view.  We are fortunate to have SearchWarp to pass our views back and forth—maybe we’ll all grow a little!

 

Thanks again.

» left by Anonymous 2 years 326 days ago.
Which life is more important, an unborn fetus or a woman?
 
Author Becky Due
» left by Anonymous 2 years 326 days ago.
The question on which life is more important, an unborn fetus (child) or a woman is absolutely mind boggling. It's like comparing the quality of brief marriages to longer marriages, saying that new traditions are less meaningful than older traditions and an infant's life has less quality than the life of an older person's life - marriages are marriages whether it's fresh and alive or whether communication has shut down, traditions are traditions because they have to have a beginning point, an infant's life is every bit as meaningful as an older and established person's life and most importantly, everyone has a right to life and who has a right to judge if someone is about to enter the world suffering forever and/or live a life of neglect,,,,,,excuses excuses,,,,,,when does ending a life become a personal choice,,,,,,it's all about excuses and since when has it been proven that anyone/a soul has a second chance to be born in another lifetime?
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 324 days ago.
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Thank you for reading and sharing your opinions with me and everyone else.
» left by Michael S. Garvin
from Boca Raton 2 years 326 days ago.
It is ironic that some of the same people who argue that abortion is wrong because it is the taking of a human life are the same people who favor execution of criminals, which by the way is also taking of a human life. In reality,taking of human lives or the lives of other beings are unpleasant (some pleasant) but sometimes necessary functions. Execution of heinous criminals such as Nazis who helped kill six million Jews, killing in self-defense, swatting a pesky mosquito, removing an oxygen mask from a terminally ill patient, and the abortion of an unwanted child who would endlessly suffer if brought into the world are examples of such functions. If abortion was outlawed then the butchers who wielded hangers would again appear. Then the two for one special would also appear: the death of the fetus and the mother.
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 324 days ago.
96 fans. Follow Steve Kovacs on twitter!

Hi Mike from warm, sunny, and the land of beautiful beaches Florida!  Nice to hear from you again, I appreciate you reading and offering your comments. 

» left by Anonymous 2 years 325 days ago.
Great Job Steve! I love the comments from everybody. I know there will never be a win/win on this topic, but talking about it and sharing opinions helps.
 
Author Becky Due
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 324 days ago.
96 fans. Follow Steve Kovacs on twitter!

Hi Becky, Great to hear from you and I agree with you 100% that talking about issues—reasonably sharing of thoughts/opinions are the way to go.  I appreciate you reading and offering your comments—Thanks!.

» left by Ben Morrish
 2 years 324 days ago.
48 fans.
Interesting stuff.
 
I think it is uncontroversial that after conception, the zygote is something we can technically class as a "human organism" in the sense that it is a living organism with a full human genome.
 
However, that is not the same as saying it is a *human being* in the broader, normal sense of the word meaning "a sentient person", i.e. a being with a high level of self awareness and capacity for pleasure / pain and joy / depair.
 
Any meaningful definition of "human" in the context of the morality of abortion must be more than merely "has a human genome".
 
The moral debate focuses on whether the zygote is a sentient being with capacity for self awareness, joy and despair. The scientific evidence is against this conclusion.
 
Really the species element "human" is not the relevant element in terms of moral decisions - the relevant element is the sentience.
 
And the scientific fact of the matter is that a dog is far more sentient than a human zygote.
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 323 days ago.
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Hi Ben,

Thanks for bringing up your view and other comments as well.  A controversial subject with many strong views to say the least!  Thanks for reading I appreciate it. 
» left by Michelle Mackin
 2 years 324 days ago.
Excellent article Steve,
 
Very provoking and your stand is great.
 
I am one too who made the mistake and have to deal 20 years and three children later. I know I was driven by fear and what the doctor told me. I believe I made an ugly mistake.
 
Michelle
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 323 days ago.
96 fans. Follow Steve Kovacs on twitter!
Thank you for writing with your personal journey and opinion.  Thanks for your other comments as well.  My best to you!
» left by David Pekrul
 2 years 322 days ago.
70 fans.
I believe the Koreans consider your first birthday to be on the day you are born. In other words, a person who is one year old, according to us, would actually be two years old, according to the Korean tradition. I think maybe they have it right.
» left by Steve Kovacs 2 years 319 days ago.
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Hi Dave, never knew that fact, very interesting to me--thanks.
» left by Anonymous 2 years 319 days ago.
I had a good friend in college who was Korean. This is exactly what she told me, too.

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